Treasure Coast Education
5 STUDENT ATHLETES OF INTEREST
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school track and field record. “He missed the school record
last year by a tenth of a second and ever since that last race,
that is all he has talked about, coming back his last year and
breaking it,” says Headman.
Dr. Paula Hall, a past teacher of the year, is the swim team
coach and teaches IB Biology. Having taught Cespedes for
three years, she believes he has the right stuff. “He can be a
leader, but he can step back and let others lead, which is rare
for IB students,” says Hall. “He is in the top 2 percent of my
class. I’ve only known of one other student who has been
accepted to two academies. He will do well in anything he
wants.”
Despite missing four days of track practice due to shin
splints, Cespedes cheerfully showed up to help capture some
pictures of his hurdles technique. Ever gracious, he apologized
for a couple of retakes to get it just right. Cespedes runs
four miles a day.
At the carefully considered request of Hall, Cespedes has
participated in the Envirothon competiton for the past four
years. He is a member of the Science Club, where his area of
interest is forestry. “He’s the kind of kid, whatever needs to
be done, gets done,” says Hall.
After his sophomore year, Cespedes found out Hall was the
swim team coach. “I watched Michael Phelps at the Olympics,
so I tried it,” Cespedes says.
“He was at the state competition after seven months in
the pool,” says Hall. “He’s one of my swim captains. A lot of
times you put a kid in charge and they will make it easy. He
didn’t make it easy. The kids also really respect him.”
His peers showed him that respect when they elected him
2010 class treasurer. As part of his commitment to the IB program,
Cespedes has volunteered his time at Treasure Coast
Hospice. “I’ve had family members who have had cancer,”
he says.
It would seem to be onward and upward for Brandon
Cespedes.
“He is an organized and focused kid with good followthrough,”
says Kelly George, IB and Advanced Placement
coordinator at South Fork. “Brandon is honest, loyal and
well-liked by other kids. He has a foot out the door.”
Name: Brandon Cespedes
Age: 17
School: South Fork High
School, Martin County
GPA: 3.76 unweighted
Family: father, George;
mother, Dawn
Greatest athletic accomplishment:
“Going to the state finals competition in swimming and
our relay team broke a school record along the way.”
What inspires me: “The men and women in the military and
the soldiers we have lost overseas inspire me because it’s really
amazing how they are willing to sacrifice and put their lives on
the line in the defense of our country.”
Plans after high school: “I will graduate from either the Air
Force or Naval Academy and receive my commission as an officer
in the U.S. military and serve my country as either a Navy
SEAL or as an aviator.”