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Port Chester High Student Wins $10,000 To Build Swim Team

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. -- Port Chester High School senior Astrid Vargas won a $10,000 scholarship and another $10,000 to establish a swim team at Port Chester High School.

Port Chester High School student Astrid Vargas won a $10,000 scholarship and another $10,000 to build a swim program at PCHS.

Port Chester High School student Astrid Vargas won a $10,000 scholarship and another $10,000 to build a swim program at PCHS.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of MetroPCS

Vargas is the winner of the MetroPCS #makechange competition. Each person in the competition had to come up with a community project that they would fund with the $10,000. Vargas received the most votes of all 17 finalists.

The $10,000 will be used to help establish the first year of a swimming program at PCHS, which does not currently have a swim team.

"I want upcoming students to have the opportunity that I didn't have," Vargas said. "I began to swim when I was 5 years old. And I feel that if I had kept practicing, a college would have recruited me. However, my school doesn't have a swim team."

Vargas is on track to graduate this spring with a 4.0 GPA. She plans to attend Union College next spring. In addition to the National Honor Society, Vargas is also a member of honor societies for math, science, Spanish and music. She is a member of member of the Color Guard, the Winter Guard, the student senate and the chorus, and plays on the softball and tennis teams.

Vargas has reached out to the school district for help in budgeting her proposal for a swim team. She plans to spend her summer developing the program so that it can be ready next fall.

"Participating in a swim team builds character, endurance and responsibility. When you support good athletes, you will get great students."

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