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A Step Above: Nicole Ruffino
Coronado High School
Class of 2011
Coronado High School senior Nicole Ruffino hasn’t been sitting the bench in the game of life. Nor has her time in play slipped by unnoticed. Instead, she’s been hitting her goals like so many three-pointers and capitalizing on opportunities as though they were simple free throws. But none of this is happenstance. As Nicole can attest, results come from focus, practice and hard work; they arrive only after consistently going above and beyond what is called of you. For Nicole, this means pushing both herself and her team on the court, all the while maintaining high marks in school and being an example for her peers, and for that, she is – A Step Above.
G.P.A.: 4.3
Sports/Clubs/Community Service:
- JV Basketball, 2007-08
- Varsity Basketball, 2008-Present; Captain, 2010
- Vegas Elite AAU Basketball Club, 2009/10
- All Tournament Team for Las Vegas Holiday Classic, 2009/10
- All Tournament Team for Warrior Tip Off–Western High School, 2010/11
- All-Star Team–Dixie College, 2009/10
- National Honor Society, 2009-Present
- Students Against Destructive Decisions, 2010-Present
- Volunteer at Desert Springs Hospital
- Middle School Basketball Camp Coach–LVDS, 2009/10
- Every 15 Minutes DUI Education Program, 2010/11
Scholarships/Awards:
- Whittier Merit Scholarship
- Whittier College Work Study
- United States Army Reserve National Scholar/Athlete Award, 2011
- MVP–Varsity Basketball, 2009-11
- All-State Scholar Athlete, 2010/11
- Offensive Player of the Year–JV Basketball, 2007/08
- Athlete of the Month–February, 2010
- Wendy Heisman Award Candidate, 2010/11
- All-State Scholar Athlete, 2011
Goals & Aspirations: “One of my main goals is to get my degree in psychology and obtain a career as either a geriatric psychologist or a marriage counselor.”
Accomplishments Most Proud Of: “I am most proud of being able to maintain a high GPA throughout school while being able to perform on the basketball court after working hard for so many years.”
Nicole Looks Up To: “I look up to my mother a lot. She is a registered nurse and loves to help others; it brightens her day just to make a patient laugh. Helping others is also the road I’d like to take when searching for a career.”
Cause for Concern: “If I could be the president of any nonprofit organization, it would be the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, to help raise money for Americans affected by Alzheimer’s. I chose this organization specifically because I witnessed first-hand what Alzheimer’s can do while caring for my grandmother.”
