Washington High School's Atley Fortney Named AARP WV/MetroNews Scholar Athlete of the Week

Atley Fortney of Washington High School has been selected as the AARP West Virginia/MetroNews Scholar Athlete of the Week for the week of September 4.

A senior, Atley is a 4.17 g.p.a. AP Honors student. She is a National Honor Society member and three-year Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference All-Academic Team honoree. Atley is the daughter of Scott and Kim Fortney of Charles Town.

A four-year forward/utility player with Coach Tim Michael’s Patriots soccer program, Atley has been a member of three Sectional Championship teams, and Regional Championship and Class AAA state runner-up teams in 2013 and 2014. She is a three-time All-State selection, earning first team honors in 2014 and 2015. Atley is a two-time Eastern Panhandle Athletic Conference and Martinsburg Journal Player of the Year. She holds the boys/girls soccer school record for most goals in a season (40).

On a community level, Atley is actively involved in volunteer and service activities in the Jefferson County area through Rock Spring Church and her school. She serves as a weekly volunteer at Brighter Day Care, an after-school program for kids with special needs, and participates in the Athlete-2-Athlete program, which matches individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities with student athletes to interact, play sports and form relationships. She is a volunteer leader with Cleats for Bare Feet, an organization that collects new and used soccer equipment from area schools for donation to those less fortunate. Atley also serves as a coach/volunteer with local youth soccer programs in Jefferson County.

Atley will continue her athletic career on the NCAA Division I collegiate level at Seton Hall University, where she plans to study psychology and neurosciences. She hopes to become an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapist or a neurosurgeon.

During the 2016 Fall Sports season, one high school student athlete will be selected each week as the AARP West Virginia Scholar Athlete of the Week and recognized on the popular West Virginia MetroNews High School GameNight program, which airs 9:30 p.m. – midnight each Friday night on nearly 40 radio stations across the Mountain State .

West Virginia student athletes in Grades 11 and 12 with a minimum 3.0 grade point average are eligible for the award. Nominees should excel in one or more athletic program, and be active within their community through service and community involvement. Nomination forms may be completed online at http://wvmetronews.com/scholar-athlete-of-the-week.