Senior guard Jade Young was out running errands with her mom, Simone, when she was surprised to learn that she had been named an All-State, Class AA, third-team player. Her first hint of the honor came when she checked her smartphone and saw a SnapChat from a friend who was offering congratulations.

“It was definitely good to see my name on the list,” Jade said in an interview on April 18, humbly noting “all the great kids out there” she had played against.

Jade was the leading scorer (382 points) on this year’s girls’ basketball team that went 24-4, won the Friends School League title and racked up the most number of wins by any team in a single season in school history. She also led the team in assists, 113. Over her high school career, she netted 1,030 points.

In November, Jade signed a national letter of intent to play basketball next year for the University of Hartford. Since the AFS season ended, she has been practicing five times a week in the Hallowell Gym, striving to get to a college level of conditioning by the summer.

“I know you always have to work for your spot. Nothing is guaranteed,” she said.

As she looked back on the success of the last season, she talked about the seniors teaching the younger players on the team, and how everyone worked hard and improved their game.

“Everyone stepped up. You’ve got to be humble and hungry,” she said.

Jade came to AFS in seventh grade after looking at several Friends schools. Getting a good education, not playing basketball, was foremost on her mind.

“I really fell in love with [AFS]. My student host was cool. I saw it was very diverse. My mom liked it, too. They really welcomed her here, too.”