Sawyer Kline, who at Bellwood-Antis was known for doing ‘Dudes on Food’ podcast for BluePrint as well as his skills on the gridiron and diamond, has recently become Assistant District Attorney for Montgomery County.
Sawyer, a 2017 B-A grad, earned his undergrad in 2021 from Penn State Altoona, majoring in History with a minor in Political Science. He graduated in May 2024 from the University of Toledo College of Law in northwest Ohio.
“The idea that I am an attorney has not really even hit me yet and it has been a couple weeks. It’s a great achievement not just for me personally, but also for my family, whom I’ve relied on through the entire journey,” Sawyer said. “But truthfully, I still am struggling to process the idea that I’ve graduated law school, let alone that I’m finished with the Bar Exam.”
In order to become an attorney, one must pass the Bar, which is known for being pretty difficult. Some states have a pass rate as low as 30% and the typical rate is between 50% and 75%.
“You study from early May until the exam date in July. It sounds like a marathon, but the stress of it all makes it more like a sprint to the finish. The worst part is waiting until October to get your test results,” Sawyer added.
At B-A, Sawyer was an honors student who starred on the football field as a running back and linebacker. He also was a letter-winner for Mr. Conlon on the baseball team, playing catcher and pitching. Sawyer also spent time helping the BluePrint with its first real podcast called “Dudes on Food.”
The Dudes on Food podcast brings back fond memories for Sawyer.
“Working with Jake Hoover was fun, and it made 8th period study halls later in the week a blast,” he continued. Ultimately, the best part to him was coming up with a topic idea early in the week and diving into debate over it.
“Is a hot dog a sandwich or what is the best flavor Oreos. When you are asking light-hearted questions like that on something as relatable as food, it’s great to ask your fiends in the hallway and get it on camera,” he said.
The fond memories continue with the school district itself. In his entire time at Bellwood, he said that the teachers made the classes interesting. Sawyer wanted to get up and go to school, and that made discovering his favorite subjects and activities easy.
“Bellwood has really good academics and the staff was always supportive,” said Sawyer. A big part of receiving an education according to him is just getting in the seat and interacting with the subject matter.
BluePrint advisor Mr. Kerry Naylor, who also taught Sawyer in CHS debate, said it was his positive attitude that drove him the top of his class in Bellwood.
“I don’t think he ever had a bad day,” Mr. Naylor said. “Sawyer always had a smile on his face and his positive attitude uplifted everyone around him. His class in general was filled with some very nice people. It’s funny to look back now at the number of videos the BluePrint has produced and think that he really created our first podcast, and I think it still stands the test of time if you watch the episodes today, technological limitations notwithstanding.”
Sawyer now works in the District Attorney’s Office in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He’s assigned to the Pretrials Division, and primarily helps the Commonwealth’s criminal cases work through the court system. Other times he argues for probation and parole at detention hearings or Gagnons when a convicted defendant has violated the terms of early release.
The idea of being an attorney hasn’t really hit Sawyer yet, even in the couple of weeks since he’s been one.
“It’s a great achievement not just for me personally, but also for my family that I’ve relied on through the entire journey,” he said. “But truthfully, I still am struggling to process the idea that I’ve graduated law school, let alone that I’m finished with the bar exam.”
Sawyer hopes that one day he’ll be able to make a difference in the world, wanting everyone to individually live comfortable, happy lives.
“If that’s something I want, I think it’s a good goal to help others attain that too.”
