TWO GREENHILLS SENIORS WIN SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS, THIRD A FINALIST

Congratulations to Greenhills School seniors Navya Ashok and Lucas Nor on being named 2024 MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Award winners. More than 1,600 student-athletes from throughout Michigan submitted applications to be considered for this award. Only 120 were named finalists and just 32 would become Scholar-Athletes who would each receive a $2,000 college scholarship.

“You have to be incredibly well-rounded to win the Scholar-Athlete Award, and Navya and Lucas are certainly that,” said Greenhills Athletic Director Tom Ward. “They’re remarkable athletes, outstanding leaders, and they do all of that while performing at the highest level in the classroom—no small feat at a school as academically rigorous as Greenhills.”

In addition to Ashok and Nor, Anika Bery was also named a 2024 Scholar Athlete Award finalist—a prestigious honor in its own right that only 120 students in the state can lay claim to. Greenhills was one of only five schools in the state to have three finalists, and the only school with two winners.

Students applying for the Scholar-Athlete Award must have at least a 3.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and demonstrate active participation in other school and community activities. The application also requires students to produce an essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics.

“I believe that acts of sportsmanship transcend the sports realm,” said Ashok in her Scholar Athlete Award application essay. “To me, sportsmanship is not only about helping out the other team or competitor, but also providing equity in sports, and giving others the chance to rise up to their occasion.”

Ashok is an all-league runner on Greenhills’ cross country and track and field teams, contributing to both teams’ conference title wins. She is a captain for the track and field team and, when she isn’t running, she’s serving as class president, captain of the Science Bowl team, editor of the yearbook and Evergreen literary magazine, competitor on the forensics team, and has taken on leadership roles in several community organizations.

In Nor’s essay he says, “I believe that sportsmanship isn’t just the ways in which one directly interacts with others, rather the way one carries themselves and serves as an example for other players, spectators, and future stars watching on the bleachers. … And this is why I believe that sportsmanship is so important to educational athletics, as it fosters the values of respect and a shared passion for the game. When people make a difference, it serves as an influence to not only inspire others, but also helps sprout newfound athletic careers.”

Nor is an all-state tennis player who has helped his team win multiple state championships, and he also led the basketball team to a district championship. Off the courts, he serves as a lead student ambassador, participates in the school’s Hispanic and Latinx affinity group, performs in the school’s jazz band, competes in the economics/finance club, and mentors younger students as a coach/instructor in tennis and trumpet.

“Students like Lucas and Navya are why we do what we do at Greenhills,” said Head of School Peter B. Fayroian. “They are the embodiment of our mission to help students realize their full intellectual, ethical, artistic, and athletic potential. I can’t wait to see how they better the world.”