Each week, US Lacrosse is proud to highlight our Impact Athletes — boys’ and girls’ high school lacrosse players who are supporting their communities with special efforts during these challenging days.
We all recognize that these are unusual and unprecedented times, unlike any that have been seen before. But great challenges also offer great opportunities, and US Lacrosse has already heard and shared some of these stories.
Fortunately, we know that there are plenty more out there, and we want to hear your stories. Because of that, we have extended the original deadline and we want to continue receiving submissions that showcase the impact of high school athletes.
US Lacrosse has created an easy-to-use online submission form so you can share your stories and photos with us. US Lacrosse reviews all submissions and selects exemplary high school athletes to recognize. These are their stories.
Joshua Hughes, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Hughes, a sophomore at St. Petersburg Catholic High School, has bold aspirations. He wants to play collegiate lacrosse, major in criminal justice and participate in ROTC while in college. He then hopes to earn a Master's degree in cyber security or public administration in pursuit of a career in law enforcement.
"Joshua wanted to share his lacrosse journey as an African American lacrosse player to advocate, motivate, encourage and inspire other lacrose players not to give up on their dreams, so he started his Instagram page, @insideblaxlife," according to the submission form. "He also wanted to bring awareness and encourage other non-minority lacrosse players and coaches to speak up and not ignore the issue of a lack of diversity and inclusion in lacrosse."
This instance of activism is not a one-off for Hughes. In school, he an SPC Ambassador — a tour guide for school visitors and events. Out of school, he proudly serves in the St. Petersburg Police Department Police Explorer Program and was promoted to sergeant in December 2019.
He also takes part in changing his community as an Advocacy Academy Ambassador and a youth member of the NAACP St. Petersburg Branch. The list of accolades goes on and on.
Kristen Choi, Irvine, Calif.
During the last three months, Choi, who is a junior at Northwood High School, has used her time to help those affected most by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Choi has 3D printed and assembled face shields and ear savers for face masks. For extra protection in the masks, Choi cuts vacuum bags to make filters. Through her hard work, she has donated 100 face shields, 200 ear savers and 100 filters to local hospitals, senior living facilities and homeless shelters.
She said lacrosse taught her how to come together with teammates to achieve.
"Participating in lacrosse has impacted my life in many ways, as it has taught me many life lessons including teamwork, perseverance, and hard work," she wrote. "Playing lacrosse gives me this rush of adrenaline like no other, and I love the excitement of being on the field."