For a good portion of his time at Sedona Red Rock High School, Tama Scharnhorst struggled mightily academically. But as the years went by, he turned his studies around 180 degrees and did so rapidly.
Now as a senior looking back on his four years at SRRHS, Scharnhorst hopes that his academic turnaround is what people remember when they see his name as part of the Class of 2020.
“I want to be remembered as the guy who was able to turn his grades around,” Scharnhorst said. “I went from being a failing student to having a 4.0 GPA two years in a row. I want people to look at that and think that if you want to get a 4.0 and do well on the field, all you have to do is apply yourself.”
Athletically, Scharnhorst was a three-sport athlete with the Scorpions.
He played baseball in the spring and basketball in the winter. In the fall, Scharnhorst was a football player and served as something of a jack-of-all-trades for Sedona, playing all over the field on both offense and defense.
Paul Pavlich, a Spanish teacher at SRRHS, saw athletics as helping Scharnhorst mature as a student.
“Tama has matured quickly into a fine young man,” Pavlich said. “I have seen football and the lessons and discipline learned through sports as a big part of that maturation process. He is always on time, respectful and engaged. He is good to other students around him and has become a true role model in school.”
“Tama has achieved much but is humble and carries himself with dignity and self respect,” he added. “I could not be more proud of where Tama has come in the last two years. He not only is an exemplary athlete for our school, in the classroom he has become a deep thinker and a contributor. He will carry that discipline into his life and do well at whatever he chooses to do.”
Scharnhorst was a key on-field contributor to the teams he was on, especially on the gridiron.
But looking back on his time playing for the Scorpions, Scharnhorst noted that the road trips give him the fondest memories.
“I love the team bus rides and the tournaments in basketball,” he said. “All of the teams would ride together. We were one big family. Otherwise it wouldn’t work.”
Beyond his academic turnaround, Scharnhorst hopes that future students follow the example that he set socially. As a senior, Scharnhorst developed a close bond in giving freshman Jacob Colecchio frequent rides to basketball practice. Now, Scharnhorst says that he sees Colecchio like a little brother.
He also hopes that people will make friends with other students who don’t share the same extracurricular interests.
“Apply yourself in school and make friends,” Scharnhorst said. “If you’re an athlete, you don’t have to just make friends with other athletes. Don’t group yourself in.”
And while the COVID-19 crisis has kept the Class of 2020 from enjoying many of the experiences that other graduating classes have, Scharnhorst hopes that this group of seniors is remembered well.
“We have some of the most hard working students here,” Scharnhorst said. “In class and on the field.”
