Pool Professionals awards Jessica Grazen with 2009 TSA Scholarship

Congratulations to Jessica Grazen on being awarded the 2009 Tarheel Swimming Association (TSA) & Pool Professionals Annual Partnership Scholarship!

Jessica has been swimming with the TSA since she was 4-years-old! She has helped coach the 6-and-unders on her team, the Oxxford Hunt SwampFoxxes, and hopes she’ll be able to continue coaching in the future. “I just hope that I can have the same impact on them as my coaches and TSA have had on me.”

Jessica has proved that she is a determined and strong-willed young woman. When she was 12-years-old, she was diagnosed with bone cancer, and had to go through four surgeries to remove the cancer from her left femur and knee. But ever the supportive friend, that year she cheered on her teammates from a wheelchair on the sidelines!

“TSA has shown me unity, as a large group of individuals form one team working and having fun together.”

The Tarheel Swimming Association, which is made up of 75 pools from all over Wake County, teamed up with Pool Professionals to offer the $1,000 scholarship to the individual who best demonstrates the core values of leadership, team spirit, enthusiastic participation and dedication to the TSA.

Pool Professionals puts together a scholarship committee every year to review the applicants and chose the swimmer or coach who best exemplifies these values.

“Jessica’s strength of character, work ethic and leadership made her a clear choice for the 2009 scholarship,” said David Harvey, president of Pool Professionals, Inc.

Jessica has said that swimming helped her excel school and caused her to become more disciplined and organized. She is currently a senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School, and plans to study Physical Therapy at Elon University.

If you interested in applying for the 2010 TSA scholarship, please visit the Pool Pros Scholarships webpage for more info.