Top female Scholar-Athlete
Regan Cornelius
Columbus Academy
Grade-point average: 4.13
$7,500 / Encova Insurance
Sports played: Field hockey (4 years), cross country (4), track (4)
Academic highlights: AP Scholar; six-time Academic All-Ohio; scored 32 on ACT
Athletic highlights: Four-time all-state, two-time all-America and member of two state championship teams in field hockey; three-time state qualifier in cross country; two-time all-state in track
College choice: Northwestern (anticipated major: cognitive science, pre-med track)
Photo location: The field hockey field at Academy is where I spent much time developing my skills and creating memories I cherish with my team.
Home front: My parents are Gretchen and Patrick Cornelius, and I have two sisters: Lydia is 20 and Paige is 15.
Favorite subject: Either English or biology. I love reading and writing, and learning about how different things live and grow has always fascinated me.
Least-favorite subject: Calculus! I don’t do well with problems that have only one answer or aren’t open to interpretation.
Prized possession: My running watch! I almost never take it off, even on occasions I definitely should. I hate being late and it helps log all of my workouts and steps.
Favorite book: “The Chosen,” by Chaim Potok. It’s a beautiful story about the power of friendship and following your own path in life, regardless of expectations.
Favorite movie: “Collateral Beauty” shows how there is always a bit of a happy ending if you choose to look for it.
Favorite television show: “Criminal Minds”. I like trying to solve the cases along with the team.
Favorite musicians: The Young Wild. Their music can be both incredibly soothing and a great pump up!
Favorite animal: Hummingbirds are always fun to watch flying around in the summer. They seem so cheerful.
Essential app: Snapchat. I’m horrible at keeping streaks but I always text and call people on it.
Favorite home-cooked meal: Cheese ravioli and a Caesar salad, which my mom makes.
My cooking specialty: Alfredo pasta with crispy mushrooms, though I’m really more of a baker.
Favorite restaurant: Either The Melting Pot or TAT. I’m a sucker for their homemade pasta.
Guilty pleasure: Baking cake-batter macarons.
Proudest sports moment: Competing in the state meet for cross country, then heading straight to state finals for field hockey and scoring the winning goal in my junior year.
Sport I’d like to try: Ice hockey. I used to figure skate, so it seems like a perfect combination!
Story behind my uniform number: I wear No. 6, which is the number a family friend and former CA and Northwestern field hockey player Charlotte Vaziri wore.
Favorite athlete: Serena Williams. I’ve grown up watching her play, and her perseverance and tenacity has always amazed me.
Inspiration: My parents have emphasized the value of hard work and led through example my whole life.
Dream job: Working as a physician with Doctors Without Borders.
I’d sell this in my store: Books! I’m always looking for new things to read.
Place I’d like to travel: Either Venice or Florence, Italy. I took Latin and ended up falling in love with the history, art and culture of the regions.
Something most people don’t know about me: I can jump rope while on a pogo stick.
Least-favorite household chore: Vacuuming. The cords are always such a hassle.
True/false: I sing out loud when people are around: True, unfortunately for my friends’ ears.
Something I cannot get right no matter how hard I try: Whistling
Words to leave by: “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” — Randy Pausch
