KARNS CITY — Savanna Prescott does not spread her life thin.

The recent Karns City Area Jr./Sr. High School graduate spreads her life effectively.

A team captain in multiple sports for the Gremlins before graduating this spring, Prescott also served as senior class president, ranked third academically in her class, coached at youth sports camps, organized fundraisers, cofounded a tutoring program and volunteered at a local food cupboard and for Toys 4 Tots.

She was also in the student athletic training program and was on the sidelines that way during football games.

“I enjoy staying busy,” Prescott said. “I’ve never liked just sitting around.”

Prescott recently became the first recipient of the Stacy Martin Service Award. Martin died of complications from cancer at age 42 in October 2023. Her son is Mason Martin, the Karns City quarterback who suffered a brain bleed and other injuries in a football game six weeks earlier. He continues to recover from those injuries.

Members of Stacy’s family, including her husband, Denny Martin, and their daughter, Makenna, reviewed essays from nine applicants for the $2,000 scholarship award. Each applicant had to be recommended by another person.

Prescott is working as an assistant nurse at the Benbrook Surgery Center and has been accepted into Gannon University’s prestigious physician assistant program, which, Denny Martin said, made her application stand out.

“Stacy was the most amazing person I’ve met in my life,” Martin said. “I wanted a way to honor her name, the person she was … This award is the perfect way to do that. This award stands for love, kindness and service to others.

“Meeting and dealing with so many people in the medical profession, I’m just appreciative of their genuine caring for human beings and the work they do. Savannah has those traits. She is very deserving of this honor.”

He added that his wife, too, “loved” Savannah.

“She treated her as if she was one of our own kids,” he said.

Prescott said that she has “known the Martin family my whole life. They are tremendous people and I’m so grateful to them. I grew up with their kids.”

A goalkeeper in soccer and a forward in basketball, Prescott also competed in the triple, long and high jumps, along with the javelin, in track and field at Karns City. She missed part of her senior soccer season due to an injury.

In terms of academics, Prescott maintained a 4.4 grade-point average and graduated No. 3 in her class. She’s been in the gifted program academically since grade school.

A member of the National Honor Society, Prescott has organized a youth track and field clinic along with facilitating a suicide awareness walk.

“I love sport and I’ve always been my biggest critic,” she said. “Basketball is my favorite because I’ve been playing it the longest. I’ve always been a social person, and sports are a big part of that.

“I get into as many different things as I can.”

Along with her high school endeavors, Prescott is a vacation Bible school leader at St. Paul’s Community Church.

“She’s a motivated young lady who never shies away from a challenge,” Karns City girls basketball coach Steve Andreassi said. “Savanna loves academics and has had her sights set on the medical field for a long time.

“She’s a team leader, always coming up with ideas. The girl is a go-getter.”

Prescott averaged 10 points and seven rebounds per game her senior year despite dealing with a knee issue. She hurt her knee while kicking a ball in soccer.

While the injury did not require surgery, she had to deal with the pain.

“It was a cartilage thing, but I wanted to play. It was my senior year,” Prescott said. “Our team wound up making school history by winning a state playoff game. That was so exciting, one of the highlights of my high school career.”

Prescott posted a few shutouts for the Gremlins girls soccer team, helping it to continue its domination in terms of winning District 9 championships.

“Savanna is a perfectionist,” Karns City soccer coach Tracy Dailey said. “She used to beat herself up every time she made a mistake. We had to point out to her that mistakes make you human and learning from them helps make you better.

“She’s hard on herself, but that’s one of the reasons she’s been successful in so many different areas.”

Andreassi agreed.

“She’s her own worst critic,” Andreassi said. “It’s that inner challenge that fuels her. This award couldn’t go to a better person.”

While Prescott is moving on to the next phase of her life, she plans to keep honoring the award and the Martin family by continuing to serve others.

“I’ll stay involved in the church, for sure,” she said. “I’m working with the younger goalkeepers in the (Karns City) school system, boys and girls, training them on the position. I want to keep doing that.”

Martin figured Prescott’s attitude toward life wouldn’t change once she graduated.

“All of the applications we received (for the Service Award) were very deserving people,” he said. “Savanna has so much heart and compassion. She’s so much like Stacy. That’s what makes her stand out.”

“Being there for … just helping people. That’s what life’s about,” Prescott said.