LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A Palo Verde Panther on the prowl and shining both in the classroom and on the field.
Senior Christian John "CJ" Colwell does not waste a single minute of the day.
He is a grade-A student, and while he plays basketball and soccer, his strongest suit is volleyball. He's a key player in the Panthers' run to the 5A state championship game.
He says he takes a lot of pride in how he plays on the court but takes even more pride in who he and his teammates are off of it.
"Just being able to be a part of a team that's not only successful on the court," he said. "But to be able to be proud of who we are as characters off the court has been nothing short of a blessing In my life."
He's also a top student, having earned a perfect 36 score on the ACT.
Coach Parker says he's a huge role model for the younger players and says having guys like him in the locker room makes his job as a coach easier.
"To have someone like him to show some of these other guys," Parker said. "As an incoming freshman or youngster, you can easily look up to CJ and kind of follow that."
While CJ appreciates all the accolades, he says anyone can do it. He says all it takes is discipline and never taking a minute for granted.
"The number one thing is not to limit the things that you want to do. Go out and find ways to do everything that you love because you might try to box yourself into saying, 'I only have time for grades, or I only have time to play sports,'" he said. "Ultimately, there are 24 hours in the day. You really do have time, especially in the growing ages of your life, to experience all these new areas of knowledge."
Academic Athlete of the Month is sponsored by Centennial Subaru.
