Serving on the Honor Council has also been a large part of Max’s Shorecrest story. He was selected to serve at the end of his freshman year and rose in the ranks to President his senior year. Max says, “Having a student voice on it makes a difference when you have a student in front of the Honor Council. There are challenging times, but [the experience] made me better as a person.”
Like in his project work and course of study, Max’s appreciation for stories served him well with the Honor Council. “It made me think about what would I do in that position? How does this person feel?” Max recalls. “But also balancing that with the fact that the person coming in front of the Council did cheat or did plagiarize, and kind of finding that balance for fairness.”
According to Kathy Sessions, Dean of Students, “He was always very mature, insightful, and willing to share his opinion even if it was not the most popular among his peers. He believed that doing the right thing was the only option for him in all situations.”
Max’s story would be incomplete without mention of his time on the Shorecrest swim team. “It is one of the best experiences I had at Shorecrest,” he insists. Along with allowing him to quickly make friends as a transfer student, Max says that joining the swim team taught him perseverance, determination and the value of hard work. “Especially from my coach, Coach Patti [Nardozzi].”
History teacher Ron Heller is another name that makes a big appearance in Max’s story. “He’s someone who cares so much about his students and was always there for me,” says Max. “When I got the Valedictorian bowl he was the first one to come up to me, he had tears in his eyes when he hugged me.”
Named Top Scholar freshman, sophomore and junior years, Max was a National Merit Finalist his senior year and Valedictorian of the Class of 2017. He will attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a
Morehead Cain Scholar - a prestigious honor that offers a full tuition scholarship and participation in extensive leadership opportunities both on and off campus.
Asked for a word of advice for the rising senior class at Shorecrest, Max says, “Even though senior year and applying to colleges is stressful and busy, enjoy the time you have here. The Shorecrest community and the things that we do are special.”
He continues, ”Whether it's through a sport or your senior Homecoming, or all the opportunities you get as a senior at Shorecrest, do things with your class and really appreciate that you're never going to find something like Shorecrest again.”