Suffolk News-Herald

When Meg Eason and Ashley Winslow look back at their careers at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, they have a great deal to see. Both girls are members of the National Honor Society, and have received several scholarships throughout their years as Lady Saints.

Both have captained three respective sports teams, combining for five Most Valuable Player awards and five All-TCIS selections.

The two have devoted a multitude of volunteer hours to out-of-school activities throughout Suffolk, donating their time to such organizations as Obici Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, the Suffolk Art Museum Summer Camp, Nansemond Pointe Nursing Home, and the Relay for Life.

On Saturday morning, Eason and Winslow will put the final touches on a fine NSA career; they are the valedictorian and salutatorian for the 2002-3 school year.

&uot;If I had free time, I’d probably just waste it,&uot; admits Eason, who juggled field hockey, swimming and soccer with her schoolwork over the past four years. &uot;Staying busy helps me organize my time. I always tried to get as much done as possible during the day so I wouldn’t have to work at night after practice.&uot;

&uot;It helped me with my time management,&uot; Winslow says of her sports career, which included the 2001-2 TCIS softball title, a season in which she received an All-State honorable mention. &uot;You get home from practice, eat, do your homework, and go to bed. It helps you stay focused.&uot;

But their respective sports careers were never only about winning. &uot;I just liked being with the people,&uot; Eason says. &uot;It’s always fun to be involved in something you’re interested in. I don’t know what I’d do if I wasn’t busy.&uot;

Winslow, who was captain of her junior varsity and varsity basketball, volleyball and softball teams, now hopes to carry her leadership abilities into the University of Virginia pre-med program. &uot;It’s a good feeling to have someone look up to you,&uot; says the (tentatively) future pediatrician. &uot;You learn to handle different people in different situations.

&uot;Nansemond-Suffolk is a small school, a close-knit community,&uot; she continues. &uot;I’ve been here since I was four, and it’s going to be hard to leave the comfort of these surroundings. When you’re in the same school for so long, you have classes with the same people for years. By playing sports and getting involved in clubs, you get to meet a lot of other people in different grades.&uot; Eason, who will be attending William and Mary also hopes to practice medicine someday, possibly in sports medicine and/or physical therapy.