Leah Stamm

Third runner-up female Scholar-Athlete
Leah Stamm
Bexley
Grade-point avg.: 4.64
$2,000
Encova Insurance

Sports played: Swimming (4 years), soccer (2)

Academic highlights: AP Scholar with Honor; Cum Laude Society member; scored 34 on ACT

Athletic highlights: Two-time state-meet qualifier and league champion in swimming

College choice: California-Berkeley (anticipated major: cognitive science/molecular and cellular biology)

Photo location: On the Main Street bridge in Downtown Columbus

Home front: My mom is Jamie, and my dad is Mark, and I have an older brother, Everett. He is studying at McGill University in Canada and turns 21 this summer.

Favorite subject: Math. For some reason I’ve always been one of those people that numbers just “click” for. I think all the practice of memorizing my times for races and the qualifying times I wanted to achieve helped with that.

Least-favorite subject: Foreign languages. I took a few years of both Spanish and French in middle and high school, and it’s given me the most trouble of any of my subjects. It was a challenge trying to retain all the different vocabulary and grammatical rules. However, I can say with certainty that foreign languages are one of the most practical and useful subjects and I recommend continuing to take the class through any difficulties.

Favorite books: I love a little bit of everything in terms of genres. David Sedaris can make me laugh out loud, but I love a weird psychological thriller, too — “The Vegetarian,” by Han Kang; “Never Let Me Go,” by Kazuo Ishiguro; and “Incendiary,” by Chris Cleave. I am a big fan of the classics, too, but I have to give it to Malcolm Gladwell’s collection of non-fiction books, most of which I have read. That made me go into the field of study I did.

Favorite television show: I am currently binge-watching “Breaking Bad” and it is definitely one of my favorite shows I’ve ever seen. At first, I gave Walter White my pity, but now his character has shifted completely. Throughout the seasons I’ve had to decide whether to forgive Walter for what he’s done or hate this main character that I’ve learned to love.

Essential app: Twitter — my news, entertainment, and social updates all in one.

Favorite home-cooked meal: Definitely the shrimp tacos with avocado-jalapeno sauce and pineapple salsa that my dad and I make together. 

Favorite restaurant: Katalina’s breakfast tacos, pancake balls, and their sweet ‘n spicy bacon.

Proudest sports moment: Standing on the podium in Canton along with the rest of my relay, earning Grandview High School girls their first points at the state swim meet as a freshman. (She later transferred to Bexley.)

Sport I’d like to try someday: I have always wanted to try the bars in gymnastics. There’s a strong balance of elegance and strength in it, and I applaud those who have mastered it.

Favorite athlete: Katie Ledecky. She is the greatest of all time by far. Though she might not be the fastest sprinter, the difference between her and her opponents in any given distance event is unbelievable. She has proved that women can perform just as well as men and has recently been a huge advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Inspiration: Whether he knows it or not, I have always looked up to my older brother as a role model. Growing up, I can’t say I ever met anyone as headstrong and stubborn as he is, but he has developed into a confident and driven person I now admire.

Dream job: I want a job where I can share ideas with people in a way they’ll be interested in caring about. I have always found it easiest to express myself through art, specifically writing and drawing. Naturally, being a journalist or novelist seems like the way to do that.

Place I’d like to travel: Athens, Greece. As one of the oldest cities in the world, it is known for its architecture and mythological history, which I would love to know more about.

Something I can’t get right no matter how hard I try: An efficiently fast backstroke start. Any coach I have ever had can testify that though I may have spent 10,000 hours — what usually equates to an expert level — trying to perfect my start, XX

I will forever and always jump straight up and smack back down when I hear the beep.

Words to leave by: I would like to remind my fellow athletes to cherish every moment, practice, game or match, because you don’t know when or what could happen that will keep you away from the sport you love.

By Ray Stein
rstein@dispatch.com