Jenkins a blend of scholar and athlete
BY DAVE STOFCHECK Herald-Standard
Many youth choose to go away to college.
Ryan Jenkins chose to go home.
Keeping track of his address – not to mention his school mascot – proved a formidable challenge for Jenkins growing up. After attending kindergarten through the fifth grade in Westover, W.Va., Jenkins’ moved to the Albert Gallatin school district until he reached the seventh grade.
Then, it was back to West Virginia, as Jenkins attended University High School in Morgantown before his family headed north again to be near his family and landed in Adah during his last semester of the ninth grade.
Welcome Back Ryan.
Jenkins didn’t become a sweat hog, but he did go on to enjoy superlative academic and athletic careers at Albert Gallatin. Because of his excellence in both, Jenkins was selected as the top student/athlete at Albert Gallatin High School and will receive a $500 scholarship through the Davis & Davis Student/Athlete Scholarship Program.
The program, sponsored by Davis & Davis Law Firm and coordinated by the Herald-Standard, will culminate with a banquet to be held Sunday, June 16, at 5 p.m. at Shady Side Inn.
Now, having graduated, Jenkins is back on the move, to where else, West Virginia. He will continue his education at West Virginia University, where he will major in engineering.
“I want to get into the forensics program because I would like to get a job with the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation),” Jenkins said. “I want to get into either helping solve crimes or identification. I’ve always liked the sciences and physics. I guess I just like numbers.”
There’s a lot to like about Jenkins’ numbers as well. He ranked 12th in a class of 308 and finished with a grade point average of 4.14. The son of Jeffrey and Debbie Jenkins, he also played four years of baseball and basketball.
Jenkins was a three-year starter at center in basketball, and during his senior season, got a chance to show off his stuff against his old school.
“We scrimmaged University and I knew a lot of guys on the team because I had played with them before,” Jenkins said. “It was kind of awkward and first, but then you’re playing against them and you get into it. I think it drove me to play harder because I wanted to show them my competitiveness.”
On the baseball team, Jenkins started in left field his senior season. He stills recalls a valuable lesson learned from Colonial baseball coach Shawn Chory.
“Shawn tried to show us that even if you don’t win, you can still have fun,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins also gives credit to his physics teacher, Michael John Revak, for keeping him interested in the subject.
“He was sort of a jock himself and he put things in terms that were easy to understand.”
Jenkins was a member of the National Honor Society, Young Astronauts Club, Academic League, Math Team, Debate Team and Yearbook Staff.
Throw in a part-time job at Dairy Queen for good measure and Jenkins’ academic and athletic accomplishments look all the more impressive.
“It was never really too difficult balancing my schoolwork and sports,” Jenkins said. “I never really had to worry about rushing home from a game and doing homework. I tried to spread most of my work out. I would focus on my schoolwork, and, when it was time for sports, focus on them.
“Most people would probably tend to say I lean more towards being a scholar, but I think I’m a balance of both. I always tried to stay up with my classes, and I never got behind. I really appreciated being nominated for the scholarship award. It makes me realize that after all the hard work and dedication myself and the other scholar athletes put in, it didn’t go unnoticed.”
Jenkins plans on doing much the same in college.
Having lived close to the campus much of his life, he already feels at home.
“It’s exciting and sort of depressing at the same time. A lot of my friends are going to school in Pennsylvania, and a lot are going to WVU. It’s exciting to move on and still have some of my friends there.”
Jenkins has prepared himself academically to succeed in college. Perhaps just as important, each move his family made growing up has taught him to appreciate the vast number of friends he’s made.
It also helped him form some advice he plans on one day telling his six-year-old brother Jordan.
“Don’t try to limit yourself to one group of people. You should always try to expand your horizons and meet as many people as you can.”
Which Jenkins has been doing a great job at for most of his life.