GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — John Passinault is a young man of many talents and many interests. The Grand Rapids Catholic senior is a dual sport athlete for the Cougars while maintaining a 4.14 grade point average.
"It's the mindset of knowing that's what's going to be carrying me the rest of my life," Passinault says. "I'm going to have to say goodbye to sports at some point and academics is what's going to lead me to a brighter future."
This week's Meijer Scholar Athlete has a familiar name to sports fans in West Michigan. Passinault was the starting quarterback for the Cougars undefeated football team. In November he lead them to their third straight state championship.
While football allowed him to play on TV, baseball is his favorite sport. He's a shortstop and second baseman for the Cougars as well. "I've always thought of myself as a better baseball player. Football is a high exposure sport, while baseball seems to be shoved under the cover."
Off the field the senior is passionate about his studies. Passinault loves biology and is considering studying that field in college. "I like to figure how things work and how everything works around me," he said. He has made the Honor Roll all four years of high school.
He dedicates his time to helping others as well. John has volunteered with the Van Andel Institute, which deals with cancer and Parkinson's research. He says that experience helped him discover how to seek out his own ways to help others.
"How to take responsibility of the things I want to do and not having it be school led, or sports led. Just having it be something on my own time that I decide to do and not forced to do."
Passinault is considering attending Xavier, Villanova, Hillsdale and Notre Dame. Hopefully to play baseball he says.