Brooklyn Sandridge

Leading through Service

A well-rounded approach to success.

Brooklyn Sandridge possess the innate skill and drive to rise to the top in almost everything she does. She is class valedictorian, class president, captain of her soccer and basketball teams, chairman of the Future Farmers of America, and president of the Associated Student Body. But it is just as likely to find Brooklyn cleaning up a highway, serving concessions at a sporting event, or pitching in with school maintenance as it is to see her leading her team to victory on the field, competing in the Knowledge Bowl, or coming up with innovative ideas for school assemblies and events. For Brooklyn, the well-known mantra that states, “If service is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you,” defines her approach to life. Her servant-leader attitude has become the foundation of the legacy she hopes to leave at her high school and in her community.

While Brooklyn is just one of two female athletes in her class, she hasn’t let that discourage her from competing and doing what she can to instill a love of athletics within the younger girls in her community. “One of my favorite volunteer opportunities is at the youth basketball camps my team organizes,” she says. “My goal at these camps is to build passion and resilience. To keep them playing.” One way Brooklyn accomplishes this is by ensuring the younger competitors know they have the support of their community and that the older players are invested in their continued success. “After our last winter camp, I rallied our varsity basketball team to attend some of the youth games. When we watched our school’s fourth grade rec team win a select tournament last season, I was just as ecstatic as they were!”

Brooklyn understands that she has something to learn from the younger athletes as well. With few competitors in her own grade, Brooklyn has always made it point to compete not only with the class above her, which she says pushes her to improve physically, but also with the up-and-coming players. “I learned patience and leadership skills playing with the younger class,” she says. She uses those lessons to remain focused on being the best role model she can be, always making the conscious choice to lead by example in sports, in the classroom, and in her extracurricular and community service initiatives. “I want to leave a legacy that lasts at my school, and maybe just inspire one young person to change the future of the game.”