Berea high athletes stand as role models

February 17, 2012

Life has thrown Victoria Green a series of stumbling blocks in her 17 years. 

She's hurdled them all. 

"My success comes from my obstacles," Green said. "My mom always taught me determination, so I got my strength from her." 

Green was one of two Berea High School students honored with The Greenville News character awards at the Coaches 4 Character Series Thursday night at Greenville's Redemption World Outreach Center.

Joan Cronan, longtime Women's Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee, was the guest speaker for the quarterly event. She reminded the more than 1,000 students in attendance that "there are a lot of people who believe in you or you wouldn't be here tonight." 

Cronan urged the crowd to "keep their lives straight" and be accountable. 

The two honorees from Berea apparently have done just that.

Green, whose mother, Pamela Black, passed away on Jan. 7 after a prolonged illness, has faced her challenges with "optimism, strength, and resolve." An honor student with ranks in the top 10 of her class, writes poetry and is involved in many extracurricular activities, Green plans on attending Winthrop University. 

Thursday night's other honoree was Zach Snyder, a sophomore at Berea. Snyder, a creative musician who plays several instruments, was cited for being "kind, generous, smart, and a leader." He also expresses his through and music on the Internet through a weekly "vlog" on YouTube. 

"He serves as a role model and leader for his brother and sisters by assisting them with their homework, cleaning the house and doing other daily chores," said Lenny Kindall, an assistant principal at Berea. "It is amazing he finds time to study, but somehow he does because he is a member of Renaissance, which holds students to a higher standard of academics as well as overall behavior at Berea High. 

By: Scott Keepfer -- Greenville News