Katelyn Matarese has been a shining star within the La Cañada Flintridge community as well as a prominent role model at La Cañada High School, being a student-athlete and a key member of numerous clubs on campus.
The senior gets to add one more distinction before she heads to college: a national winner of the 2023 Heisman High School Scholarship awarded by the Heisman Trophy Trust.
Matarese was recognized among an applicant pool of thousands of high school scholar-athletes graduating with the class of 2024.
“The announcement said it was ‘welcoming us to the Heisman family’ and I had no idea how much more of an experience awaited me,” Matarese told the Outlook Valley Sun.
The scholarship program, which was created in 1994, embodies the reputation and symbolism of the Heisman Memorial Trophy, and highlights an individual’s diligence, perseverance and hard work.
The Heisman High School Scholarship recognizes the nation’s most esteemed high school seniors by celebrating and rewarding outstanding male and female scholar-athletes who understand victories happen on and off the field — within their schools and communities.
Matarese and male winner, George Cheng, a senior from North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in West Hill, N.C., each received a $10,000 college scholarship and were invited to the 2023 Heisman Trophy ceremony held this past Saturday in New York City.
Matarese is National Honor Society vice president, captain of her LCHS track and field and cross-country teams and a two-time Junior Olympics national champion runner. She also has a large footprint in her community, volunteering at various organizations such as Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, being a princess on the La Cañada Flintridge Royal Court and a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award, among other distinctions.
While she relies on fast feet to win races, it’s her voice that is making the greatest impact on her teammates and community.
By inviting male and female students from schools across the country to share their stories of leadership and impact, the Heisman High School Scholarship program aims to inspire all students to not only excel and achieve their goals, but to push their limits and use their talents to improve the communities and world around them.
Matarese dreams of continuing her education at an Ivy League school and plans to keep using her voice in college and beyond in ways that will help people, especially children who cannot easily help themselves.
The senior found out she was the winner after a series of events.
La Cañada High first notified her that she was the school’s winner, and a few days later, she found out she was the California state champion before she was announced a national finalist. On Nov. 30, the organization announced her as national winner with a video highlighting her accomplishments, she told the Outlook Valley Sun.
Materese was off to New York City thereafter, joining Cheng, in the Heisman festivities held in the Big Apple.
“They treated us like royalty the entire weekend,” she told the Outlook Valley Sun. “They took us on a VIP tour of New York City and put us up in a very upscale hotel in the middle of Times Square. We had access to a VIP lounge with the Heisman Trophy nominees as well as all the past Heisman Trophy winners [who] flew in for the weekend. They had food and snacks all day and it was amazing to get to spend time talking to the Heisman nominees and past Heisman winners and their families.”
Matarese said one of the highlights of the trip was her trek to the reception. As she and Cheng walked through Times Square to the Hard Rock Café, the two looked up and noticed their faces glowing on one of the area’s enormous screens.
“I cannot describe how unbelievable it was,” Matarese said. “I did a double take. Then a police officer stopped traffic on Broadway so we could take a picture in the middle of the street with our lighted billboard behind us.”
At the reception held at the Jazz at Lincoln Center, the two met former Heisman winners such as Tim Tebow, Mike Garrett and George Rogers, as well as this year’s nominees Michael Penix of Washington, Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State, Bo Nix of Oregon and Jayden Daniels of Louisiana State University. Matarese also met Olympic gold medalist figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi at the celebration.
During the ESPN broadcast of the award ceremony, Matarese sat across the aisle from two of the four Heisman nominees. The ceremony recognized the two as the high school winners before announcing Daniels as the winner of this year’s Heisman Trophy. A photoshoot followed, with all three posing with the coveted college football trophy at a press conference and then at Times Square with all the billboards and lights as the backdrop.
“I can honestly say this was the most amazing weekend of my life and one I will never forget,” Matarese said. “I am so honored to be selected for the Heisman High School Scholarship.
“I am particularly grateful to the Heisman trustees and staff for welcoming me to the ‘Heisman family’ in such style. [I] am especially grateful to Jim Cocoran, Carol Pizano, Tim Henning and Susan Storey, who went out of their way to make me feel special and a big part of the whole weekend.”
First published in the December 14 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
