SUMTER, S.C. — Thomas Sumter Academy Senior Anna Luzzi is not your typical student, she is an athlete whose faith carried her farther then she imagined.
“Being able to play different sports and share my faith and community service is very important to me so, I am following God’s plan," Luzzi said. "He has a big plan for everybody and just trust him and it will all work out.”
It's advice Luzzi applies daily to her life as she effortlessly balances sports and classwork.
She currently plays as the set-up on the school’s volleyball team this season and has been part of the squad since her sophomore year, but plays other sports as well.
"I play volleyball, basketball, softball, I participate in track and field, I throw the discus and the javelin, and I also am on the sideline cheer team for football and basketball and competition cheer team as well.”
Her class schedule is just as stacked with her taking accelerated courses, including Algebra, Spanish III, and more all while maintaining at 4.0 GPA.
Many may wonder how someone like her could handle so much so young, but Anna describes it as a way to keep busy while always making sure to prioritize her studies and staying active in school.
Volleyball varsity coach Gwen Herod calls Luzzi a light and person that many gravitate toward, with a spirit and personality that comes around once in a lifetime.
"The girls gravitate toward her," Herod said. "If her spirit is good, you see their spirit rise up."
"I told Anna one time, I said you are a leader on this team and she was like I didn’t ask to be the leader. She's not the captain of the team, but she has become a leader of the team.”
When she is not hitting the books or spiking the volleyball, she is out in the Sumter community volunteering at local nursing homes and giving back.
One passionate platform she created is called 'FLORA', which stands for Friends Love Offering Residents Assistance,' began in honor of her Great Aunt Flora who passed away.
"I go to the local nursing home in Sumter, and I am able to donate toiletries, coloring books, clothes, anything they need.”
So far, Luzzi says she's already garnered 500 hours of community service.
After graduation, she plans to attend Coker University on scholarship to continue javelin and major in childhood education.
“It makes me happy and it makes me proud," Herod said. "I think the more people that can get a glimpse into her and the way she goes about life is more people that might say I can do that, I can be like her, to adjust my attitude and be like her.”
Anna Luzzi is your News19 Player of the Week.