Emma Wakefield is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Dobson High School for AZPreps365.com

Age doesn’t always determine leadership. For Dobson, some of their underclassmen demonstrate top notch leadership skills in and out of the pool.

Dobson’s teamwork and leadership skills allowed them to achieve yet another win for the season, 93-86 over Eastmark on Thursday. The Mustangs' leader who's stood out so far this season is sophomore Hawa Savoy. 

She competed in four events against Eastmark, three of which involved butterfly. Her leadership skills especially stand out in races like the medley relay and the 200 free relay where she and her teammates work together in order to finish strong. 

“Hawa is a really great leader,” Dobson coach Katie Franklin said. “She takes ownership and makes sure the team has a cohesive bond.”

Despite her young age, Savoy is eager to improve not just the Dobson swim team, but the swim community overall. “More diversity could really make the sport of swimming better as a whole,” Savoy said.

Savoy moved to the U.S. from Africa when she was three years old. From there, her parents introduced her to swimming at a young age, and she fell in love with it after that. 

“It was a necessity of living in Arizona,” Hawa’s father Will Savoy said. “I think every kid needs to know how to swim, and she just never got out of the pool after that.”

Savoy has noticed a lack of diversity in the swim community. As a young Black female, Savoy would like to increase people of color throughout the sport of swimming, especially in her own community. She is eager to find new and talented students to join the team.

“She has come to me when she’s had concerns about how we’re recruiting kids,” Franklin said. "Which highlights her leadership skills as a whole."

Swimming has changed Savoy’s life. Her leadership and motivation carry on throughout her everyday life, and this doesn’t go unnoticed. Her coaches and parents have noticed an improvement in resilience, character development, and interpersonal skills in and out of the pool. 

“The friendships, bonds, and connections she has made with people in this sport have been incredibly impactful,” Will said.