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Varsity Club: Ally Ryan of Leavitt High School

Welcome to the Varsity Club, Ally!

TURNER (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- You often hear about teachers mentoring and motivating their students, but our newest Varsity Club member is a student who is changing the lives of her teachers.

Whether running marathons or raising money, Ally Ryan gives it her best and brings out the best in those around her. All her coaches say they feel that way.

Ally is captain of the ski team and a stand out track athlete who took on the challenge of learning the triple jump. It wasn't easy, but her dedication is what makes her special.

"She would stay for what seemed like hours after practice fine tuning and perfecting her triple jump, and it was inspiring," says boys' track coach Jamie Juntura.

Ally's work ethic earned her a trip to states, and inspired her coaches to try things outside their comfort zones.

"I'm not a runner, and Ally comes to me and says, 'Hey Thurston, will you do the Maine Marathon with me?' I said yes," says girls' track coach Sara Thurnston.

Ally has accomplished her athletic goals all while maintaining a 3.91 grade point average. She's going to the University of Maine in the fall to study biology.

"I want to help people," says Ryan. "I don't know if that's going to be a going into the medical field type thing, or I might even go teaching. My teachers have had a big impact on me so I think that it would be cool to do that for other kids."

Ally is already helping people in her community. She plays guitar and sings, and her band recently helped raise money for a teacher fighting brain cancer.

"We did a concert, a benefit for him," Ryan says. "A lot of people showed up to that, so it made me feel good that I could be a part of that."

Congratulations to Ally Ryan, the newest member of the Varsity Club.

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