Holy Cross Prep Academy freshman Avri Bain doesn’t just stay busy, but the teenager has mastered balance in her academic and social lives.
She’s a high achiever in academics, struggling for a few minutes to remember the last time she got anything lower than an A. (There was a B in Italian class once). Bain is often heavily involved in the school’s athletic program, with soccer in the fall, lacrosse in the spring and working as a manager on the wrestling team in the winter.
And when it’s time to wind down at the end of the day, the 15-year-old Bain is comfortable bingeing a medical TV show, “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Chicago Med,” “New Amsterdam,” “The Night Shift” — you name it.
With six younger siblings, surely Bain knows she has a lot of impressionable minds looking up to her.
‘I guess so, yeah,” she said. “I mean in height, they do.”
The modest Bain even has an admirable sense of humor, whether she knows it or not.
The multi-talented freshman is wrapping up her first year at Holy Cross Prep in splendid fashion, too. Her high-caliber performance in the classroom and keen interest in the medical field have landed her two trips to Massachusetts this summer.
Bain has been accepted to the prestigious Congress of Future Medical Leaders (to be held in Lowell, Massachusetts, from June 24 to 26) and was also selected to participate in the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) at Harvard University in August.
“I’m happy to be recognized,” Bain said. “I didn’t expect it.”
The ninth grader might be alone in that opinion. The teachers and administrators who have seen her at work daily this year were hardly shocked with her most recent achievements.
“As exciting as it is to find out about Avri’s acceptance, I can’t say that I’m surprised,” said Zachary Coons, her honors biology teacher at Holy Cross Prep. “Her work ethic and dedication in Honors Biology are second to none.”
“In all of my dealings with Avri she has shown to be a young lady of character, intelligence, and talent,” added Sergio Torres, who taught the freshman in world languages and coached her this fall. “Avri is an outstanding student and is a natural leader on the soccer field.”
At the moment, Bain is interested in careers as a physician or in neurosurgery. Being drawn into the medical field is hardly surprising. Her father, Kevin Bain, and her mother, Tabitha Blasker, as both pharmacists, and her stepmom, Alicia Bain, is an EMT and medical assistant.
“We kind of got her surrounded,” Kevin Bain said with a laugh.
Avri Bain said her father’s drive to achieve has also rubbed off. She credits her family and teachers (even back when she was a toddler) for fostering her academic prowess.
As a kindergartener at Center Square School in Logan Township, Bain benefited from having a teacher like Lori Hilton in her corner.
“She stuck me with the older kids because she saw that, I guess, I was higher than (my age level),” Bain recalled. “And then in second grade, my teacher tried to put me in a G&T (gifted and talented) program.They didn’t have kids that young, but she tried.”
More recently, Bain jumped into high school classes for the first time — which can be a challenging transition for any young teen — and didn’t skip a beat. According to her father, Bain’s GPA has been “upwards of 4.9 out of 5.”
“I didn’t even know there was a 5,” Bain said. “I’m thrilled and excited for her, especially with the opportunity to go up to Boston, where there are a lot of prestigious medical schools and academic centers. So for her to be recognized to do this program, it’s been great.”
At Bain’s current rate, she should have her pick of schools — be it Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Penn, Stanford — when the time comes for continuing her pursuit of a medical career in college.
Until then, Holy Cross Prep will be happy to have her as an example of what a dedicated and driven student can achieve.
“All of us here at Holy Cross Prep Academy are so thrilled for Avri,” said Alice Penza, the principal at Holy Cross Prep Academy. “Being accepted for this prestigious honor, is so well deserved. Avri is a hard-working, dedicated student and we are so proud of what she has accomplished.
“We wish Avri the best of luck as she continues to pursue a position at the NSLC this summer.”
