Dearborn High Student Named MHSAA Scholar-Athlete Finalist

The Michigan High School Athletic Association announced finalists for the 2012-2013 Scholar-Athlete Award Friday, and one Dearborn High School student made the cut.

Lara Fawaz, a senior who plays basketball and tennis for the Pioneers, was named a finalist in the annual competition.

Of the 120 finalists announced today, 32 will be chosen to receive the $1,000 scholarships. Award winners are chosen based on a combination of athletic and academic excellence.

To be eligible for the award, students must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale), and previously have won a varsity letter in at least one sport in which the MHSAA sponsors a postseason tournament. Students also were asked to respond to a series of short essay questions, submit two letters of recommendation and submit a 500-word essay on the importance of sportsmanship in educational athletics, according to the MHSAA.

On average, finalists participate in at least two sports. There are 59 three-plus sport participants in the finalist field this year, and all but one of the 28 sports in which the MHSAA sponsors postseason tournaments are represented, according to the MHSAA release.

Fawaz has played on both the basketball and tennis teams for years. She also carries on a family legacy of excellence: older sister Dema Fawaz served as valedictorian for the DHS Class of 2012.

Selection of the 32 scholarship recipients will take place in early February. Class C and D scholarship recipients will be announced on Feb. 5; Class B scholarship recipients will be announced on Feb. 12, and Class A scholarship recipients will be announced on Feb. 29. All announcements will be made on the MHSAA website.

Dearborn High is a Class A school.

To honor the 32 Scholar-Athlete Award recipients, a ceremony will take place during halftime of the Class C Boys Basketball Final, March 23, at the Breslin Student Events Center in East Lansing.