If you’re looking for Kylie Lewis, you won’t find her standing still.
Lewis is a three-sport athlete at Polk County, excelling in volleyball, basketball and soccer. She’s also a volunteer in several community service avenues.
So it’s kind of natural that she’s added yet another way to serve into an already packed schedule.
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Lewis is one of 14 athletes across the state – and likely the first ever from Polk County – who were chosen this year to be part of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
“I really didn’t know what it was at first,” Lewis said. “I was asked to apply, and kind of blindly applied. I was able to see that I was accepted, but I also didn’t really know what that entailed.”
What it entails is a way for student-athletes to have input on topics that matter to their peers across North Carolina. Per its description: “The NCHSAA Student-Athlete Advisory Council was developed to serve as the voice for student-athletes participating in NCHSAA programs. They will discuss topics relevant to high school student-athletes and develop ways to maintain a positive athletic experience.”
There’s also a community service aspect, as Lewis learned at a recent meeting in Chapel Hill.
“We had our meeting in Chapel Hill, and that was fun,” she said. “I enjoy being able to go to things like that with my mom and take those trips. It was really cool because I got to meet other student-athletes from across North Carolina. We talked about some things we’re going to do this year.”
That includes a service project that the region Lewis represents will direct.
“In our region, we’re going to come up with a community service project that’s going to be led by Region 8,” she said.
There was also a section meeting in Cherokee, involving students from across different states, and gave advisors a look into how student-athletes function on a day-to-day basis.
“We did a look at a day in the life of a student-athlete, and that was really cool,” Lewis said. “I thought it was really good to get to show them some of the things we have to balance, like when you have to pick doing your homework at a certain time versus going to practice, or that we don’t get to hang out with our friends much because of so many demands on our time. Just little things like that that you might forget about during a busy athletic schedule. You have to have priorities.”
While the service project is yet to be determined, Lewis and her fellow members have an idea.
“We were thinking a food drive or something like that,” she said. “I was going to try to go through the Interact Club or Key Club and partner with them and get the whole school in on it if we can facilitate it. I also talked about a hygiene drive, and maybe the kids in Region 8 can make kits to give out to people, which is something that’s needed.
“I’m having a really good time so far, and I’m looking forward to getting even more into it as the year progresses. I think what I like the most is meeting other student-athletes. I’ve met new people, I’ve made new friends, and I’m just really, really enjoying it.”
