Palmetto High School senior Austin Malone plays varsity baseball, which gives him the opportunity to volunteer with the Miracle League.
“It’s really fun. On our field, in front of the whole crowd that is there for the Blue and White game,” Malone says. “The crowd is watching them and they are all smiling. It’s cool.”
The boys push those who are wheel-chair bound around the bases, and help the others who are more mobile. After that, they play the Blue and White game, which is a fundraiser for the team. It also helps the community get excited about the upcoming season.
This is Malone’s second year on varsity. He’s a pitcher whose primary role is as middle reliever.
Malone has been since he was 11. He started in a league at Grapeland Heights and he also played for Howard Palmetto. He also plays for a travel team an elite travel team.
Outside of school, Malone volunteers at St. Louis Catholic Church as a youth leader.
“I work with the middle schools students and help them prepare for confirmation,” he says. “We set up games and set up skits that are like life stories. We relate them to the Bible.”
The youth leaders also help the seventh and eighth graders get involved in the church and get to know people at the church. They work with a program called Rock.
“We have about 20-minute sessions for five or so kids and two volunteers,” he says. “We get to know them personally. We try to help them go through struggles they are going through.”
He’s been volunteering since sophomore year and loves working with the kids.
“When I was in middle school, I went to Rock,” he says. “I didn’t know that many kids, but I created bonds through Rock. It was a place I was comfortable at. I wanted to give it back to the kids. The kids look up to us as role models. It’s a good feeling.”
At school, Malone is a member of the National Honor Society and the Senior Student Cabinet. He works with the elected student government representatives planning and executing events such as Homecoming and prom.
“I wanted to be involved with the class and it’s my last year,” he says. “I wanted to make this year special for everyone. And put my creativity and thoughts out there.”
He likes organizing evens and being in charge of things.
“I was one of those kids, when we did group projects in class, I had to be in charge,” he says.
Malone is also a member of Biology Club.
“I want to major in biology. I want to be an orthopedic surgeon,” he says. “At my school, we have a class on the care and prevention of athletic injuries. I loved that class.”
One day in class, the teacher asked him to evaluate a student’s injury. He corrected diagnosed the injury, which the teacher confirmed with her evaluation.
“I told him what exercises to do and he’s now playing.”
He took the class his sophomore year and the advanced class his junior year. His year he’s helping teach the class.
That experience and his experience with an injury his freshman year and the work he did to recover are what convinced him to study orthopedics.
Malone has already been accepted to the University of Northern Florida, Alabama and Auburn. He’s waiting to hear from Florida, Florida State, Perdue and South Carolina. Depending on which university he attends, he will go out for the baseball team as a walk on.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
