Photo by Jeffrey Auger.
McPaul, Davis Formally Honored at 2019 NJYS Awards Dinner Presented by RWJBarnabas Health
East Windsor, N.J. (Feb. 19, 2019) ― New Jersey Youth Soccer recently hosted its 31st Annual NJYS Awards Dinner presented by RWJBarnabas Health, where many players, coaches and members of the soccer community were celebrated at the Pines Manor in Edison, N.J. Included in the ceremony was the announcement of the 2018 Jeanine Willis Scholarship recipients, with Paige McPaul and Jordan Davis receiving the honors.
The Jeanine Willis Scholarship was established by NJ Youth Soccer to honor the numerous contributions that Jeanine Willis made to youth soccer in the State of New Jersey and beyond. She was the first NJYS Executive Director, served as a member of the NJYS Board of Directors and is a member of the NJYS Hall of Fame. Each year, NJ Youth Soccer awards this scholarship to deserving college-bound high school seniors who have participated in the NJYS State Cup Program.
Paige McPaul is currently a senior at Liberty High School in Jackson, N.J. Soccer has always played a major role in her life, beginning with recreation teams and eventually transitioning to the travel, academy and high school level. She credits the game of soccer in teaching her a variety of life lessons, both through the wins and the losses. A veteran of four different NJYS State Cups, McPaul has also excelled in the classroom, and she has been a very active student on campus at Liberty High School. While maintaining a 4.50 GPA, she is a member of multiple national honor societies and other extracurricular groups. Additionally, she is active in the local community, where she volunteers her time for such causes as the Commission for the Disabled and in running a special needs activities club for the Girl Scouts.
When she heads to college this fall, McPaul is planning to major in Actuarial Science and Mathematics. She will be making her decision on which college she attends soon and has already been accepted into five schools.
Jordan Davis has a very inspirational story that reveals his incredible character and perseverance. Born prematurely as a baby and weighing just 1.9 ounces, he has literally proven to be a fighter since birth. Once he first kicked a soccer ball at three-years-old, the game immediately became an integral part of his life.
Davis joined the Jersey Knights when he was 14-years-old, and he has spent the last four years with the club. When he was a sophomore, he earned a varsity spot on his high school soccer team and became its starting goalkeeper. After admittedly enduring a bad string of performances, he found himself on the bench at the midway point of his sophomore season, which made him begin to focus intently on his training. Prior to his junior year, he moved away from his childhood home and struggled a bit to deal with the stress that he was facing in his new environment. At this time is when the fighter in him once again persevered. He began to train after school regardless of weather or any other circumstance, and he soon found himself selected as captain of Franklin High School in Somerset. Despite facing some injury setbacks during his senior campaign, Davis still received the Coach's Award and continues to be a model of inspiration as he prepares to embark upon college this fall.
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