A Plant High swimmer, Amy Donahue, just signed a national letter-of-intent to attend the University of Florida. Donahue was a double winner at last fall’s state championship and has serious 2016 Olympic potential. And Florida is certainly a powerhouse in swimming.
Congratulations. Well-earned. Go, Amy. Go, Gators. Go for the gold.
But I have to admit to conflicting feelings on this one.
Still a junior, she will graduate early and forgo her senior year at Plant to train at a major swimming school. Sure, being even better prepared for an Olympic shot is understandable, but so also is allowing a kid, however talented, to stay a kid a little bit longer and finish her high school years in, well, high school. One more homecoming, one more prom, one more opportunity to max out on the only opportunity she’ll ever have to be a high school senior.