SCHOLAR ATHLETES: McCamey’s Rohan leaves big shoes to fill

Seeing Kyndall Rohan walk the stage for her graduation will be a bittersweet moment for McCamey volleyball and track coach Donita Brown.

Rohan’s leadership qualities stood out to Brown, whether she was playing as a setter for the volleyball team or running for the 1,600-meter relay team.

She also made herself known on the basketball court, where she collected first team all-district honors.

“It’s definitely going to be hard to see her go,” Brown said. “We are going to have to find somebody to fill her spot next year and that’s going to be pretty tough.”

While establishing herself as an impact player on the court or track, Rohan made sure to stay on top of her studies.

The multi-sport athlete will finish her senior year as the salutatorian of the Class of 2021.

She was a member of the school’s National Honor Society and received all-state academic honors for her efforts in the classroom.

Rohan always made finishing her school work a priority over anything else that might come up in her schedule, even if it meant staying up late some nights after practices.

“It’s hard to get yourself to do a quiz when it’s like nine o’clock and you’re about to pass out,” Rohan said. “You just get through it.”

The way Rohan kept up with her grades and athletics will be a big help when she starts school at Angelo State University in the fall.

She plans on majoring in pre-medicine and biology, with an emphasis on becoming a pediatrician after attending medical school at Texas Tech.

Rohan drew inspiration to seek a career in medicine after looking back into her early childhood when she would play doctor with her stuffed animals.

She decided she wanted to become a pediatrician after working with children in lower grade levels at McCamey.

“It was just awesome hearing their stories and being around them because they are so positive and so innocent,” Rohan said.

Before Rohan officially ends her time as a Lady Badger, she wants to leave a lasting legacy on the students who will walk the halls after her.

She wants students to try their hardest at everything they do and keep a positive attitude when things get difficult, whether it is in academics or athletics.

From the outside looking in, Brown said Rohan rarely showed any stress when it came to balancing all aspects of her busy schedule.

Brown didn’t worry about Rohan’s availability because she knew the student-athlete always had her priorities straight.

“She’s definitely not one of those athletes that you had to worry about every six weeks, checking her grades and that type of thing,” Brown said. “That’s going to be a big hurt to me because we definitely need athletes that we can count on for sure.”

Rohan always gave 100% effort to every activity she participated in, even if she was too sick to continue.

Brown said she showed the other girls on the volleyball team what it meant to be a senior and a leader.

When she gets to Angelo State, Rohan will make the adjustment to being a full-time student because she doesn’t plan on continuing her athletic career.

Although she wanted to continue playing sports for a while, she’ll look to turn her complete focus to academics.

Rohan’s goals at the next level are clear: maintain her GPA above 3.6 and keep her head on straight in her first year of undergraduate studies.

As Rohan prepares to move one, her former volleyball and track coach wants her to follow the same blueprint that made her successful throughout her high school career.

“I have no doubts that she is going to be able to do that and be a pediatrician,” Brown said. “She’ll be there.”

>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya

Kyndall Rohan

MCCAMEY

>> Academic Rank: 2 of 27

>> Sports: Volleyball; Basketball; Track

>> Academic bio: National Honor Society; THSCA All-State Academic Honors; TABC All-State Academic 2A team

>> Athletic bio: Volleyball (First Team All-District); Basketball (First Team All-District) Basketball-1 st team All-District

>> Activities: Cooking; Working out; Shopping

>> College and major: Angelo State University (Pre-med/Biology)

>> Goals for the future: Earn a Bachelor’s degree, attend Texas Tech medical school and become a pediatrician

>> Favorite subject: Science

>> Favorite book: Wuthering Heights

>> Favorite musician: Jason Aldean/Taylor Swift

>> Role model: Jesus