Dalton Schoen

This three-sport athlete makes sacrifices to be the best he can possibly be. and leads others right along with him.

Tell Dalton Schoen he can’t do something and he will tell you, “If I put in the work, I can.” This willingness to do whatever it takes has made Dalton the second student in his high school’s history to start in three sports. Beyond athletics, Dalton is an honors student with a 4.0 GPA, and he still finds time to volunteer in his community and at school.

To do it all and do it well, Dalton wakes up at 5 a.m. every day to work out. He makes daily sacrifices because he believes that talent comes with an obligation to do so. While Dalton steadfastly refuses to listen to those who say something can’t be done, he has to listen to his body. When a skiing injury left him with a broken collarbone his junior year, it appeared that Dalton would be sidelined from starting as center on the basketball team and doctors said he wouldn’t play at all that season. For 48 hours Dalton’s spirits sagged, but with the support of a teammate, he quickly rebounded. Though he couldn’t play, Dalton showed up on the first day of practice to root on his team. Then, he made a plan for recovery and played the last three weeks of the season.

Dalton’s internal drive comes from his belief that failure is not an option. When obstacles stand in his way, he simply strengthens his resolve. He believes he has a duty to use his talents to the best of his abilities and that’s what keeps him achieving all that he can, even when others tell him he can’t.