Outgoing, hard-working and intelligent. These are the qualities that colleges and universities are looking for in today’s students, however, because of how competitive the collegiate race has become today, many kids take on more than they can handle and don’t make good on their promises to stay involved in their extracurriculars, clubs and sports. However, one example of a student who is defeating this stereotype is Mark Zajac. Zajac is a senior at Plant who is involved in a multitude of extracurriculars both in and out of the Plant community.
Some instances of Zajac’s involvement in the Tampa and Plant community include being a board member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club, Youth Leader at New Life Ministries MERGE, board member for the First Priority club and a member of the Plant High soccer team.
Despite his numerous leadership positions in these clubs, Zajac does not just use these clubs to bring his college applications to the next level; he cares about improving and leading these clubs.
When Callan Nelson (12), was asked about what stands out about Zajac, Nelson said, “Mark leads by example. He doesn’t just talk about doing the right thing, he lives it, and every day he reminds me that being a good person isn’t about being perfect but about always trying to do better.”
Additionally, when Nelson was asked what impact Zajac has had on his life, he said, “Mark is always supportive, it’s like he has a calm, funny energy around him, especially when I’m stressed or second guessing myself, he reminds me to stay confident and keep going.”
But why does he do all of this? What motivators have influenced Zajac to be so involved in these clubs and extracurriculars?
When asked why he became so motivated to get involved in these clubs, Zajac said, “I have just always have had the passion for it and I wanted to join clubs that extenuated my core values as a person.”
When Zajac was asked why he plays soccer, he said, “Well I’ve played soccer my whole life, I’ve always enjoyed it and had fun playing, so it made sense for me to want to continue that experience here at Plant.”
When Zajac’s AP Latin teacher, John Henson was asked about his impression of Zajac is, he said, “Mark is a mildly intelligent student and is active in class, but it can be hard to get him to focus sometimes.”
However, when Zajac is not playing soccer or at school, his main hobbies include going to the gym at the YMCA and playing golf with his friends.
When Emma Brown (11) was asked about how she knows Mark and what stands out about him, Brown said, “I know him from the First Priority club at Plant and when I noticed him, I immediately noticed how welcoming and fun he was to talk to.”
When asked what one piece of advice he would give to students at Plant, Zajac said, “Just don’t care about what people think about you, try new things and just put yourself out there.”
