John Grundy ’14 was recruited to Randolph to play lacrosse, but he was determined to do much more. When he began college, he wanted to focus on learning more than he had in the past.
John Grundy ’14 receives the Scholar Athlete of the Year award from Randolph English professor Dan Stiffler. |
“In high school, I didn’t push myself; I never studied,” he said. “In college, I was determined not to let that happen. I wanted to push myself and see how well I could do.”
He did do more. In addition to excelling in the classroom, Grundy served as a resident assistant, participated in the Davenport Leadership Institute, and worked as a learning strategies tutor. He also served on a civility task force that helped identify ways that the community could increase respect for diversity.
His hard work paid off and was noticed. At the athletic awards banquet in April, he was given the Scholar Athlete of the year award, which honors the graduating student-athlete with the highest grade point average. Then at the academic and leadership awards ceremony the next day, Grundy was surprised with the Student of the Year Award.
This year, Grundy has had extra motivation for all that he has been involved with: he became a father last fall.
“I had to do everything for my daughter so she has a better life in the future,” he said. “Working and going to class and going to lacrosse, she made it all worthwhile.
“She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Grundy continued. “When I see her smile,that makes me happy.”
His fiancée, Casey, and daughter, Isabelle, plan to move from Northern Virginia to Lynchburg, where Grundy plans to continue working at a YMCA gym. His work there started as an unpaid internship two years ago and then turned into a part-time job that includes working with personal training clients. A sport and exercise studies major, he hopes to eventually run a gym of his own, applying lessons he has learned outside his major in classes in psychology, multicultural education, sociology, communication studies, and more.
Grundy added that the most important thing he has learned has been the value of being a leader. “Coming into college, I wanted to be this all ODAC player recognized for individual accomplishments. Now I’m just happy about the impact I’ve had on my teammates, and how I’ve changed their attitudes,” he said. “That makes a much bigger impact than individual awards.”
Tags: class of 2014, senior profile