By Lisa Carolin
Chelsea High School Senior Andrea Kowalski has been selected by the Michigan High School Athletic Association to receive a $1,000 scholarship.
She is one of a select group of students from Class B member schools to receive the scholarship through the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA)/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award program.
To qualify, recipients applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must have at least a 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) grade-point average and have won a letter in a varsity sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Applicants also have to show active participation in school and community activities and write an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
How does Kowalski balance academics, sports, and activities in her busy life?
“I have to be disciplined and make sure that I have my priorities straight, but I also think my competitive drive lets me perform in everything I do,” she said. “I actually think that having a diverse set of activities has helped me be more well-rounded and able to express different sides of myself.”
“Andrea exemplifies everything that a student-athlete can be,” said Brad Bush, Chelsea High School athletic director, who added, “She is a very talented athlete, a tremendous student, and a great teammate. We are very proud of her.”
Kowalski will play her fourth year of varsity soccer this spring, serving as soccer captain for the second season, and earned all-league and all-region in soccer, as well as playing club soccer. She is playing her second year of varsity basketball, serving as captain, and helped the varsity basketball team to the league title in 2020. She also ran varsity cross country as a freshman and sophomore helping the team to a regional title in 2017.
Kowalski has a 4.425 GPA and earned AP Scholar with Honor recognition. She is participating in her fourth year of student council. This is her second year in the National Honor Society and is the cabinet operations chair, is part of the civic engagement club, for which she is a founding member, and is a member of the Link Crew. Her favorite subjects are calculus and physics.
In addition, she earned the position of flute section leader for the Chelsea High School marching band and first chair for band/wind symphony and earned Division 1 rating at all judged musical performances.
Kowalski speaks highly of growing up in Chelsea.
“Chelsea is a really special place that continues to lift me up in the classroom and on the field.,” she said. “I am grateful for the overwhelming community support and pride, as well as the abundance of opportunities available. I’ve loved playing sports with the people I’ve grown up with and feel well prepared for my life beyond Chelsea High School.”
This was a quote from her essay to the MHSAA/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award Program: “Our opponents in educational athletics, club sports, or pickup games are just other people who want to compete. Whether a friend or foe, displaying empathy, respect, and integrity in all contests is what makes the community of athletes a special place for everyone. My adolescent eyes struggled to see it, but sportsmanship makes educational athletics bigger than each player and bigger than the pitch. It equates us all as human beings.”
Kowalski plans to attend the University of Michigan and study at the College of Engineering.
