Meridian High School senior James Prewitt is pictured during a soccer game this past season. Also a tennis player, Prewitt was recently selected as a Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete.

The subject line to the email read, “To all of the Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete Award recipients.”

Meridian senior James Prewitt’s eyes perked up when he saw it. Having applied for the scholarship in early March, Prewitt was hopeful but not convince he would be the male athlete representative from the MHSAA’s geographical District 5. 

The email confirmed he was.

“Statistically, the chances (of being selected) are improbable, so I didn’t expect it,” Prewitt recalled. “When I read the email, I was like, ‘Woah.’ When I win a scholarship for anything, I always think I have a decent shot, but it’s still always a surprise.”

Prewitt, who plays soccer and tennis for Meridian, credited his teacher for his academic success, which currently includes having a grade-point average of greater than 4.3 and 32 score on the ACT. When it finally sunk in he was a Lindy Callahan recipient, it gave him a sense of confirmation that the many hours studying and doing homework were worth it.

“I guess I realized I’ve done something good here,” Prewitt said. “I realized I’m really lucky to come to a school with such great teachers that have allowed me to learn what I have learned. The recognition means a lot. It’s one thing to do the work and get the class rank, which is important, but to be recognized by an outside organization is really good. That’s how I know I’ve really done something.”

For Prewitt, soccer was a first love, and he’s grown to enjoy the camaraderie the sport brings him.

“It allows me to run a lot, and it was my first sport,” Prewitt said. “I guess it comes pretty naturally. There’s a big soccer community here in Meridian that has allowed me to make a lot of friends and develop lasting relationships.”

Tennis is a sport Prewitt has been playing off and on since he was 4, and the sport has become a family tradition of sorts. 

“I didn’t consider myself a tennis player until I was 12 or 13, and it’s really picked up in the last four years,” Prewitt said. “Every time our family gets together and plays tennis, it’s a good time.”

Prewitt plans to attend Tulane and will most likely major in Spanish or Portuguese, he said. His goal is to eventually use his mastery of different languages to either go into a foreign relations or international diplomacy field.

“Speaking Spanish is one of my passions,” Prewitt said. “It’s always held some internal reward for some reason, and I like to interact with people. Learning Spanish would open up a lot of the world’s population, and I think I could help them out.”

He’s already done some of that at Meridian. Prewitt was involved in the school’s English as a Second Language program last semester, which allowed him to interact with the school’s Spanish-speaking part of the student body. Having already taken Spanish courses at the high school, Prewitt knew enough to help tutor those students in the fall.

“I think it’s natural; I’ve always liked teaching and helping people,” Prewitt said. “I felt like we made some real progress.”

While his high school career is drawing to a close, Prewitt said he’s glad he could help put Meridian in a positive light by being selected as a Lindy Callahan Scholar-Athlete.

“I love to bring out how great Meridian High is,” Prewitt said. “It’s always been an historically envied high school, and I like to bring out its good side.”