At 17, Morgan Davis has found a balance that most adults would envy.

The Hickman County High School senior has managed to turn her passion for sports into a job, and, she hopes, a career.

Davis began covering sporting events for the Hickman County Times at the beginning of her senior year.

“I like to write, and since I’m very active in our sports, it would be an easy job for me,” Davis said.

Davis is a four-year member of the varsity softball team and a three-year member of the volleyball team at her school. She also cheered for two years, and has been part of a Tennessee traveling softball team for 11.

“My mom was really big into sports, and my dad,” she said. “It’s something I really like to do, and something that’s been carried down.”

Morgan Davis, daughter of Mike and Lisa Davis, is the Mid-Continent University Teen of the Week. Each Monday, the Sun features a different MCU Teen of the Week selected from nominees whom guidance counselors throughout western Kentucky and southern Illinois submit to the Sun. Mid-Continent University will provide each Teen of the Week with a $2,500 annual scholarship to its university, which is renewable for four years. In the spring, a Teen of the Year will be chosen from the weekly winners. The Teen of the Year is eligible for a full four-year scholarship to Mid-Continent University or a cash award of $2,500, paid through the Paducah Sun, if the student selects another college to attend.

Davis, who used to work part time as a waitress, admitted that juggling a job, college-level coursework, and volunteer activities can be demanding.

Davis is a member of most of the organizations her school offers, including Beta Club, the Future Business Leaders of America, the student council, and the Athletic Club, of which she is president.

She said she’ll give anything a shot, even if it’s something she hasn’t liked in the past, like cooking or working with children.

“I like trying new things so that I can say that I’ve done it,” Davis said.

She manages to juggle all her activities by staying organized and relying on a calendar, she said.

Davis’ long list of awards is peppered with recognitions of her athletic ability, but she says the honor she’s most proud of is academic. Davis attended the Governor’s Scholars Program last summer, an experience that she said changed her perspective.

 “When I went to college, I was going to try to focus on getting a sports scholarship. Now that I’ve been (to GSP), I’m more focused on my education. ... I really want to get my education, because that’s something that’s going to last me for the rest of my life,” Davis said.  

Davis plans to study exercise science at Murray State University this fall. She said the combination of athletics and academics seems like the right fit for her.

“It kind of fit perfectly because I like medicine and I like sports,” she said.

Contact Laurel Black, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8641.