Now the senior at St. Charles Preparatory School in suburban Columbus can add another accomplishment to his already impressive resume: being named a U.S. Presidential Scholar for 2017.
Weaver is one of just 161 high school seniors nationwide selected for this award this year, and one of a handful in the state of Ohio.
Of the 3.5 million students expected to graduate from high school this year, more than 5,100 candidates qualified for the 2017 awards determined by outstanding performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams, or through nominations made by school officials or organizations.
The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects honorees based on their academic success, artistic excellence, essays, school evaluations and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
Weaver is the dictionary definition of "involved student." In addition to being on the St. Charles wrestling team -- where he was named "most inspiring" by his teammates this year -- the Westerville native is also on the school's cross-country squad. Weaver is also a member of National Honor Society, the engineering team, student council, and student newspaper. He also earned a 36 -- the highest possible score -- on the ACT. If that weren't enough, he also plays golf and ultimate Frisbee for fun.
Weaver does all this, despite dealing with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder caused by a non-progressive brain injury or malformation that occurs while the child's brain is under development, according to the official website for the disorder. Cerebral Palsy primarily affects body movement and muscle coordination.
When asked by the Columbus Dispatch about the impact cerebral palsy has had on his academic and athletic success, Weaver said that hard work helped him overcome those challenges. "Not that I don't think other people work hard," Weaver said. "But I think I had to work much harder than other people to stay at the same level."
Prior to entering high school, Weaver had participated in sports through local Special Olympics organizations. He wanted to continue in sports at St. Charles, but was concerned the prep school teams would be "too intense." However, Weaver said, "I'd made a lot of friends and it made me a lot more confident about sports."
Weaver will be attending University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall.
Weaver and the other 2017 honorees will be presented with the U.S. Presidential Scholar awards in Washington, D.C. in June.
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