10/23/08

Lakewood scholar goes the distance

by Beckye Randall

Thomas Scheffer, a senior at Lakewood High School, has earned special recognition from the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program. Tom, a math whiz who scored 780 out of 800 possible points on the math portion of the SAT, earned the title of Commended Student by placing among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2009 competition.

Tom has attended Lakewood schools since preschool and hopes to go to Gonzaga University in Spokane after graduation next spring.

“It’s close enough to come home for a visit, but still far enough away to feel independent,” he explained. His older sister is enrolled at Gonzaga, so he’s had opportunities to visit the campus and check out its atmosphere.

“They (Gonzaga) also have a great cross-country team,” he grinned, revealing his love for distance running.

Tom admitted that before he joined the track team, he thought distance runners were “crazy.” But his coach, Jeff Sowards, inspired him to give it a try and he’s been running ever since.

“It’s mainly a question of endurance,” said the quiet-spoken young man, “but speed is also a factor.” Cross-country runners routinely tackle 3.1-mile routes.

“My coach kids us that it’s the scrawny, pale kids who take up cross-country,” Tom said with a smile. “I guess that fits.”

Tom runs an average of 50 miles a week in preparation for meets. League competitions begin Saturday, October 25, with the Cascade Conference event. District and state competitions will take place in early November.

In the spring he will participate in track and field events, mostly running in races of a mile or more.

When he’s not out hitting the track or studying for one of his advanced placement classes, Tom is a drummer with the high school band. In his eighth year of band, Tom plays with the concert, pep and marching band.

He’s also actively involved in community service as a volunteer with Sibshops, a program sponsored by ARC. Sibshops offer an energetic environment for siblings of children with special needs, where they can find peer support and education in a fun setting.

“I went to Sibshops when I was younger, because my brother is autistic,” said Tom. “When I got older, I began volunteering with the program.” Sibshops meetings are held in Everett, with special retreats at Camp Brotherhood near Mt. Vernon.

Tom is the youngest in a family of four children, with two brothers and a sister. His dad is a Boeing engineer and his mom is a substitute educational assistant with the Lakewood School District.