BRETHREN CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL:

Sean Berwald

There were times when Sean Berwald nearly used himself up getting to school in the morning. It’s not that the Torrance resident was lazy or unmotivated — he just had an awfully long commute.

Sean, 17, attended a small private school in San Pedro through the eighth grade, and a number of people there recommended that he transfer to the Huntington Beach campus for high school.

He took them up on their advice, and starting freshman year, he set his alarm clock a lot earlier.

“My mom would drive me to the bus at 6:50,” he recalled. “Then I’d get on the bus and get to school around 7:45. I’d normally be sleeping in the car to the bus, then get in the bus and sleep on the way to school to make up for lost time.”

Despite that sleep deprivation, Sean pushed himself through high school, starring on Brethren’s cross country and tennis teams and making charity trips to Mexico with classmates.

And his persistence impressed the faculty, who got used to seeing him at school functions.

“He was always here to help, even if he wasn’t asked,” said secretary Katie Fritch.

— Michael Miller