The Green Wave Gazette Fall 2016 | Page 2

PAGE 2 THE GREEN WAVE GAZETTE
Senior Spotlight : Jenny Worden Hard Work Pays Off For Humble Senior
Jenny signs her letter of intent with her family by her side . ( Sarah Tornato ‘ 17 )
“ Get involved by playing sports or joining a club . It ’ s a great way to make friends and to give back to the
town .”
Jenny Worden ‘ 17
Lorhena Antonio ‘ 18 Contributor
On November 14 , senior Jenny Worden signed her national letter of intent to play Division II basketball at Stonehill College next year . However , she still has a little work to do here at Abington High School as she prepares for her final season . Worden surpassed the 1,000 point mark last year , and should have very little trouble breaking the school ’ s all time scoring record in her first or second game this year .
Worden is also a four year varsity soccer player , which she recently capped off by making the South Shore League All-Star team . She is also a strong student and the president of the Student Advisory Council . We recently caught up with this busy , humble and hard-working student athlete to ask her a few questions about her high school experience .
How does it feel to be a senior ?
I feel old being a senior . It feels like just yesterday that I was a freshman . Time has definitely gone by very fast .
What are your goals for the upcoming season ?
I am very excited for the upcoming basketball season . My goal for the team is to win the South Shore League title and make it far in the tournament .
What did it feel like to score 1,000 points last year ?
Scoring 1,000 points was very exciting . It
was a big accomplishment and I felt proud to represent my team and town . I was not really thinking about how many points I had until it came close . I was just trying to contribute to the score every game to get a win . There was a little pressure , but after I did it , I was relieved .
Who do you rely on most for support ?
My coaches , Mr . Moore and Cliff ( Ms . Clifford ) and teammates keep me focused , they are always giving me advice and tips to help me stay on task . I get a lot of support from my family and friends ; they come to all of my games and are always there to cheer me on .
When did you develop your love for basketball ?
Basketball has always been my favorite sport . I have loved it ever since I was a little kid ; I started to play on a team when I was in first grade in the Abington Town League .
You decided last year that you were going to attend Stonehill College and , of course , play basketball there . How did you decide that fast ?
I committed to Stonehill so quickly because I knew it was the right place for me , I could tell just by the positive atmosphere that I could see myself develop there . The team at Stonehill and all the people there were very welcoming . The class sizes , the location of the school , and my family being close enough to come visit , or go to
some of my games , were some of the big factors in choosing Stonehill .
What do you like to do when you are not on the court ?
I enjoy hanging out with my friends , playing soccer and being apart of the Unified Team .
What is the Student Athlete Advisory Council ( SAAC ) up to so far this year ?
The SAAC does projects and things around the community to improve the town . Our goals are to make a Christmas card from the Abington sports teams , make a Thanksgiving video saying what the students are thankful for around our town , plant flowers at Abington High School and clean up . We worked together to plan the ( recent ) pep rally ..
Looking back at your high school years , would you do anything differently , and do you have any advice for incoming freshmen ?
If I had to do high school all over again , I would not change anything . I have had a great experience . Some advice I would give to an incoming freshman is to get involved by playing sports or joining a club . It ’ s a great way to make friends and to give back to the town . Also , I would say that school always comes before sports , and to manage time wisely through high school because it will be beneficial in the future .
Dennehy - School Resource Officers ( Continued from Page One )
kids love to see them and think they are “ superheroes .” Officer Reeves finds the Frolio Middle School to be the most difficult as “ some of them love us because they ’ re on the younger side , but some of them are a little harder to get through to .”
The high school has been a big challenge too , because students here take a longer time to feel comfortable and trust them . However , both officers agree that this is a fun challenge . Officer Bettencourt said , “ when you start to build rapport with the students , they start to say “ Hi ” ( when you see them ) or they start to give tips ” as to who may need help ; this makes the challenge of breaking through to the high schoolers a tough but rewarding one .
High schoolers often think the officers are here to “ do them wrong .” Reeves and Bettencourt strongly disagree with this belief and want to stress that they are here to offer resources and help anyone in need . Problems like suicide , drugs , alcohol or domestic problems , are all issues they are able to assist with . The resource officers want to be seen as friends not enemies .
Reeves and Bettencourt are hoping to implement several programs in the schools over the next few years . One of their major focuses is the D . A . R . E .
( Drug Abuse Resistance Education ) program . Along with these educational programs , they also plan to educate the youth about laws and things they could get in trouble for . Many students are unaware of these offenses . Educating students when they are young will hopefully reduce the likelihood they will get in trouble later on . Reflecting on their work in the schools thus far Officer Bettencourt said , “ This is actually the fun part of being a police officer , doing stuff like this , because you get to work with the kids .”