Always a step, or three, ahead

An eye toward the future helps Laura Gioia excel in the classroom and on the tennis courts.

By BRANDON WRIGHT
Published July 1, 2005

TAMPA - Not once.

Laura Gioia didn't have to think hard about the last time she received a "C" in school.

"Never," she said.

What about a "B"? Surely, there must have been one or two of those mixed in Gioia's high school career. Maybe during her senior year when the 18-year-old Freedom graduate was taking six advanced placement and honors classes while winning a state championship in tennis?

"I've gotten a "B" in a quarter, but never as a final grade," Gioia said. "And the final ones are what the colleges look at."

That's Gioia, always looking at the bigger picture. And it was her combination of intelligence, composure and athletic ability that earned Gioia the Times' Hillsborough County scholar-athlete of the year honors.

"My parents always stressed the importance of education without overstressing me," she said. "So they pushed me, but not too hard. The rest came intrinsically."

As a King sophomore, Gioia already was looking toward college and beyond. She excelled in King's prestigious International Baccalaureate program, but felt in order to reach her goal of playing college tennis, a change was needed.

"My Mom asked me if I was serious about playing tennis after high school," Gioia said. "Because of the rigors of the IB program, I thought transferring to Freedom would give me the best chance at getting a (tennis) scholarship while still getting a good education," Gioia said.

That move paid off on the court and in the classroom.

Gioia won the Class 2A state title in the team category and finished her senior year with a 6.08 weighted and 4.0 unweighted grade point average, good for third in her senior class.

"I think the IB kind of impressed organization on her because it was so regimented," said her mother, Mary Ann. "Combine that with her not being a procrastinator and that's a big part of her success."

True to Gioia's propensity for looking ahead, she accepted a scholarship offer from Furman after her junior year to concentrate on tennis and academics her senior season. Despite offers from Indiana and Rice, Gioia said Furman was the right choice because it offered what she excelled at - balancing academics and athletics.

"Furman had the whole package," she said. "I felt at home with the coaches and players right away. And the advisor I met with showed me that graduates had a high acceptance rate getting into graduate school."

Yes, Gioia's already making post-graduation plans though her first class isn't for another two months.

Gioia is interested in pursuing a career in dentistry and said she's looking forward to the challenges ahead.

"I'm proud of what I've done," she said. "I know college will be harder but it's a matter of getting in a routine and sticking to it," she said.

[Last modified July 1, 2005, 01:24:21]