CdA Charter Academy graduate Sandy Faulkner goes the extra mile in athletics, life

Her gaze has always been set toward the stars.

Sandy Faulkner, a 2020 graduate of the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, is working toward her dreams of becoming an Air Force pilot.

Ever since she can remember, she has always loved looking though her telescope. With one eye scrunched and the other looking through the glass, she’d dream about flying in space. If the opportunity ever came to be an astronaut, she’d take it, she said.

Faulkner is set to study mechanical engineering this fall at the University of Idaho.

To achieve her goals, Faulkner has always known that academics had to be her top priority, even over soccer, where she earned local celebrity as a top-tier athlete.

Faulkner helped the girls soccer team win the state championship four years in a row, starting the past three years as a midfielder.

“It’s been a really cool experience to be a part of, because the success the program has had has been, like, a really rare experience,” Faulkner said.

Charter assistant soccer coach Trey Weatherly said while Faulkner’s athleticism and competitiveness are unquestioned, it is her grace that goes above and beyond.

One day after lunch, he found Faulkner helping clean up the cafeteria, picking up garbage and rearranging chairs. When Weatherly asked if Faulkner had eaten lunch at the cafeteria that afternoon, because seniors often eat lunch off campus, she said no.

“She was like, ‘No, you know, I just wanted to help,’ she’s so casual,” Weatherly said. “You can tell that she’ll do the right thing because she knows it is the right thing to do, or she’ll help anyone if she sees that there’s help needed. So, I’ve always been impressed with her, and her willingness to go that extra mile.”

When writing her a recommendation letter early this year, the first thing that came to mind for Weatherly was Faulkner’s servant leadership – a trait he saw in the cafeteria and on the field.

As assistant coach, Weatherly often sets and picks up equipment for drills. But often, he found himself working alongside a partner.

“She will do the work that no one wants to do, and she’ll do it with a smile on her face,” Weatherly said.

Faulkner and the other athletes on the girls soccer team have grown into their own little family.

“Being able to be that close with people and have a grand time, it just makes it all so much better and easier,” Faulkner said.

When they’re not on the field, the team likes to get out and enjoy each other’s company, whether it’s at the beach, watching movies or exchanging mugs.

During high school, Faulkner had quite the list of athletic accolades. She went to state and medaled her freshman year in track, won state with the Post Falls varsity basketball team her sophomore year, and started competing in tennis her senior year.

Before the season ended early due to COVID-19, Faulkner and her sister had plans to play doubles together.

“Obviously, we can’t do that now, but that would have been really cool,” Faulkner said.

For her soccer coach, Stacy Smith, Faulkner’s dedication and commitment made her a standout student and athlete.

“She’s a cheerleader for everyone, and yet a force to be reckoned with on the soccer field or the basketball court,” Smith said in an email. “She’s got that uncanny mix of determination and high expectation, yet compassion toward those around her. Her no-quit personality raises the bar for everyone around her and inspires their success as well.”

Faulkner had never played club sports before joining the soccer team and was surrounded by people with far more athletic experience. But according to Smith, that didn’t stop her from gaining the reputation of a player who other teams scout and focus on.

“I’m dedicated and I work for what I want,” Faulkner said. “I think that shows in my athletic success, as well as my academic success.”

All of her successes, however, wouldn’t have been possible without her family, she said, as they supported her on and off the field.

“My family, in general, they are always so supportive of everything I do, whether it’s school-related or athletic-related, just anything. They’re always there and I know they’ll always have my back, so that’s nice having that support system.”