Spotlight on: Madison Marusic
February 2025 Senior Student of the Month
The Student Council decides monthly student and teacher awards with a specific category each month. The category for February 2025 was winter athlete for students and winter coach for teachers.
The Senior Student of the Month awards go to two seniors per month who are nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-11.
The High School Teacher of the Month award goes to one teacher per month who is nominated and voted on by Student Council members in grades 9-12. All Teachers of the Month become eligible to become Teacher of the Year in June.
The February 2025 Senior Students of the Month are Madison Marusic and Zack Petucci.
Read a Q&A with Madison Marusic below.
Q. What winter sport do you participate in?
A. Girls varsity basketball.
Q. How do you balance academics with your training and competition schedule?
A. I balance academics with my athletic schedule by staying organized and staying on top of all my assignments.
Q. What inspired you to pursue your winter sport?
A. I was inspired to pursue basketball this year because of my love for the game, and it was my fifth and final year I was able to play varsity basketball for Herkimer. In the beginning of the season, I was looking towards becoming the third girl at Herkimer to score 1,000 points. With all the love and support I was getting from my family, friends and community, especially youth basketball players, I was motivated to keep playing the best I could while making lifelong memories with my teammates.
Q. What is your most memorable moment in your sport this season?
A. My most memorable moments of this season were scoring 1,000 career points, setting a personal career high of 36 points in a game, making memories and having fun with my favorite teammates.
Q. Who do you look up to as a role model in your sport, and why?
A. I look up to my coaches because they always push me to be the best I can be. They’ve given me so many life lessons and advice that I take and use on and off the court.
Q. What values do you believe are important for being a successful athlete?
A. Some values that are important for being a successful athlete are dedication, discipline, a positive attitude and positive mindset.
Q. What is one lesson you’ve learned from participating in your sport that applies to other areas of your life?
A. A lesson I have learned is that you’re never going to be successful if you don’t put in the time and effort for what you’re working towards.
Q. What are your aspirations for the future related to your sport and academics?
A. My aspirations for the future are to play college basketball while studying to become a physical therapist.
Q. Is there anyone you would like to thank or acknowledge for supporting you in your athletic or academic journey?A. I would like to thank my coaches, parents, family and friends. They’ve always supported me throughout my whole athletic journey, and I wouldn’t be the player I am today without them.