Some scholarships reward the highest GPA. Others go to the fastest or the strongest. The Do Amazing Things award, presented by Aylo Health in partnership with Positive Athlete, was created for a different kind of student entirely.
Positive Athlete is a national recognition and leadership development program that highlights high school student-athletes who go beyond the scoreboard. Since 2017, Aylo Health, the independent, family-owned primary care network serving communities in Cherokee County and across Metro Atlanta, has partnered with Positive Athlete to present the Do Amazing Things Award, recognizing young student-athletes who demonstrate leadership, character, perseverance, and commitment to serving others.
The award is open to any student athlete in grades 9 through 12, in any sport, at any level. Nominations are made by coaches, parents, teachers, and community members who see something special in a young person long before a trophy ever does. What sets this recognition apart is what it does not require. There is no minimum GPA threshold. There is no stat line to hit. Positive Athlete instead looks for young people who have overcome real adversity, served their schools and communities in meaningful ways, or simply carry an attitude so infectious that it makes everyone around them better. Aylo Health proudly supports that vision because it aligns with their own commitment to helping people live healthier lives and building stronger communities..
This year, for the first time, two scholarship recipients were named from the Cherokee County area, each awarded a $1,000 college scholarship at a special awards ceremony held June 1st at the Georgia State Capitol, where scholarship recipients from across the state were celebrated alongside their families, coaches, educators, and community supporters. Both students are exactly the kind of young leaders this award was built to honor.
Jaxon Pfansteil, a 2026 graduate of Cherokee High School, built his character the hard way. After being dropped from his top club soccer team, he did not walk away. He worked, earned his spot back, and eventually captained that same team. On the high school field, he played through significant health challenges without complaint, always putting his teammates first. As a two-year varsity captain, a member of the Student Athlete Leadership Team (SALT), and Co-President of the Pickleball Club, Jaxon organized community food pantries and special needs field days alongside his peers. His faith, anchored through First Priority and three weeks of summer service at Woodlands Camp SALT, runs through everything he does. Whether greeting elementary students at the start of their school day or running social media for the Cherokee student section, Jaxon leads quietly and consistently.
Addie Kate Beck, a rising junior at Sequoyah High School, has been playing basketball since kindergarten. Her sophomore season tested her in ways no coach can prepare a player for: a season-ending hand injury just three games in. She showed up to every practice and every game anyway, including the day after surgery, cheering on her teammates from the sideline. That kind of grace under pressure is not something you teach. She returned as a varsity starter and team captain for the 2025-26 season. Beyond the court, Addie Kate serves on SALT, holds leadership roles in National Honor Society, Beta Club, Student Government, and DECA, recently served as a Senate Page for the Georgia Lieutenant Governor, and travels to serve families battling childhood cancer through the Lighthouse Family Retreat. She is currently preparing for a mission trip to El Salvador.
Together, Jaxon and Addie Kate represent something Cherokee County has always known but does not always stop to celebrate: the next generation is already here, already leading, and already doing amazing things and Aylo Health is proud to stand right behind them. Find out more at: Aylohealth.com
"These are student athletes who stepped up for others and chose to lead with purpose. That is exactly the kind of story Cherokee County deserves to celebrate." - Shannon Bucy, Aylo Health