Arlington Teen Snags Athletic Honor

According to a missive from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA), Arlington’s Francesca Pinard gets more done in a day than many of us manage in a week.

The MIAA - a non-profit that oversees programs for its roster of nearly 400 participating schools - selects one male and one female student who stand out in sports, academics, and community service for a monthly distinction.

Pinard, the MIAA’s December honoree, has captained teams in both basketball and cross country, while maintaining a 3.76 GPA throughout her high school career. On top of that, she’s been a significant participant in the Spanish National Honor Society, the Historical Club, and the civic-minded Key Club, says the MIAA.

While she may appear in more year book pictures than most of her classmates, such ubiquity wouldn’t ensure Pinard this recognition on its own. Debunking the stereotype of the self-involved, apathetic teenager, Pinard has volunteered for the Boston Sock Exchange, St. Agnes Elementary, the Fidelity House, and is said to have raised nearly $1,000 for a Haiti non-profit during a personal fundraising effort.

Read the MIAA’s official statement here.