Senior Jake Schmidt won the 2019 California Interscholastic Federation North Coast Section (NCS) Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for his commitment to volunteering in the community and his performance in both academics and athletics. He is the first student in San Marin history to win the award. Schmidt received a $1,000 scholarship for his 4.3 grade point average and over 500 hours of community service in addition to his athletic contributions, which include playing four years of varsity baseball, one year of freshman football and three years of cross country at San Marin. Schmidt, a Pomona College commit for Division III baseball, will major in neuroscience beginning in the fall of 2019.
“All my hard work has paid off,” Schmidt said. “I have made a lot of sacrifices over
the last four years to get to where I am now, and winning this award is a reflection of all the effort I have put into high school.” As a member of the baseball team, Schmidt played second base, third base and outfield.
As a sophomore, he was on the 2017 Second Team AllMCAL for his performance as a utility player in the Marin County Athletics League (MCAL). He was also a member of the 2018 NCS Division III champion team as a junior. Schmidt has been a leader and captain of the varsity team for three seasons and has helped his first-year varsity teammates adjust to the high level of competition.
“As a player, it is easy to tell that Jake plays at a much higher level than his competition in MCAL, and it is fun to watch as a teammate,” senior Justin Keizer said. “His leadership skills and baseball knowledge are amazing, and it isn’t surprising that he will continue playing in college.”
Schmidt has volunteered at the Petaluma Valley Emergency Room for the past three years as a nurse during the school year and summer. Every Wednesday from 7 p.m to 11 p.m., except during baseball season, Schmidt assists doctors at the hospital. He has accumulated over 150 community service hours from the hospital alone, and during the Sonoma County wildfires, he was recognized for working extra shifts and providing service to the victims.
“I have seen helicopter rescues, life-saving procedures, mental health holds and drug overdoses,” Schmidt said. “My main goal is to become a physician, and working at the hospital has given me incredible experiences.”
Along with working at the hospital, for the past two school years, Schmidt has helped ELD students by tutoring them in Algebra. He tutored in a full Spanish environment every day during seventh period when not playing baseball.
In addition to winning NCS Scholar-Athlete of the year, Schmidt was San Marin’s male nominee for the Marin Athletic Foundation Outstanding Student-Athlete award. He was also the male recipient of the first annual Craig Pitti Memorial Scholarship in January 2019.
