TWO GREENHILLS SENIORS WIN SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
Greenhills School seniors Hannah Lee and Eleana Zhuang have been named 2025 MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award winners. They are two of only 32 athletes in Michigan to receive this distinction, which includes a $2,000 scholarship for each. This is the second consecutive year that two students from Greenhills have earned this honor.
“Hannah and Eleana represent everything we love about Greenhills athletics,” said Athletic Director Tom Ward. “Both are student-athletes that lead with enthusiasm and encouragement, raising up their teammates and peers. When I think about the student leaders that we want our younger athletes to see and emulate, Hannah and Eleana are model examples.”
To be eligible for a Scholar Athlete Award, students must maintain a 3.5 grade-point average or higher on a 4.0 scale, earn a varsity letter in at least one sport, and demonstrate active involvement in other school and community activities. Additionally, applicants must write an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.
“Sportsmanship in golf is about more than making the right call or showing respect in the moment; it’s about creating a lasting impact on the game, players, and community,” said Lee in her application essay. “It fosters an environment of mutual respect, where competitors aim to elevate each other rather than just defeat one another. Golf teaches that sportsmanship is a mindset, lasting far beyond the final putt.”
Lee has been on the Greenhills varsity golf team for four years, helping the Gryphons reach the MHSAA Finals four times with top-13 individual finishes at the last two championship tournaments. Her contributions to the team have also earned her all-state and academic all-state recognition. Off the course, Lee is a dedicated member of the school’s forensics team, participating for four years and mentoring her younger peers as a middle school forensics coach. In addition, she is in her fourth year as a part of the Gryphons Sports Live broadcasting club and currently leads the group as its president.
In Zhuang’s essay she said, “Our passion for sports drives us, but our compassion for each other makes educational athletics an unforgettable environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and supported…As athletes, we’re constantly faced with the choice between passion and compassion. In terms of sportsmanship, compassion always comes first. When we lead with compassion, we grow into individuals who uplift those around us, a lesson essential beyond sports. That’s what makes athletics unforgettable.”
Zhuang is a multi-sport athlete, competing on Greenhills’ volleyball and basketball teams for two years and entering her third year as a member of the track and field team. She has earned all-academic honors in volleyball, served as basketball captain, was named track captain for the upcoming spring season, and qualified for the MHSAA Finals last year as part of a track relay, in addition to helping the team win multiple league championships. Zhuang was recognized as an AP Scholar with Honors, and when she’s not participating in a sport, serves as the senior class secretary and treasurer, leads the East Asian Pacific American Community student affinity group, and engages with the Student Service Leaders group.
Lee and Zhuang will be recognized on March 15 during the boys basketball state finals at Michigan State’s Breslin Center.
