HHS named Katie Cocco and Mark Suminski students of the month for September. Cocco and Suminski are the first students to be chosen for the 2018-2019 school year.

Students are chosen for this prestigious award based off of outstanding academic achievement, notable leadership, and service to the community.

Cocco and Suminski are both unique students who stand out from the crowd. Cocco says what makes her stand out is her “genuine interest in others.”

“As a leader in the school, I strive to motivate my peers to the best of their abilities,” Cocco said.

In addition, Suminski said he stands out because of his strong desire to bring peace to the world, which is a constant motivator.

Both Cocco and Suminski have made incredible accomplishments so far in their high school career. Cocco says her proudest moment in high school was when she attended the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, where she won the leader of the week award out of 140 attendees.

“It was a great honor that I was not expecting. I was very happy to have had a positive influence on others,” Cocco said.

Suminski said his proudest moment in high school was mentoring high school and elementary school students.

Both Cocco and Suminski are strong leaders in HHS and in the Hershey community. They both spoke about the people who have inspired them to reach their full potential. Suminski’s role models are Martin Luther King Jr. and Admiral McRaven because of their “desires to bring peace to the world,” he said. He also said Muhammad Ali and Ashton Eaton inspire him because of their “unrelenting drive.”

Cocco’s role model is her brother.

“He has always inspired me due to his countless academic achievements. I hope to have the academic success that he has in college,” Cocco said.

Looking in the future, both students’ are bright. Cocco would like to study business, specifically finance, at a state school like Penn State University or University of Delaware.

Suminski said he is unsure what he would like to study, but is looking into subjects that help better understand humanity like history, peace studies, religion, or anthropology. He would like to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, Davidson University, University of Pennsylvania, or University of California, Berkeley. He says if he goes to a civilian school, he would like to enroll in ROTC.

Both students credit Hershey for their successes.

“Hershey has given me every opportunity to pursue any desire I have had,” Suminski said, “It’s allowed me to make great friendships, develop my character, and learn a whole lot.”