Traveling with a purpose is the theme of this week’s Around Davidson column. We have news about two young women at our local high schools who are getting their passports and travel plans ready for two quite different itineraries.

Kathleen Elkins, a senior at Woodlawn School, is a local tennis sensation and has earned a spot on a European traveling team. She is raising funds for her summer tennis tour by organizing two doubles tournaments, the first planned for this Saturday, Feb. 27.

Meanwhile, at Davidson Day, French teacher Sheena Geiger is raising money for a trip to dance in Japan at the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Osaka World Expo.

Both Kathleen and Sheena are seeking individual and business sponsors to help defray the costs for their upcoming adventures.

KATHLEEN ELKINS: Looking forward to Europe’s red clay courts

Kathleen Elkins of Davidson has been playing tennis since she was a toddler vacationing with her family.

“When I was three or four I would do tennis camps on Cape Cod,” she said.

After graduating from Woodlawn this spring, Kathleen Elkins hopes to play tennis across Europe.

Now the daughter of Diane and Hugh Elkins is planning to take her tennis game to Europe. She has been selected to participate in the Tennis-Europe travel team, which will spend 26 days playing on tennis courts in Spain, Germany, Holland and France.

“In Europe they play on red clay courts,” Kathleen noted. “I’ve never played on that kind of clay, but my game is suited to it. I play pretty physical.”

Kathleen, a senior at Woodlawn School, will be playing tennis for Williams College in Massachusetts this fall. She is a member of the River Run Club and the Charlotte Tennis Academy, where she is coached by CTA Director Bill Shillings. Tennisrecruiting.com currently has her listed as 150th in the nation and third in the state.

As highlights of her high school tennis career, Kathleen lists winning the State Qualifier Tournament in 2007 and 08 in the 16-and-under doubles competition, paired with Devon Sutherland; and winning the 2007 State Closed Tournament in singles.

She discovered Tennis-Europe when she was researching her options for the summer.

“I was looking for something tennis oriented and I found this,” she said.  “I love to travel.”

Kathleen has been to Spain before, having traveled there with a Woodlawn student group, but the other countries on the Tennis-Europe tour will be entirely new experiences.

“This program is in its 30th year,” Kathleen said.  She recently learned that three of the members of the Williams College team have gone on Tennis-Europe tours. “And they told me it was an amazing experience.”

Now Kathleen is working to raise money for the trip, which comes with a $6,500 price tag. She is saving money from her job at the Davidson Chocolate Company and is seeking donations from local businesses. She will also be organizing two doubles tournaments, the first being Saturday, Feb. 27, at Jetton Park. (See the info box above for more information.) She has ten teams signed up so far but is hoping to have about 20.

In early April, she is planning a second tournament.  Stay tuned for more on that one!

SHEENA GEIGER: Dancing her way to Japan

Sheena Geiger at her desk in one of the French classrooms at Davidson Day

At Davidson Day, she is known as “Madame Geiger” and is one of two French teachers for the school.

In two weeks, though, Sheena Geiger of Davidson will set aside her classroom work to fly to Japan and join a team of performers marking the 40th anniversary of the Osaka World Expo.

She will be part of a group organized by World Campus International, a Tokyo-based nonprofit that encourages intercultural exchanges.

“Learning about other cultures, that’s my passion,” Sheena said.  “I love learning languages and meeting people from around the world and traveling.”

Raised in Nova Scotia, Sheena said she grew up speaking Gaelic and step-dancing in the Scottish style.    Her booth at the 40th Anniversary World Expo event will offer information about Canada.  She will be able to both sing and dance at the closing ceremonies.

Sheena Geiger is also a cheerleader for the Charlotte Checkers. Here's a photo of her singing the Canadian National Anthem at a recent Checkers game.

Performing in front of large crowds is nothing new to Sheena.  Before coming to Davidson Day, she represented Canada in the professional performing group, Up With People, and spent last summer in Denver helping them choreograph their current world tour show.  Now that she is based in Davidson, Sheena continues her interest in dance as a CheckMate, a cheerleader for the Charlotte Checkers.

The Osaka events will take place from March 10-16, and the trip will cost $2,500.  Sheena is seeking sponsorships, and hopes to offer presentations about Japan when she returns.  You can contact her by email (sgeiger@davidsonday.org).

Besides the thrill of the performances, which will have to be pulled together quickly according to a rigorous schedule, the World Campus International group will be offered opportunities to learn more about their host country.

“They’ll be matching us with families and giving us language lessons,” she said.  “I’m so excited!”

Send us your news

Have news for Brenda? Write to her through her assistant at lauriedennis@bellsouth.net.