LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The halls of Liberty High School rang out with cheers as Andrew Ortiz entered the building.
"I was not expecting this at all," Ortiz said. "This is a massive surprise and a huge accomplishment."
Channel 13 and Centennial Subaru have selected Ortiz as the Academic Athlete of the Month.
Ortiz is one of the top students in his class, earning a 4.2 GPA. He is also the center midfielder at Liberty High School and in his second year as captain. He said his passion for soccer runs in the family.
"Both my siblings played soccer. I would play with them. I never played any other sports," Ortiz said. "Once I found soccer I loved it and stuck with it ever since."
Ortiz has been accepted to several colleges but he has already decided on his next move. He'll be on a soccer scholarship to Linfield University in Oregon.
His parents have been there every step of the way and his mom Colleen says it's vital for parents to be that rock for their kids.
"We remind him 'hey, did you write this? Did you send this? Did you apply for this? What's the deadline for this?' Parents can't be silent. They have to be right in their corner and helping them."
Ortiz also prides himself in being a leader and says to the next generation, always keep going, no matter the obstacle.
"Keep going. It does not matter how hard it is, doesn't matter what you're going through," Ortiz said. "If you get injured or back-to-back injuries, you're out for weeks, months, it doesn't matter. You just got to keep pushing. Look at the end."
