BY JONATHAN KANE
For Wood River High School senior Travis Swanson, carrying a 4.16 grade point average and a member of National Honor Society, it’s all about family and football.
Besides excelling at football – Travis received scholarship offers from John Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon and Hamilton – and playing lacrosse, he has taken Advanced Placement U.S. History, Macro and Micro Economics, Calculus A&B, Language and Composition, and Physics. This year he will take Calculus B&C and Government.
“It’s all about family,” Travis said. “I love to spend whatever free time I have with my family. My dad wanted to see Cambodia and Vietnam, so we went for two weeks. I can only describe it as life changing and a real eye-opener.
“We got to see how blessed we are in America and in this Valley. After the trip, when I got back, I stopped taking so many things for granted. We are really blessed to grow up here. A lot of kids don’t like it here and say there is nothing to do.”
Travis said he now appreciates everything around him, such as “being able to drink water from a faucet and not have to struggle to find it. Also to have the freedom to go out and do what I want without worrying about stepping on a land mine or being arrested.
“It’s a real positive realizing that everyone is human and that there is only one race – the human race. It was also amazing to see a completely different world 15 hours away and see how similar the worlds are but also different at the same time. We all share love.”
Both of Travis’ parents are teachers at Wood River Middle School. Besides academics, Travis’s world revolves around football.
“I love having a second family,” he said. “I can go to anyone on the team and talk to them about anything. It’s also an escape from life, and basketball and lacrosse don’t do the same thing. When I go to practice, it takes me away from everything that stresses me.
“I love practice and it’s a huge relief for two and a half hours. But there’s nothing like the experience of ‘Friday Night Lights.’ The whole thing eases my mind. It isn’t racing and there is just one focus and that’s football.”
Travis started playing at the age of 7 and now plays linebacker, wingback and tight-end for the Wolverines.
“I watched games with my dad on Sunday afternoons my whole life and that’s what got me into it.”
He also loves the physicality of the game.
“I loved it when we started hitting,” he said. “It’s the only place where you get to hit people and be physical. It relieves a whole lot of stress. I love the sound of pads cracking against each other.”
Travis admitted he also loves the “sound of teammates and the crowd cheering.”
Editor’s Note: Anyone who would like to recommend a Blaine County School District student for The Weekly Sun’s “Student Spotlight” feature should contact Jonathan Kane at jkjonkane@gmail.com.