Shannon Burns – Park Ridge High School

Shannon Burns, a junior at Park Ridge, is a volleyball and basketball player who is excited to bring her voice to the NJSIAA Sudent Athlete Advisory Council as one of the 31 Student Ambassadors.

“There are things that I’ve seen as an athlete that I think need improvement,” she said. “There are things related to nutrition, like not being sure what to eat before or after a game or practice, and also how we should properly stretch before we play. I think other kids have the same kinds of concerns.”

Burns and the other ambassadors met for the first time at meeting at NJSIAA headquarters in Robbinsville on Aug. 30.

“It was great to meet the other people,” she said. “I also learned a lot about the history of the NJSIAA, which was interesting. With this committee, we can help make guidelines that can help athletes perform better.”

Getting to know Student Ambassador Shannon Burns: 

Favorite subjects: French and history.

Favorite athlete: Kevin Durant

Most adventurous thing that I’ve done: “I went zip lining once. It was scary, but I did it anyway.”

If I had a super power: “I’d like to time travel. It would be fun to go back in time to interesting parts of history, and to also look forward to see what’s ahead.”

Summer highlight: “I went to Washington, D.C., with my basketball team and got to see parts of the city that I hadn’t seen before.”

Favorite activity when not playing or studying: “I like to bake. I like to make cookies, and like to try different recipes.”

Three guests, living or dead, for dinner: Barack Obama, LeBron James and Serena Williams.

Favorite musical artists: Taylor Swift, Luke Bryan and Drake.