Agganis Scholar Webster ready to live out his dream

(This is the 11th in a series of articles on Lynn-area winners of the Agganis Foundation Scholarships.)Growing up in the Boston area, many kids dream of attending college at one of the city’s several fine schools. Yet most kids don’t realize at a young age that it takes hard work and dedication to get accepted into these schools.St. Mary’s High School graduate David “D.J.” Webster, of Saugus, did realize what it takes to get accepted, and will now be living out his childhood dream this coming fall at Boston College.Webster was a recent recipient of a Harry Agganis Foundation Scholarship for his outstanding work both inside the classroom and on the football field.”Harry Agganis is a local legend and was an amazing athlete. Lynn was lucky to have an athlete of his caliber and I’m honored to be a scholarship recipient and a football all-star in his name,” he said.Webster’s scholarship is the first Agganis award to be named for Edward H. Cahill, the former sports editor at The Item who was instrumental in getting the foundation started.In future years, one of the 16 Agganis scholarships will be named for Cahill in the same manner as the one instituted for the late Mayor Patrick J. McManus two years ago.”Ed Cahill was there on Day One,” foundation president Ted Grant said. “He was instrumental in getting this off the ground.”Webster, while at St. Mary’s, excelled in both academics and athletics in large part because of his ability to balance every aspect of his life.”My football team adopted a phrase, ‘I am fifth,’ which was a set of priorities that went: God, family, school, team, then me. It helped me a lot as it demonstrated what was truly important in life,” said Webster.Webster finished his four years at St. Mary’s with a 3.7 GPA, and was a member of the National Honor Society.Webster was a four-year member of the Spartans varsity football team, and can certainly say he left his mark on the program. Webster was elected to the CCL all-star team twice, and also named to the Daily Item all-star team in 2010.Webster’s excellence in the classroom and on the field earned him the football team’s student-athlete of the year award twice. He was also selected to participate in the Agganis Football Classic, so even before receiving the scholarship, Webster was already associated with the Agganis name.Of his years at St. Mary’s, Webster had nothing but good memories.”High school meant a lot to me and I loved all four years I spent at St. Mary’s,” Webster said.He continued, “St. Mary’s developed me not only as a student but as a person. Everyone there knew who you were and was ready to help you with anything you needed whenever you needed it. I loved it at SMH and wouldn’t change a thing.”The freshman-to-be will arrive at “The Heights” in the fall with a plan in mind.”I am majoring in biology with the hopes of becoming a doctor,” said Webster. “I’ve always wanted to go to BC since I was a little kid and it was a great feeling getting accepted there. Everything about the school just fits, from the academics, to the sports teams, and the overall atmosphere.”With one dream scratched off the list, Webster should have no problems achieving his next goal.Since its inception in 1955, the Agganis Foundation has awarded $1,436,525 in scholarships to 845 student-athletes.