Grant

Grant is a senior at Newberg High School.  He plans to major in Civil Engineering with an emphasis in Construction Management and will be attending California Baptist University (CBU) in the fall.  Grant’s talents and hobbies span all kinds of interesting categories.

Grant started playing water polo when he was ten years old.  He and his buddies – the Fab Five –  grew up together in the pool, and went on to win the Oregon 6A water polo state championship EVERY.SINGLE.YEAR they were in high school.  (How many kids can say that?!?!) By their senior year, they were a widely known force to be reckoned with, dominating the pool all over the Pacific Northwest.  In 2018, they went undefeated in Oregon and Washington, suffering their only loss of the entire season in the championship game of a tournament in California.  All of the Fab Five earned all league and all state honors their senior year.  Grant earned first team All League and first team All State for his work in the 2 meter hole set position.  #attakids

In the winter Grant is on the high school swim team, specializing in the 100 fly and the 200IM (individual medley).  He helped his team win the district championship for the first time in school history his junior year, earned All League Honorable Mention for the 100 fly his senior year, and placed in the top twelve in the district in both of his individual events his senior year.  Pretty impressive for a kid who only swims because he wants to be a better water polo player.

Grant’s spring sport is club water polo.  However, early in his freshman year of high school he heard about the Twelve Sport Athlete award.  Any Newberg High School student who participates in a high school sport fall, winter, and spring season all four of their high school years, earns a Twelve Sport Athlete award.  The award is presented to them at the end of their senior year and a plaque with their photo gets hung in the hallway of the high school by the gym.  Grant wanted that award, so he decided to try golf.  He joined the high school golf team as a freshman, in spite of the fact that he knew nothing about the sport and had never been golfing in his life.  He was pretty bad at it, but he didn’t care.  He worked it around his club water polo schedule and showed up faithfully to practice, each day getting a little better.  His junior year, he broke his arm snowboarding the day before the golf season started.  The easy choice would have been to just not play golf, but Grant wanted that Twelve Sport athlete award.  So he stayed on the golf team roster and faithfully showed up to practice, cheering on his teammates, and trying to putt in the cold rain with one arm.

His senior year, Grant decided to try lacrosse for his spring sport. One of his water polo buddies had extra lacrosse gear and this fall, started teaching Grant how to play lacrosse.  He caught on quickly and by the time lacrosse season rolled around, Grant had earned a starting spot on the varsity team playing defense. It has been fun to watch him play a sport on land and in a uniform larger than a Speedo. Even better, Grant has that Twelve Sport Athlete award in the bag.  Turns out he’s the only kid in his class of more than 300+ kids who earned it.  #attakid

Grant also loves to ride any kind of board.  His list of broken bones testify to how often he rides and the risks he likes to take to perfect the next trick. He got his first skateboard from his friend Jeffery when he was four years old and has been riding ever since.  He snowboards occasionally, but surfs every chance he get.  His senior project this year combined two of his passions: engineering and surfing. With the help of his mentor, he designed, shaped and built his first surfboard.

Grant is also a musician.  He took guitar lessons in late elementary school and joined band as a percussionist in 6th grade.  He LOVED playing the drums so he saved his lawn mowing money to buy himself a drum kit.  He shopped Craiglist for weeks before he found the perfect one.  Over the years Grant has played in concert band, jazz band, pep band, drum line, and percussion ensemble.  He taught himself how to play the piano and upright bass, and how to mix beats using a computer program.

Grant is academic-minded with a thirst for knowledge.  He is a modern day absent minded professor – unorganized, messy, and hyper intellectual.  In spite of his lack of organization, he is graduating from high school with an honors diploma near the top of his class with a cumulative GPA over 4.00. #attakid

It’s an impressive resume’,  but what I love best about Grant is his personality.  He is an adventurous risk taker… always willing to try something new.  Grant throws all of himself into whatever new “thing” he is doing.  He has an entrepreneurial spirit and is hard working.  Grant loves people and is always with his family, friends or girlfriend if he’s not a practice or at work. Grant laughs freely and often, and loves all three of his dogs.  Grant made a decision to follow Jesus when he was in elementary school and has been walking out his personal faith in Jesus ever since.  He’s amazing with little kids and has been leading the 3 year old classroom at his church for the past six years. Grant is wild and crazy, loud and fun.

In case it wasn’t obvious, I kind of like him a lot.  And that’s because he’s my firstborn son. I am exceedingly proud of the man he has become and can’t wait to cheer him on in this next chapter of his life in college.

Well done Grant.  I love you.

(last image by Nanci Imagery)