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 College of Science, is spending the week in New Orleans as one in all 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 exhibit group management and tutorial excellence.
A complete of 59 college students have been nominated to signify every of the 32 NFL golf equipment, and a panel narrowed it all the way down to eight, representing every of the NFL divisions. As the feminine winner representing the Jets and the AFC East, Beauchamp will probably be in New Orleans from Feb. 5 by way of 10, attending a gala and mentorship occasions, doing press interviews and naturally, watching the Tremendous Bowl.
The female and male nationwide winners will probably be introduced throughout the week at NFL Honors, the league’s primetime awards present. Every winner will obtain a $25,000 grant for school, with the opposite six finalists receiving $5,000.
The week will carry many surprises main as much as the large sport. “I’m so excited to be in that atmosphere,” mentioned Beauchamp.
Beauchamp’s love for soccer began at an early age, and her dad taught her easy methods to throw a soccer earlier than every other athletic ability. “That was the first thing he ever taught me,” she mentioned. “That kind of became our thing.”
Beauchamp began primarily enjoying basketball and tennis, however when she came upon that Bronx Science had a flag soccer crew, she thought it will 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 totally different athletic backgrounds, they have been wanting to study a brand new sport and “be around other passionate athletes,” she mentioned.
“We were all super dedicated, super motivated to learn more and progress,” mentioned Beauchamp.
As QB, she needed to learn to hold monitor of all her teammates, run all of the performs and patterns, talk together 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 crew’s collective mindset, mixed with their math and science abilities, meant they might not be outsmarted on the sphere. Beauchamp mentioned her aptitude for physics and understanding of arc, torque and different rules is a pure asset to her sport.
“Everything you do is physics,” she mentioned. “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 throughout the week if she is one in all 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 yr.
“I have so much love and gratitude for the Jets because I won for them,” she mentioned. Nevertheless, each of her dad and mom have been born and raised in Philadelphia, and with the Eagles enjoying within the large sport, she is aware of who she’ll be rooting for.
“It’s our comeback year,” she mentioned. “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 mentioned. She grew up listening to reggaeton and bomba music, cooking together with her abuela and talking Spanglish. Beauchamp known 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 is just not the one thrilling factor in Beauchamp’s life. She not too long ago came upon she was accepted into Yale, her dream faculty. Though she has not but formally dedicated, Beauchamp mentioned she is happy with all the pieces she has completed. “It was a lot of hard work and stress, but I’m so grateful it led to something so positive.”
Beauchamp mentioned the NFL Latino Youth Honors is very significant as a result of it celebrates her id as a scholar, 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.”
