(Tucson, AZ) Pima Community College Athletics selected its recipients for the annual Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Awards.
Tucson Magnet High School graduates and red-shirt freshmen Valentina Franco and Alex Kelch received the awards in honor of Pima’s first Athletic Director Larry Toledo.
Valentina Franco (Women’s Soccer) – Franco has a 3.7 GPA was awarded the Pima Merit Scholarship as a freshman. She qualified for membership in the honor society Phi Theta Kappa. Franco was named captain on this year’s women’s soccer team and earned second team All-ACCAC/NJCAA Region I honors. She’s overcome injuries in her soccer career but her setbacks turned into goals as she continues to pursue a career in the medical field as an OB/GYN doctor. Franco is an avid volunteer as every December she is involved with “Miracle En El Barrio” collecting toys for families in need. She has spent 25+ hours at Casa Maria, a local food kitchen for homeless and low income families to provide meals and groceries. She is also giving back at her club FC Tucson at youth practices and also volunteering at Tucson High soccer games.
“This award is invaluable to me because demonstrating leadership is the foundation in any successful team, family and community,” Franco said. “I am honored to receive an award for leadership qualities because it reflects my core values.”
Alex Kelch (Baseball) – Kelch is currently majoring in Liberal Arts and has a 3.92 GPA. He has volunteered for Wreaths Across America and Love of Reading Week. Kelch is a firm believer that communication is the most important skill a leader can have and has done his best to apply this notion with everyone he encounters. He suffered a season-ending injury and decided to write down the positives of his situation and came to the conclusion that “it was an opportunity to be helpful.” He wanted to be positive reinforcement for his teammates. He discovered his meaning of being a leader, “It isn’t someone who is just there for themselves, but someone who gets the absolute most out of the people around them one way or another. I want to be a leader who understands every single person and be helpful for their success.” In high school, Kelch was No. 6 in the top 25 of his graduating class and received the Male Student-Athlete of the Year honor. He was also named to the American Legion Baseball All-Academic Team.
“This award is very special and means a lot to me. It shows not only the continuous work that is put into becoming an athlete, but also the multiple people who have impacted me into becoming a better person; like coaches, teachers and my parents,” Kelch said.
“It shows how I was raised coming up, and it comes mainly from my parents. They always taught me to do the right things in life and to be respectful and helpful to anyone you come into contact with. I take pride in my skill set and I just want to set a great example for others.”
Both Franco and Kelch, are returning to Pima for their sophomore seasons.
Previous Lawrence R. Toledo Leadership Award recipients:
2013 – Da’Monique Davis and Yahya Kane
2014 – Kamree Cady and Scotty Watson
2015 – Murphy Gershman and Kaysee Pilgrim
2016 – Kristin Baldwin, Jamie Holliday, Kelsey Montano and Deontay Townsend
2017 – Jake Anastasi and Erin Peterson
2018 – Christian Maddox, Gabriel Mendoza, Jacqulynn Nakai and Tyra Yanez
2019 – Perla Blanco and Enrique Porchas
Press Release courtesy of Pima Athletics
