DREAMS DO COME TRUE BY C AT H Y PA D I L L A | P H OTO U S E Q U E S T R I A N
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realm of education brings to our lives and our children, we are focusing on some extraordinary local student athletes who are using that same passion to take their skills to the national and international playing fields.
That same drive, determination, sacrifice, and hard work that has enabled Jessica to become one of the very best in her sport is something we all admire and aspire to in our own chosen endeavors. And as part of our Back to School issue, celebrating all that the
Athletics and the principles needed to make a champion have always gone hand-inhand with book learning. Whether in gym class, on the playground at recess, or on the Friday night football field, sports and academics are the two cornerstones of any school. As everyone prepares for the back to school experience, meet these student athletes who, like Jessica, are making dreams come true on the National and/or International level: Megha Ganne, Shane Panzini, Ava DeHanes, and five members of the Holmdel High School (HHS) Varsity Track Team.
hen CM last featured Jessica Springsteen in 2018, LiliAnn Paras, Director of Marketing & Features, concluded their interview by asking if we would see Jessica competing in Japan on the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team in 2020. Already one of the best female riders in the world and a show jumping champion, Jessica answered, “I hope so!” And now in Tokyo, a year later than expected, the world watches as her lifelong dream of competing in the Olympics has become a reality. As we prepared this issue for press, we had no idea how Jessica would finish since the games are scheduled from July 23 to August 8. She could win a medal, her event could be delayed due to more COVID outbreaks, the games themselves (not having officially started) could suffer another postponement. But no matter the outcome, Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck, a graduate of Ranney School in Rumson, is officially an Olympian.
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