Jennifer Evans, an English teacher at State High, was inducted into the Centre County Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday, Oct. 19. Evans served as the Head Varsity and JV Girls Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Coach from 2002 to 2020. She is now involved in PBIS, a district-wide program focused on creating safe and supportive school environments, and she serves as the co-advisor of the Mental Health Matters Club and is the student council advisor.
Evans explained the process of being selected for the Hall of Fame.
“They have three different categories: one for coaches, one for athletes, and one for supporters of sport. And so, people who are on the Centre County board look for deserving candidates. The candidate then fills out the application, and then votes are collected, and each year, there is a class of inductees,” Evans said.
Evans expressed her appreciation for receiving this award.
“So proud. So honored by the work of so many. We’ve had so many wonderful athletes, families, and administrators, teachers, school officials, and coaches who have supported people and our record, our accomplishments. all are part of this induction,” Evans said.
Throughout her time as head coach, Evans led her team to many accomplishments. Under her leadership, the State High Girls Track & Field Team won the District VI Team Championship every year that she was a coach. They were also the PIAA Girls AAA State Champions in 2011.
Some of Evans’ favorite memories, however, extended beyond competition and were about the relationships she made.
“Getting to know people, building those relationships, having memories of hard workouts, practices, bus rides, championships, meals, all of those memories are what make this really a powerful moment for me,” Evans said.
As an English teacher at State High, Evans recognizes the effect of education in her life.
“I think it has always been a part of my life to recognize the hard work of teachers and coaches, and then being a student and being an athlete. … I have actually coached and been a part of academia for 30 years,” Evans said.
Senior Ryan Brown, who was taught by Evans, reflected on her influence.
“She definitely expanded my English skills in terms of how I write now and how I can synthesize in-text evidence and write quickly,” Brown said.
Evans’ commitment to student well-being extends outside the classroom through her work with the Mental Health Matters Club. She believes that mental health is extremely important for both students and athletes.
“As a coach, I was super in tune with managing competition anxiety, thinking about how we can best present ourselves in the face of adversity, when we’re feeling anxious and nervous, when we’re unsure. Doubt is the hardest thing to conquer. If you are not cheering for yourself, then you can’t succeed at the highest or peak ability,” Evans said.
Evans hopes that the commitment to high standards at State High endures, both in academics and athletics.
She said, “It is just amazing to see the effort, the care, the respect, the honor of the people who are part of State College, and the tradition that continues.”
