The Academy presented the Coach Sheahan Excellence Award to Jeasmine Ebessa ’18 on Tuesday, May 23, during the Underclass Awards Ceremony. The award, given as a surprise to the recipient, is named after the late Bill Sheahan, who coached the Academy’s basketball team to its 115-game winning streak and enjoyed a 27-year relationship with the Academy. This is the fifth year for the award that is presented to a rising senior who exemplifies the values that Coach Sheahan ascribed to in his own life and coaching style: A Christ-centered life, a devotion to family, a conscientious student, a leader and person of integrity and commitment who is loyal to herself, her school, and her community. The award includes a scholarship towards tuition.
Jeasmine was nominated by Outdoor Track and Field Coach Bryan Hoffman who wrote, “[Jeasmine] is a wonderful individual to coach and her personal and family values show true with each action she takes. Her faith is important to her and guides the decisions she makes. Her teammates look up to her and my entire coaching staff is amazed at what she can accomplish when she takes the lead. If something needs to be done, there is no hesitation in asking her to manage it and we know that it will not only be done on time, but correctly.”
Athletic Director Lisa Schrader announced the award and included a remark from last year’s recipient, Jessica Falcinelli ’17, who noted how special it was to receive the award.