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River Ridge Grad Awarded Scholarship

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By EDDIE DANIELS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 11, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - A little more than two weeks ago, Kristin Greenup was on the phone with a friend and checking e-mail.

Not long into the conversation, the friend asked Greenup about the United States Tennis Association Tennis and Education Foundation scholarship for which Greenup applied.

"I'm not even kidding, maybe 10 minutes later, I was going through my e-mail and whoa," said Greenup, a recent River Ridge graduate.

At that moment, Greenup found out she was one of 37 high school seniors nationwide to be awarded a $6,000 scholarship from the USTA.

"I was really surprised," said Greenup, who will begin her journey toward a career in medicine June 30 when she starts summer classes at the University of Florida. "The state of Florida's really known for its tennis, and there are so many young people coming up, so I was really ecstatic about it."

Greenup will enter the pre-med program, majoring in health science.

"By supporting young people we are investing in America's future," said Karen Martin Eliezer, executive director of the USTA Tennis and Education Foundation. "With the help of these scholarships, it is our hope that the students will continue to pursue their goals and act as stewards of their communities as they move on to higher education and throughout their lives."

A member of the USTA since she was 12, Greenup's activities outside the sport likely helped clinch the scholarship.

In addition to volunteering at the Hernando-Pasco Hospice and the Salvation Army, Greenup received the All-Academic Sunshine Award and was a member of three honor societies.

She was a first-team selection to the All-Sunshine Athletic Conference and Pasco Tribune All-County tennis teams. She also played golf and powder puff football for River Ridge.

Her active lifestyle won't come to an end even though she isn't playing tennis at UF. She plans to continue at the club level and might dabble in a couple of other sports, as she did in high school.

"Actually, they have a flag football team there I really want to join, but I don't know," she said. "I might get hurt. I'm not sure yet. They have some other cool sports to do, like sailing, that I wanted to try, but I don't know if I'm going to have time with school."

If her senior season can serve as an indicator, Greenup knows how to make time.

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 948-4214 or edaniels@tampatrib.com.

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