Spotlight on: Zack Petucci
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 Zack Petucci below.
Q. What winter sport do you participate in?
A. Basketball.
Q. How do you balance academics with your training and competition schedule?
A. Every Sunday night, I will organize and create my weekly schedule that has what days I have workouts, practices and games. Doing this helps me be very efficient and effective with my time to manage as well as get better both on the court and in the classroom.
Q. What inspired you to pursue your winter sport?
A. What inspired me to play my winter sport is my love and passion for the game of basketball. The game of basketball has been one of the biggest pieces of my life since I was young, and since I’ve always had dreams of playing collegiately as well as professionally, so the love for the game and drive to become the best player possible is what inspires me to pursue the game of basketball.
Q. What is your most memorable moment in your sport this season?
A. The most memorable moment in my sports season this year was scoring my 1,000th point at the Nexus Center. Seeing all of my family, friends and peers who came took the time to be in attendance and support me in accomplishing a big milestone and how much it meant to them was very special.
Q. Who do you look up to as a role model in your sport, and why?
A. In my sport, I look up to Kobe Bryant and his undying passion to find any way to get better. I would definitely say his work ethic and mindset are what inspired me to have the same.
Q. What values do you believe are important for being a successful athlete?
A. I think the values that are most important to being a successful athlete are work ethic and discipline. No matter the skill set or intangibles of an athlete, if they have the willingness to push themselves to become the best they can be and the discipline to stick to their workout plan, dieting and taking care of their body, etc., the sky’s the limit.
Q. What is one lesson you’ve learned from participating in your sport that applies to other areas of your life?
A. One lesson I’ve learned from participating in my sport is everything happens for a reason. Going back to freshman year, being a freshman on varsity and not being on the floor nearly as much as I’d hoped to be, I really flipped a switch in me to work the hardest I ever have to get more playing time and become the player I know I am capable of and the player I am today.
Q. What are your aspirations for the future related to your sport and academics?
A. I will be attending Utica University to play D3 basketball and pursue a career in exercise science. After college, I hope to play professionally somewhere, and when my playing career comes to an end, I aspire to either open my own personal training practice or work for one.
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 family and friends for being the best support system I could ask for. I would also like to thank all of my coaches and teammates I’ve had throughout my career for pushing me to become the player and person I am today as well as making my high school sports career the most memorable it could be.