Celebrations

Building relationships has always been important to Marco L. ’23. As captain of the football team, he’s learned that developing organic relationships with his teammates makes him a more effective leader. 

“Through the game of football, I’ve learned that the greatest feeling in life is not so much winning and working out, it's the connections and bonds you make,” Marco says. 

Marco started at Hun during his sophomore year, in the fall of 2020. Hun was operating a hybrid schedule and he opted to study fully virtually, which made it a bit more challenging to connect with the community. He credits his advisor, Mr. McGinly, and his teachers – especially Mrs. Garrison during his sophomore English class –  for encouraging connection over Zoom.

“We were virtual, which was tough, but she had a great system for allowing us to talk about books” Marco remembers. “I actually felt really comfortable calling out on Zoom about Dante's ‘Inferno,’ which is a book I would have never read on my own.”

As he transitioned back to in-person learning, Marco got to know his teammates both on and off the field, and continued working to earn their trust and respect as captain. 

“I don’t have any brothers, so this game has helped me develop a brotherhood, and I’m blessed to know these guys,” Marco said. One teammate turned friend is Michael Gavin, who was diagnosed with brain cancer in the summer before his freshman year at The University of Pennsylvania. Marco says his friendship with Michael has been a reminder that there’s more to life than just winning and losing.

“It’s bigger than football, it’s the relationships. The greatest feeling in the world is when you walk in a huddle and the ten guys you see all believe in you. They believe in you because of what you suffered through together,” Marco says. “Those guys, I just love them to death.”

Next year, he will matriculate at the University of Iowa and play football. He shadowed a physical therapist for his Capstone, and is interested in exploring that field more. He is absolutely not looking forward to being far away from good pizza and bagels. 

Marco knows that he has a lot to accomplish in Iowa next year, and he is excited to work hard and prove that he can be a good teammate and leader. It’s the same advice he has for future Hun students: “Find a goal, and do whatever means necessary to accomplish it.”