Steele HS senior named KENS 5 All-Star Athlete

There is no such thing as a typical day for Aaron Alave. A senior at Byron P. Steele High School, Alave juggles his life in spectacular fashion. Ranked fourth in his class with an average of 107.71, he also finds time to be a standout swimmer for the Knights. The combination was enough to have KENS 5 come out to the Steele HS gymnasium to bestow him with the station’s All-Star Athlete Award.

Great Day SA co-host Clarke Finney made the live on-air announcement, in front of Aaron’s parents, and a few select hundreds of raucous friends in the gymnasium. He was presented with an acrylic plaque by Kevin Palmer of UPS, which sponsors the award. Alave’s parents were on hand for the event, including his father, Arnie, a speech therapy teacher at Steele HS.

“I’m really taken aback,” said Alave during the live interview. “I feel honored to receive this award today and I want to thank everyone who helped me across my journey, like my parents, my teachers and coaches.”

“He’s on the top of his game,” said David Saenz, Steele HS head football coach and athletic coordinator. “Whether it’s the swim team, his academics, the band, his work ethic is a testament to his parents in the way he was raised.”

Aaron Alave’s goal of exhausting each minute of the day isn’t limited to studies and sports. He finds time to play trombone in the school band, take part in the UIL Academic Social Studies team, Key Club, USA Architecture, the Engineering Club and the National Honor Society. 

There’s more. Alave has taken several Advanced Placement and Dual Credit courses during his time at Steele HS, and is a member of the Model UN. He attended the Coast Guard Junior Academy this past summer, and has received a recommendation from Congressman Lloyd Doggett to attend the United States Naval Academy.

“Aaron is such a well rounded student,” said Jana Cervantes, Steele HS principal. “He is a kind and humble person and rarely takes credit for the greatness he has.”

There isn’t a day Aaron doesn’t challenge himself to get better, and he credits his peers for keeping him obsessed to stay sharp. “I have a bunch of really cool friends,” Alave said. 

“Some are smart academics and some are proficient in athletics. So just trying to keep up with them and trying to one up them every single day keeps me motivated.”

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