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Olivia Walton, a scholar and athlete at Aucilla Christian Academy (ACA), is one of 24 graduating students from around the state to be selected recently to receive part of $50,000 in scholarship awards. The Florida High School Athletic Association’s (FHSAA) annual recognition, which is sponsored by the Florida Dairy Farmers, will be conferred at the latter’s 27th Annual All-State Team Awards Ceremony on Monday evening, June 7. Because of the pandemic, however, the event will be held virtually, with the proceeding live-streamed to participants. Each year, the FHSSA selects 12 male students and 12 female students from around the state to honor for their excellent performances in both athletics and academics. As an awardee, Walton will receive a $1,700 scholarship and a commemorative medallion. She will also be eligible to be one of two – a male and a female – who will be named the Ronald N. Davis Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the most prestigious honor that FHSSA bestows on student-athletes, and one that entitles each of the winners to receive an additional $4,600 in scholarship money, plus a commemorative trophy. Walton said she learned about her selection to the All-State Team about mid March, when ACA Principal Richard Finlayson, who nominated her for the award, pulled her out of class to give her the news. “I was very excited but I initially didn’t understand the magnitude of the award,” Walton told the Monticello News on Saturday, adding that she was extremely grateful to God for giving her the opportunity to be selected. “I also want to thank my parents, teachers and coaches who put so much time and effort to build me into the individual that I am today,” Walton added. Eligibility for the All-State Team Award requires that graduating seniors have a minimum unweighted grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 and that they have earned at least two varsity different sports during their junior and senior years. Walton not only enjoys an unweighted 4.0 GPA, she has lettered in three sports – basketball, tennis and volleyball. She was one of 12 girls selected for the honor out of a statewide field of 71 other female nominees. Each nominee, according to the selection committee, was evaluated on a set of criterion that included their athletic participation, academic record, extracurricular activities, community service and a written essay. “To be selected as one of only 12 female students from the entire state for this award is truly an honor,” Finlayson said. “We are so proud of Olivia and all that she has accomplished, both athletically and academically.” ‘Most importantly,” he continued, “she is a faithful servant for Jesus Christ and represents Him very well at all times. She is extremely deserving of this prestigious honor.” The daughter of Katrina and Jay Walton – and the granddaughter of Sally and Jerry Walton and Katrina and the late Robin Richardson – Olivia has attended ACA since K-3 and has been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and National Beta Club throughout her high school years. She has also contributed more than 300 hours of community service through various organizations. Additionally, she has accumulated numerous awards and honors throughout her young years, including a Rising Star Award in 6th grade, Most Valuable Player Award in tennis in 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th grades, Female Athlete of the Year in 11th grade, and Teen Miss Watermelon Queen in 2016. Walton plans to attend Berry College in Mount Berry, Georgia, in the fall, where she expects to major in accounting and get a minor in Spanish. The Spanish, she believes, will come in handy in her accounting business, allowing her to communicate with Spanish clients. It will also, it’s her hope, allow her to go on mission trips to Spanish-speaking countries and help spread the word of God.
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