TU: Scholar Athlete: Sandalwood’s Matthew Mick

Link to article: http://jacksonville.com/sports/high-schools/2017-06-25/tu-scholar-athlete-sandalwood-s-matthew-mick

Matthew Mick broke six school swimming records over his last three years of high school, including four during his senior season.

Records in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events fell, as did the school mark in the 200 free relay. He qualified for regionals all four years, and athletic director Leslie Guzzone said that Mick loved the sport so much that he spent some of his service hours teaching others how to swim.

In addition to teaching people how to swim, Mick was a regular at Fort Caroline Athletic Association offering assistance wherever he could. Not only was Mick starring in the pool lanes, he was starring in the classroom as well.

He earned his associate in arts degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville while dual enrolled, and finished No. 2 in Sandalwood’s graduating class of 579 students. His 4.79 weighted GPA earned Mick salutatorian honors.

MATTHEW MICK, SANDALWOOD

Parents: Robert and Rhonda Mick

College choice: University of West Florida

Intended field: Software Engineering

IN HIS WORDS

Greatest lesson learned in high school: “Be your own support and motivation. Your friends will come and go, your parents won’t be there to wake you up and remind you to go to work every morning. Take some initiative and motivate yourself to do what you have to do and what you want to do, you’ll get further that way.”

Greatest high school memory: “My greatest high school memories by far are the ones I made at districts, regionals and states senior year. I was surrounded by my most genuine friends competing and swimming the best I ever had. It’s definitely a time that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Greatest achievement in sports: “My greatest achievement in sport is seeding second for states in the 50 freestyle and placing at states with my relay in the 200 Free.”

Greatest achievement outside of sports: “Being salutatorian of my graduating class.”

Greatest challenge facing his generation: “The everyone-is-a-winner mentality. Everyone loses in life whether it be losing a race or failing a test or not getting a job, you’re gonna lose here and there. Everyone is not a winner and that’s just a part of life. Losers become winners because they want the bigger trophy bad enough. How you deal with loss and how you bounce back is what separates the real winners from the losers in the world and I think that’s more important than giving everyone a trophy after a T-ball game.”

Athlete he most admires: “Michael Phelps, obviously. He’s the greatest swimmer of all time.”

Person he most admires: “My mom. I know that’s kind of a typical answer, but she really is my biggest supporter and greatest motivator.”

Dream job: “To be a game developer at Bethesda Softworks.”

In 10 years he will be: “If all goes according to plan, someone influential working at Bethesda Softworks making the next Elder Scrolls Game!”