Sean Senters, a 2010 Southern Lehigh alumni and former class treasurer, boasts an impressive career as a professional gymnast. He started gymnastics when he was five years old and has been doing gymnastics for a total of 17 years.

“My sister was doing it, and I was the annoying little brother who wanted to do what she was doing,” Senters said. “I finished up this past April.”

In high school, Senters was not only an athlete, but a genuinely engaging person.

“He was driven, intelligent, kind, caring, mature, and when you take someone who’s driven, who’s smart, who’s passionate, and when you combine that with kindness and caring, it gets you far,” social studies teacher Mr. Brian Dow said. “For me, it was not just Sean’s athletic ability; it wasn’t just his intelligence; it was everything about him that got him where he is today.”

In high school, his goals as a gymnast included competing in the Olympics. As a student at Stanford University, Senters competed in collegiate gymnastics and wanted to make it on the Senior National Team to compete internationally. However, he changed his mind later and decided to compete only at the collegiate level.

“My collegiate team actually traveled to Oslo, Norway, and I got to compete against the Norwegian and Italian national teams,” he said.

Despite his success, he encountered many obstacles. In high school, Senters had two knee surgeries. He also had a few injuries in college, but nothing that caused him to stop competing for a long period of time. Emotionally, he had a lot of people backing him.

“It’s impossible to name one [of my biggest supporters], so I’m going to go with my entire family, each of whom has supported me in different ways,” Senters said. “Without my mom, dad, sister, Kelly, and twin brother, Timmy, I would not have been the gymnast I was or the person that I am today.”

Senters was on the Stanford University gymnastics team for five years and won a team national championship. Individually, he won three national championships on vault and was a six-time All American, three on floor and three on vault.

“During individual finals, I completed a yurchenko triple full on vault, which was the first time it was successfully completed by an American, and the final routine of my gymnastics career,” Senters said. “I actually was able to leave the sport with no regrets and realize how fortunate I am for that.”

After becoming the NCAA vault champion in April 2015, Senters resigned from gymnastics, a year short of the next Olympics.

“I have so much respect for the guys who are trying for 2016 berths in Rio,” he said. “I know a bunch of them and wish them the best through the process. USA!”

Senters is now studying at George Washington University and working towards a master’s degree in political management. He hopes to graduate next December and begin his career in the field.

“A big purpose of government is to help people, and Sean is very concerned about helping people,” Mr. Dow said. “Sean was willing to listen to others and hear their suggestions and as a politician it is important to listen to people to be able to solve their problem.”