LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Every month, KTNV highlights a high school student athlete in the valley that has excelled beyond their sport.
For June, swinging for the fences and spiking her way to success, a local high school sports athlete is shining in the classroom and on the court.
We introduce you to our academic athlete of the month, Liberty High School's Justine Dunaway strives to always give her all.
The two-sport athlete has worked hard to thrive on the court and also on the diamond.
"For volleyball it's just more fun for me. I've met some of my closest friends from volleyball. For softball, I love my team I love my coach obviously. I love competing," Justine Dunaway said.
But her love for softball goes well beyond the diamond, in fact its a chance to bond with her mother, and head coach, Laura Cardin.
Laura Cardin smiles as she tells us, "not a lot of parents get the chance to coach their kids in high school. I've coached her a lot of her life through club ball. It's never really been a challenge with her."
"I wouldn't want it any other way. She just knows me so well. Obviously, so she could tell me one sentence about my thought process and it'll completely change my swing and I'll just feel so much better throughout the game," said Justine Dunaway.
It is a rare opportunity for a mother and a daughter to grow their love for the game of softball together.
Laura Cardin says, "It's the best experience. You're going to make me cry— Just to be able to have a daughter so special and to be able to coach her. I played softball through college so to be able to share that experience with her...that she loves it is every parent's dream."
From being a team captain and offensive player of the year to flourishing in the classroom, its that success that has earned Dunaway our Academic Athlete of the Month, sponsored by Centennial Subaru and General Manager Ryon Walters.
The 18-year-old plans to attend Williams College in Boston, Massachusetts where she plans to continue her softball career.
Justine Dunaway "When we found Williams and I went to their camps. Everything just clicked well. I'm ready to leave and meet new people and be in a new area."
With one chapter ending, another one opens. Dunaway hopes her legacy will always be remembered in a positive light.
Justine Dunaway "I hope people remember me as the girl who just cheered everyone up. Had a good time but also just came out with a smile every day."
"I'm most proud of the person she is. She's the oldest of four sisters, too. She's a great sister and someone everyone can lean on. Those qualities that are bigger than sports are something that makes me so proud," Laura Cardin says.
Academic Athlete of the Month is sponsored by Centennial Subaru. Find more stories like this one at ktnv.com/academicathletes.
