#POTW Senior Spotlight: Alyssa Massucci, Howland High School

Each week, #SpanningtheNeed will present an “Inspirational Person of the Week’ and have a “Q & A” with one of its many gifted individuals and/or groups who are willing to go out of their own way to help others.

As the spring season blooms with vibrant colors and the promise of new beginnings, it’s a time of celebration for many communities. Among the myriad of joyous occasions, one particularly special event stands out – the graduation of high school seniors. This year, as we bid farewell, our local area high schools are taking a step further and Spanning the Need is honoring and spotlighting the achievements of these bright young minds. This week’s featured is Alyssa Massucci from Howland High School.

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Name: Alyssa Massucci
School: Howland High School
Class: 2024
GPA: 4.3

Bio
Alyssa Massucci is a senior at Howland High School. Anyone who knows her understands her passion for sports. She is a three sport athlete playing softball, basketball, and volleyball. From a young age, Alyssa aspired to play college softball. Her parents embraced the life lessons that she would learn through sports and can honestly say that her experiences on the field and on the court have helped to shape her future. She learned so many life skills through sports such as how life isn’t always fair, that hard work pays off, and that amazing things can happen when you understand your role as a part of a team. Most importantly, Alyssa has learned how to lose gracefully, reflect on her mistakes, and figure out how to improve the next time. She believes these valuable life lessons and her journey thus far has molded her into the person she is today.

What are your plans after graduation?
Once I committed to playing softball at Slippery Rock University, I was relieved that my opportunities to compete would continue as I couldn’t imagine my life without sports. I knew that I wanted to integrate sports into my career goals. I always dreamed of becoming a teacher because I volunteered for years in my mother’s kindergarten classroom. However, it was the day I went to gym class with her students that I realized that being a physical education teacher would be like doing what I love and calling it work! I am confident that I can pay it forward to young athletes by instilling in them the numerous life lessons in which I have learned.

What is your favorite class?
It is difficult for me to choose a favorite class since I love all of the subjects. However, I especially loved classes like health, physical education, and science since so much of the learning was hands-on. I have had amazing teachers at Howland who have inspired me to become the kind of teacher who strives to make a difference in the lives of my students.

What accomplishments during your high school journey are you most proud of, and how do you feel they have shaped you as an individual?
The accomplishments during my high school journey that I am most proud of are in basketball and softball. I have cherished memories of playing my favorite sports year around as a child and this played a huge role in preparing me for my future. My family produced athletes and I had huge shoes to fill being the youngest of three. My brothers, parents, and grandparents inspired me to put in the hard work necessary to play softball at the collegiate level. I had the unique opportunity to grow and learn with an incredible group of friends and fellow athletes at Howland and all of us agreed that being a great person was just as important as being an outstanding athlete. I take pride in my relationships with my coaches and teammates that have invested in me to become the best possible version of myself.

Beyond academics, what extracurricular activities, volunteering in the community or passions have played a crucial role in your high school life, and how have they influenced your future goals?
Beyond academics and athletics, I also served all four years on the student senate and the pep club at Howland High School. I loved volunteering for Howland youth basketball and volleyball camps and I found it important to serve as a role model for younger athletes. I was humbled by serving meals at St. Vincent DePaul in Warren and I find joy in reaching out to those in need in my community. I also volunteered for some Down Syndrome Buddy Walks and their bicycle safety program which allowed me to work with special needs children in my community. These experiences all helped to lead me to my career choice in teaching.

What is the most memorable moment in your scholastic career?
I feel like my most memorable moment in my scholastic career will be the day I am awarded my summa cum laude diploma as a reward for all my hard work in my studies. I completed eleven college credit classes earning A’s in all of them while in high school. I am excited to be taking classes in my major my first semester at Slippery Rock University.

As you reflect on your time in high school, is there a teacher or mentor who made a lasting impression on you? What made their impact so meaningful?
My greatest mentors were my parents because they were absolutely selfless in helping me achieve my goals and dreams. We traveled year round playing travel sports and they always made sure I had everything I needed to succeed. I am forever grateful for my entire family who were always there cheering me on and supporting me. My brothers, Michael and Anthony, were huge influences in my life when I was growing up and I supported them in all their accomplishments. As the youngest sibling, it came around full circle as they both mentored and supported me in all of my athletic and academic achievements.

Do you play a sport and if so, what is your favorite sports related movie?
My favorite all time sports related movie is “The Sandlot.”  My brothers and I watched it repeatedly in the car on every family vacation.

What song best describes you or is the soundtrack to your life?
As far as my all time favorite song that could be a soundtrack for my life it would be “Five More Minutes” by Scotty McCreery. I have cherished all the amazing moments with my friends and teammates during my high school journey. I was reminded of this song at the end of our last basketball game because we all just wished for five more minutes!

Do you have a field of study already chosen when you go to college? Why that field?
Anyone who knows me is not surprised that I have chosen to teach health and physical education. I have been around sports my entire life and focusing on my own health and fitness is very important to me. I would also like to teach weight training and stretching classes. I see myself coaching softball, basketball, or volleyball. I think it’s important to choose a field that I will really like and I believe I will find joy encouraging children to embrace health and fitness throughout their lives.

Who is your role model?
I believe that there are no greater role models than my parents and my family. From a young age, I was taught and modeled how important it is to work hard to achieve my goals. Being second best because I didn’t put in the work to be my best was never an option for me. The work ethic instilled in me through my family will benefit me someday in the workplace.

If there was one person you would want to meet, past or present, who would it be and why?
If I could meet one person it would be the most influential person who ever lived and that would be Jesus. He is the person who I know is there for me unconditionally in good and bad times in my life. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

A favorite quote by which you live.
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.  Proverbs 16:3