Senior Grace Brogioli said she was “shocked” to receive the email that informed her she’d won a statewide award and $500 scholarship for her essay about how high school sports affected her life.

But those who know Brogioli weren’t surprised she won the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association’s 2021 Scholar Athlete Award.

When asked about Brogioli, Wareham High School field hockey coach Melissa Smith had nothing but good things to say.

“She’s just a model of excellence in everything she does,” Smith said. “She cares so deeply about doing well in whatever activity it is — whether it’s extracurriculars, athletics, academics, her involvement in the community.”

Smith spoke highly of Brogioli’s five years on the field hockey team, which included two years as captain.

In her essay, Brogioli said she wrote about how, as a senior, she strived to support underclassmen. She also noted that her sister, Ava Brogioli, is in 8th grade now and plays field hockey.

“I just wanted to make her feel comfortable like the seniors did back when I was an eighth grader on the team, to make sure they can stick with it the next four or five years,” she said.

Brogioli said playing sports over the years helped her come out of her shell.

“It definitely made me meet new people [and] make new friends,” she said. “I was very shy coming into Wareham High School, and definitely playing sports and being active, I’ve surrounded myself with a good group of people and I’ve been glad to meet those people, and I’m sure I’ll be friends with them for a long time.”

It is the third year in a row Wareham High School students have won the award, according to Athletic Director Ed Rodrigues.

“We’re very proud of [Grace],” he said. “She represents the school extremely well. We’re lucky to have student athletes like Grace at Wareham High School.”

Because her essay won the statewide competition, she’ll also compete in regionals and potentially in the national competition, where she could win more scholarship money.

Currently, Brogioli said she is planning to attend Fairfield University as an environmental studies major in the school’s honors program.