Cecilia Beauchamp, a senior at Bronx Science, is heading to New Orleans for Tremendous Bowl week as a finalist for the NFL Latino Youth Honors.
Picture courtesy NFL
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Cecilia Beauchamp, a senior at The Bronx Excessive Faculty of Science, is spending the week in New Orleans as certainly one of eight nationwide finalists for the NFL Latino Youth Honors.
The second annual award from the NFL, in partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Basis and Procter & Gamble, honors excellent seniors who excel in flag or deal with soccer and display group management and educational excellence.
A complete of 59 college students have been nominated to symbolize every of the 32 NFL golf equipment, and a panel narrowed it right down to eight, representing every of the NFL divisions. As the feminine winner representing the Jets and the AFC East, Beauchamp shall be in New Orleans from Feb. 5 by 10, attending a gala and mentorship occasions, doing press interviews and naturally, watching the Tremendous Bowl.
The female and male nationwide winners shall be introduced through the week at NFL Honors, the league’s primetime awards present. Every winner will obtain a $25,000 grant for faculty, with the opposite six finalists receiving $5,000.
The week will carry many surprises main as much as the massive recreation. “I’m so excited to be in that atmosphere,” stated Beauchamp.
Beauchamp’s love for soccer began at an early age, and her dad taught her the best way to throw a soccer earlier than some other athletic ability. “That was the first thing he ever taught me,” she stated. “That kind of became our thing.”
Beauchamp began primarily taking part in basketball and tennis, however when she came upon that Bronx Science had a flag soccer workforce, she thought it might be an amazing alternative to take part in one thing distinctive.
Beauchamp signed on as a freshman and ended up being named beginning quarterback and captain. She shortly acknowledged that whereas her teammates got here from all completely different athletic backgrounds, they have been desirous to be taught a brand new sport and “be around other passionate athletes,” she stated.
“We were all super dedicated, super motivated to learn more and progress,” stated Beauchamp.
As QB, she needed to discover ways to preserve observe of all her teammates, run all of the performs and patterns, talk along with her coach and present management on the sphere. “It was definitely a learning curve, but it’s just been such a cool experience.”
The workforce’s collective mindset, mixed with their math and science expertise, meant they might not be outsmarted on the sphere. Beauchamp stated her aptitude for physics and understanding of arc, torque and different ideas is a pure asset to her recreation.
“Everything you do is physics,” she stated. “I truly find it fascinating.”
Beauchamp was named the feminine winner for the New York Jets and AFC East. She’s going to discover out through the week if she is certainly one of two nationwide winners. Picture courtesy NFL.
In preparation for the New Orleans journey, Beauchamp admitted her NFL and Tremendous Bowl loyalties are considerably divided this 12 months.
“I have so much love and gratitude for the Jets because I won for them,” she stated. Nevertheless, each of her mother and father have been born and raised in Philadelphia, and with the Eagles taking part in within the huge recreation, she is aware of who she’ll be rooting for.
“It’s our comeback year,” she stated. “We are gonna beat the Chiefs.”
Along with the sporting aspect of the award, Beauchamp additionally appreciates the cultural facet. Being Puerto Rican has “always been important to who I am,” she stated. She grew up listening to reggaeton and bomba music, cooking along with her abuela and talking Spanglish. Beauchamp referred to as herself “an imperfect Latina” who embraces the duality of cultures that make up her household. “That’s okay and makes me even more authentic.”
Receiving honors from the NFL shouldn’t be the one thrilling factor in Beauchamp’s life. She not too long ago came upon she was accepted into Yale, her dream school. Though she has not but formally dedicated, Beauchamp stated she is pleased with every little thing she has completed. “It was a lot of hard work and stress, but I’m so grateful it led to something so positive.”
Beauchamp stated the NFL Latino Youth Honors is particularly significant as a result of it celebrates her identification as a pupil, athlete and Latina, exhibiting the world that illustration issues. “We are here and we are present. I am here, and I’m going to the Super Bowl. I can’t wait.”
