One of the members of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has been hard at work in her local community.

Kalen Perry, a senior at Croatan High School in Carteret County, had a meeting with all her school’s coaches to ask each team to commit to at least one community service project during the year. The Carteret County News-Times recently ran a feature about the energetic student.

The men’s soccer team was the first to respond to Kalen’s idea, and the squad picked up trash at the public beach access on Emerald Isle through an effort offered by N.C. Sweep. Other teams are lining up other projects connected with N.C. Sweep, whiel one team has committeed to work at the White Oak Elementary School Fall Festival.

The Croatan student also has contacted civic clubs in the area to spread the word that athletic teams were looking to help the community.

Perry is a three-sport athlete who last year served as president of the junior class and is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Croatan. She is coach-chair of the Coastal Coalition for Substance Abuse Prevention (CCSAP) and is president of her school’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).

This is a great example how one NCHSAA student-athlete can rally her peers and coaches to help make a difference in a community.   Congratulations to Kalen Perry!