Rocco Ferretti

Freshman year can be a tough time. Just keeping up with classes on top of meeting new people and finding new experiences is undoubtedly a challenge. Freshman Rocco Ferretti seemingly lives for these challenges.

As a hockey player, Rocco encountered a new challenge when the school’s hockey program decided to reduce its size by an entire team, making the competition for a spot on a team even tougher. Instead of being discouraged, Rocco saw this as an opportunity to prove to himself and future teammates that he belonged on the team.

“Rocco consistently gives 110% effort and is always supporting his team and everyone around him,” sophomore teammate Charlie Silver said. “He’s a stand up guy and is one of the friendliest and nicest people I know.”

The consensus of pretty much everyone close to Rocco is that he is a driven, hardworking individual who also places importance on connecting with people.

“Rocco is a great person on and off the ice,” sophomore teammate Charlie Haggerty said. “He shows leadership and has the passion and grind to be great at everything he does. He is a great friend and will do everything for you.”

Where summertime is usually a time to relax for many, without classes to take and textbooks to carry, one could argue that this is an even more difficult time for Rocco. He spent last summer working as a full-time employee of the Lake Bluff Park District as a Day Camp Counselor, working about 35 hours a week with small children.

Most incoming freshmen save their summer for free time, but for Rocco, time is money, time is an opportunity for improvement, and time is making an impact on his community.