At Eastern Washington University, we partner with the area’s high school sports conference—the Greater Spokane League (GSL)—to ensure that our local prep student-athletes are given the best experience possible. This partnership hits close to home because I am a former GSL athlete myself.

I attended Mead High School of the Greater Spokane League.

Toward the end of each athletic season, the league hosts the GSL Scholar-Athlete Luncheon. At this event, a male and female athlete from each member school are honored for their outstanding performance on the field and in the classroom. Because of EWU’s support of the GSL, I attended yesterday’s luncheon with Jens Larson, our associate vice president for enrollment management.

It was a distinct joy to attend this event. Jens and I enjoyed front row seats as the selected student-athletes from each school were honored together on stage. I was blown away by the exploits of all the young people recognized. Each one boasted a resume that put my own high school accomplishments to shame.

A photo I took at yesterday’s GSL Scholarship-Athlete Luncheon. Up on stage are the Rogers High School recipients and athletic director.

One particular student stood out. In addition to all the athletic honors and extracurricular activities of Lewis & Clark High School recipient Michael Mann, there was something else about him that made me pay close attention. He had earned a 4.2 GPA.

In high school (and in college), I allowed myself to become obsessed with my grade point average. At the time, I put way too much weight on one’s GPA and basically thought it was the be-all and end-all. I went to bed each night thinking 4.0 and I did whatever I could to achieve it. I did reach my goal in high school but fell a tenth of a point short in college.

Again, I admit that my motivation was bit misplaced when it came to my quest for a perfect GPA. I think I could have focused on other areas and goals that would have made me a more complete student. But after yesterday’s luncheon, there is something that I am glad about: my high school didn’t offer a GPA above 4.0.

My guess is that Mike’s 4.2 GPA is due to the fact that he earned multiple “A+” grades. Just another example of that incredible student doing incredible things. If the option was available to earn an “A+” that would boost my GPA, I think I would have stressed myself out even more to obtain it. And you know what? I think I would have failed.

If my memory is correct, I barely made a standard “A” in multiple courses I took in high school. In some of those classes, such as art history (), my obsessive effort to go beyond just squeaking by would have resulted in failure. Earning a 4.0 was hard enough for me and anything above that would have been impossible. I am glad I wasn’t reaching for something that would have been out of my bandwidth.

To Mike and all the other students honored yesterday, you impress me. Attending Tuesday’s event cemented the fact that we are in good hands with our youth. I know big things are in store for LC’s 4.2 man. Don’t Blink.