Sportsmanship

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Danijela Jackovich

New Lenox Liberty

Principal:

Danijela Jackovich of New Lenox Liberty says one key to good sportsmanship is using anger and frustration after losing as fuel to make yourself better at the game instead of as a reason to mistreat others. Her insightful message is something honed through all sorts of activities from cross-country, basketball, and track and field to water polo, Mathletes, and Honor Society. In fact, Danijela was a nationally eligible water polo player invited to tryouts at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. That is also the personal accomplishment of which she is most proud. Danijela hopes one day to be an Olympian in the sport. Certainly, just striving for that honor would make her father proud, as he is the person she most admires. She says his positive can-do attitude inspires her to do her best.

The one change in the world this teenager would most like to see is that everyone be educated at least through high school. She says that is the key to solving many world problems such as health concerns and poverty.

Danijela is well on her way to personally surpassing that global goal as she dreams about attending Stanford University hoping to major in medicine or biology.

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