By: Mandy Crescenzo
At an unprecedented time for junior Kelly Cornog, she found a way to give back to her community.
On Sunday, Kelly and her mother (Cindy Cornog) planned and hosted a charity softball game with Kelly’s AAU Softball Diamonds team to raise awareness for the ongoing mental health crisis our society faces on a day-to-day basis. Cornog has been vocal about how important it is to know that it is okay not to be okay, and, as a community, we have each other to lean on, and we have each other to ask for help.
Last Wednesday, Kelly hit a huge milestone in her softball career by pitching her 100th strikeout of the season. After overcoming the obstacles, life has thrown at her, achieving this goal demonstrates not only her athletic ability but her incredible strength and resilience.
But not only is Kelly, an incredible athlete, but she is also an incredible human being. Kelly’s character is nothing short of kindhearted and selfless; every day, Kelly makes it her goal to make sure her friends are smiling, laughing, having a good day, and checking up to see if we are okay. Still, her personality does not just impact us; it is no secret that Kelly’s presence lightens up a room; whenever her teammates or teachers pass by her in the hallways, she always brings a smile to their faces when she engages in a conversation with them.
After achieving milestones in her academic and athletic career, Kelly plans to major in secondary education after high school to complete one of her dreams of becoming a teacher. She has made it her lifelong goal to keep preaching about mental health awareness and end the stigma surrounding mental illness.
With her ongoing advocacy, selflessness of character, and willingness to help others, Kelly serves as a role model to everyone as she continues to inspire me and everyone around her.
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