In partnership with Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) for its ninth year, Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest (BBB) named two high school student-athletes as Ethical Champions from six Ethical Athlete scholarship winners in the BBB Ethical Athlete scholarship program. Through community and self-nominations, high school students are evaluated by a panel of judges for their ability to uphold integrity in the face of ethical and personal challenges when playing a sport on and off the court. The program honors these behaviors and their positive influence on others. Each Ethical Athlete wins a $1,000 scholarship and Ethical Champions are awarded an additional $2,500 scholarship at AIA’s Annual Gala.

2023-2024 BBB Ethical Champion Scholarship Winners

• Daleina Egea, soccer and track athlete from Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, AZ
• Jack Strang, baseball and golf athlete from Horizon High School in Scottsdale, AZ

Daleina Egea was recognized by her nominator for leading with ethics and positivity by using her voice to speak up and defend others when needed. When her teammate was diagnosed with cancer, she ensured to reach out to her every morning and evening to check on her and to stand by her every day.

“My grandfather has taught me everything, and without him, I would not be the soccer player I am today. From showing me how to kick the ball to juggling, I hope one day I can play soccer just like my grandpa who is no longer here with me,” shared Egea.

Nominated by his teacher Dr. Perot, Jack Strang was recognized for helping another student realize how important it was to lead with integrity. Instead of reporting the unethical behavior to his teacher, he encouraged the student to do the right thing so he could come to his own conclusions about the importance of honesty.

“Playing golf and baseball has been a significant part of my life, shaping not only my physical capabilities but also my character. Winning this scholarship is not just a personal achievement but it’s a recollection effort of everyone who has supported and believed in me. It’s an honor to be recognized as a BBB Ethical Champion,” shared Strang.

Arizona high school athletes must have a GPA of at least 2.75, enrolled in an AIA sanctioned school while participating in an AIA sanctioned sport were eligible to be nominated for the scholarship. Nominations for the scholarship will open in the fall of 2024 at athlete.bbbcommunity.org.

About the Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest
Better Business Bureau (BBB) has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for more than 110 years. In 2023, people turned to BBB more than 218 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.3 million businesses, and 80,000 times for BBB charity reports on about 12,000 charities, for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Incorporated locally in 1938, BBB Pacific Southwest serves Greater Arizona and Central and Southern California, providing critical tools to ignite success including mentorship, online products, coworking and access to capital. Our objective expertise educates the community on ethical behavior in the marketplace and how businesses can build trust.