Lacrosse
Favorite athlete: Claude Giroux
Favorite team: Flyers
Favorite memory competing in sports: Winning our first JV game my freshman year
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: Goalie accidentally running straight into the back of the net
Music on iPod: Jack Johnson, Lil Wayne, Mac Miller, Drake, J. Cole
Future plans: Medical school and University of Pittsburgh
Words to live by: 'You only live once.'
One goal before turning 30: Wife, children and to be a doctor.
One thing people don't know about me: I've been to almost every state in the U.S.
By Alex Frazier
Trevor Zwaan has a resume most adults would envy.
The Souderton senior is not a superstar.
He’s not the top scorer on his lacrosse team.
Nor does he perch atop the rankings in his class.
But if you look at the myriad of activities he’s involved in, he’s certainly a super contributor whether it be on the playing field, in the classroom or among the community.
As a youth, he grew up playing ice hockey and baseball. Soccer replaced ice hockey when he was about 11. Although he gave up playing soccer in ninth grade, he gave back to the sport working with TOPSoccer, a community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities. Organized by youth soccer association volunteers, he helped young players with disabilities learn how to play soccer.
He also earned his state certification as a youth referee which he did for a year.
In sixth grade he started playing lacrosse, which became his main sport in 10thgrade after he gave up soccer the year before.
“I like the game of lacrosse better than the others,” he said. “It’s more fast paced. You have to play more as a team.”
He played jayvee and varsity as a sophomore, and was injured for much of last season. This year he has started every game and has scored about six goals.
“He’s come a long way,” said Souderton lacrosse coach Todd Pettit. “He’s improved every year.”
Zwaan started as a midfielder, but soon switched to attack.
“I liked being on that end of the field better,” he said. “It’s more fast paced. You don’t have to sit back and play defense.”
And his skills are appropriate for the position.
“He’s got really good feet,” said Pettit. “He’s one of our best conditioned athletes. He ran one of our best mile times. He has quick hands, has a quick release and is always working off ball and does a good job in transition.
“He’s not our best go-to guy but is a good finisher and a good role player in the offensive end.”
Zwaan’s best characteristic may just be his level-headedness.
“He doesn’t get too anxious or worked up about anything,” said Pettit. “He doesn’t get frustrated or show a ton of emotion. He’s very consistent with his mental approach. You can count on him to play hard every day.”
Zwaan is also a tri-captain of the team this year.
“He’s a quiet kid but a good classic lead-by-example,” said Pettit. “He’s very disciplined, very coachable. He’s good at providing the younger players with a good model of behavior and citizenship. He’s responsible and makes sure things are done.”
Leadership is something that Zwaan has taken to.
“I like it,” he said. “You have to keep the team organized and make sure everybody plays their game. I like leading positions. It’s kind of cool to be captain.”
Zwaan’s student achievements are also remarkable. He has had a 4.0 grade point average every year in high school and is ranked in the top 20 percent of his class, 96th of 552.
He has taken advanced placement statistics, calculus, U.S. History (exam score of 3), composition and biology.
Outside of the high school setting, he received an “A” in biotechnology at Montgomery County Community College.
Extracurricularly, he has been a member of the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and Students Against Violating the Earth. He also participated in Pennsylvania Free Enterprise Week.
Zwaan has also committed numberless volunteer hours in the community.
At the DaVinci Science Center, Zwaan acted as a tour guide working with student groups, cared for animals, performed janitorial duties and explained exhibits.
Last summer, he participated as a teenager without the disability in an Autism Biomarkers and Genetics research study at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Center for Autism Research (CAR). The purpose of this research study was to help researchers learn more about how genes, the brain, and behavior are related in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Through his father, who is a policeman in Lower Merion, he became interested in emergency medicine.
“I’m interested in the medical field and with my father being a police officer, it went hand in hand,” Zwaan said. “He suggested I try it out.”
Beginning in December 2010 until the present he has been a student volunteer with the Harleysville Area EMS, helping paramedics with duties at the station and going on calls with the crew. His duties included assisting paramedics with supplies and communicating with patients.
“I like the hands on,” said Zwaan. “It’s pretty fun.”
The most intense moment he’s had was the time he performed CPR on a dying patient.
“I was still in training,” he said. “It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”
Unfortunately the victim didn’t make it.
Most of the time, however, he goes out on routine medical calls.
During the summer of 2011, he earned his Emergency Medical Technician Certification at Montgomery County Community College.
With all his background in emergency medicine, it’s not surprising that he wants to pursue a career in medicine.
Next year he will attend either Drexel or Pittsburgh, most likely the latter.
“The whole campus is nice and I have some pretty good friends there,” he said.
He also plans on playing club lacrosse at Pitt, which will be less pressure for him as he pursues a pre-med curriculum.
He is considering being a surgeon.
“It’s on my list,” he said. “I’m interested in a medical career. That’s what I used to want to be. We’ll see what I like.”
Med school is definitely in the picture and has been since he was a sophomore.
“I’ve always been good in math and sciences,” he said.
Volunteering at the Lehigh Valley Health Network as a sophomore and junior also influenced his decision to pursue medicine. At the hospital, he assisted in the volunteer office and gift shop, transporting patients, delivering medical supplies to different departments throughout the hospital, putting together hospital pamphlets and pricing items in the gift shop.
He also worked in the emergency room.
“I really liked it,” he said.
Sounds like Zwaan’s resume is bound for superstardom.
