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May 6, 2026 By Jonathan Guth 5 min read

Attending college isn’t cheap.

Costs don’t end at tuition, as students and their families must also budget for living arrangements, meals and textbooks, which only scrapes the surface of the costs of a two, four and sometimes six-year period.

There are options for assistance, but that only goes so far, which is why Uniontown senior Hannah Foster was nearly rendered speechless upon discovering that she was the recipient of the 2026 High School Hoops Berger and Green Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Foster was surprised by her family and friends on April 27 inside the library at Uniontown Area High School.

The Pittsburgh-based law firm in conjunction with 22 The Point awarded Foster with a scholarship totaling $5,000.

As Foster posed with the novelty check, Darren Zaslau from 22 The Point interviewed her, and asked what it meant to earn the scholarship.

“I don’t know what to say,” Foster said as she held up the check. “It’s incredible. I will put it to good use, or at least, I will try. I would like to thank them (Berger and Green) because college is so expensive, and this money will definitely help me.”

Foster was proud to represent Uniontown, and she was the only female that was in the final running, as her path to the scholarship began by being named the 2026 High School Hoops Berger and Green Scholar Athlete of the Week on Feb. 2.

“Uniontown has been amazing,” Foster said. “The teachers here are great and the athletics have really helped me by teaching discipline and helping me grow as a person.”

Berger and Green were represented by managing partner Amanda Bonneson and attorney Bill Kenny at the presentation.

“There were a lot of great candidates, but there were a lot of things that made Hannah stand out,” Bonneson said. “Her video was like a mini-newscast. She is a record holder in her school, and I think she is our first record holder, so that’s pretty awesome.

“I didn’t realize GPAs could go that high. She’s also a member of the National Honor Society. She’s fast in the water, she’s fast on land and she helps people on the mountain when she skis. There’s too much to say about her, really.”

Kenny stated he has no doubt Foster will put the $5,000 scholarship to good use, and that he speaks for everyone at Berger and Green when he says they are proud of her.

Foster’s parents, Amy and Joe, were on hand to celebrate their daughter’s accomplishments. Joe teaches mathematics and physics at Uniontown Area High School, and is also an assistant cross country coach.

“We are so grateful for it,” Amy said. “College is a big step, and this is our first one going to college, so this is a huge help for us. We put in so many hours vesting in her.”

Joe was pleased with Hannah being recognized for her accomplishments.

“It’s wonderful that someone sees in her what we see in her,” Joe said. “She does do all those things, and we see her and congratulate her in all she does. We are so grateful for you guys putting these feelers out there and supporting these kids in their futures.”

The process to earn the scholarship for Hannah Foster began with submitting an application and an essay. She was nominated for the athlete of the week award by Uniontown Area High School athletic director Harry Kaufman.

Despite winning scholar athlete of the week, Foster didn’t believe she had a chance when the athlete of the year was selected.

“I didn’t think I was going to win at all,” Foster said. “I had submitted the application and essay, and I was nominated, but I still didn’t think I had a chance. I am glad to get the scholarship because it is a lot of money.”

Foster’s list of accomplishments and activities would make any renaissance woman envious, as she sports a 4.72 GPA, is a member of the National Honor Society, student council as a class officer, academic league, math team, French club and Bible club. She has been a member of the Fayette County 4-H for nine years.

As an athlete, Foster has been swimming competitively since she was nine-years-old at the Uniontown Area YMCA. She has qualified for the YMCA state championships every year since she began swimming. Foster qualified for the YMCA short course national championships twice. She qualified for the Class 2A state championships her four years swimming for the Red Raiders, and holds the school record in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Foster qualified for the Class 2A state meet in cross country twice. A leg injury hindered her opportunity for a third trip to Hershey, as she wasn’t able to compete in the postseason.

Foster has run four half-marathons (13.1 miles) and plans on competing in a marathon following her first year of college.

She enjoys hiking, biking and paddling, and biked from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., last summer. Foster has hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim two times, and rafted the Green River in Utah.

Foster’s passion for traveling and the outdoors, including the national parks, points her towards pursuing environmental engineering.

Foster’s ability to cycle, run and swim caught the attention of Duquesne University and its triathlon team. She will compete for the Dukes while also completing her degree.

“I know I can run and swim, but I have to learn how to bike,” Foster said. “I do bike, but it is on the trails, plus it’s not at the level of a tri-athlete. That will be my biggest challenge.”