Valencia High School alumna HyeJung Park from the Class of 2011 recently experienced a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by serving as an honorary captain at Super Bowl LVII. HyeJung is one of four Pat Tillman Foundation Scholars selected to serve as the honorary coin toss captains at the opening of the game that took place on February 12, 2023.
In a press release issued by the Pat Tillman Foundation, HyeJung was recognized with three other scholars for making an impact in their respective industries and representing the enduring legacy of service Pat Tillman left behind.
Pat Tillman was an Arizona State University football standout who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the 7th round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He was the team’s starting safety and broke the franchise record for tackles in 2000 with 224. In 2002, inspired by the September 11th attacks, Tillman placed his NFL career on hold to enlist in the U.S. Army for a three-year term. He tragically lost his life on April 22, 2004, in Afghanistan.
HyeJung enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves via a Military Accessions Vital to National Interest enlistment program which helped her earn her U.S. citizenship. She recently completed her Ph.D. in psychology from Arizona State University, which comes after graduating from Valencia High School in 2011 and earning two associate degrees, two bachelor’s degrees, and a master of arts in psychology from various colleges.
Read more about HyeJung courtesy of the Pat Tillman Foundation at https://pattillmanfoundation.org/meet-our-scholars/hye-jung-park/.
Way to go, Tiger!
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