Scholarships do not pay for housing or food for the students, they only pay for a portion of the money. It helps students who need a little extra money for college. You can get a scholarship for anything but students at Rocky mainly get scholarships for their athletic abilities.
Athletes have to have good grades. Academically students need to have a 2.3 GPA to stay in sports for the season at Rocky, although the state requires 2.0. To get the scholarship the student has to have a 2.5 GPA. Once they have the scholarship, they have to still keep their grades up or they can lose the scholarship.
Only 1.3% of Rocky athletes get scholarships. These scholarships aren’t even guaranteed for all 4 years of college. (RockyMountainAthletics.com)
It’s required that high school students spend at least 20 hours per week practicing their sport. However, athletes themselves report that they spend 34-39 hours per week practicing.
Most people think that only seniors get scholarships; at Rocky that’s completely false. It doesn’t matter if you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior, you’re eligible for a scholarship if you meet the requirements.
I asked Liam Williamson (Sophomore) a student at rocky some questions. I first asked him what it’s like to have a scholarship.
“It’s exciting but also hard. I had to keep my grades up while being good at sports.”
I then asked him, who is the person that helped you the most?
“My dad. He encouraged me to play since I was seven. He also helped me apply for the scholarship.”
Next, I ask him how many hours he plays his sports in a week. “On a good day 39 but usually 34”
Lastly, I asked him what is the hardest thing you did to get here?
“Juggling sports, school, friends and just being a regular teen.”
I asked Garret Dallolio (Junior), a Rocky student what he thought was the process of college scholarships. He said, “Emailing potential colleges and possibly getting help from coaches.”
I also asked him who’s been there for him to help you get where you are.
He said, “My dog Romeo because he’s excited when I get back from practice.”
Lastly, I asked him what advice would you give students trying to get scholarships.
He said, “Be nice to everyone.”
Scholarships take hard work and Rocky students are up for the challenge and are willing to put in the hard work.
