By Rachel Kelly | Photo by Cora Reuter Photography
Brendan Masini, Senior Gig Harbor High School
Brendan Masini has lived in New York, Texas, Colorado and, lastly, Washington. His parents, his “little” brother of 6’7” Michael, and his younger sister Caroline have moved a few times in support of Brendan’s dad, who serves as an Active Duty Officer for the US Army. In 2019, for Brendan’s freshman year, the family moved to Gig Harbor, where he began to attend Gig Harbor High School.
“My mom has always encouraged us to ‘bloom where we are planted,’” says Brendan. And bloom he has. With those encouraging words to spur him, and with an outlook of abundance, he has grown to be successful in all that interests him.
With each move, his parents have modeled for him and encouraged him to get involved in his community through not just school but through volunteering and sports. He has done that, with involvement throughout high school in student leadership. He has served as student body co-president and become a member of the National Honor Society. In the community, he has achieved Eagle Scout through the Boy Scouts, which is an achievement that represents hours and hours of learning and community service. This is his senior year, and he plays varsity football and baseball. His favorite subjects include math and science, which allow him to find quantifiable solutions to problems with evidence to back it up. He’s a straight-A student.
Throughout his academic career, Brendan has been encouraged by different teachers. Mrs. Kenya Houston, his AP language and composition teacher, has been especially impactful on his education. She has helped him to become a better writer, which has positively impacted all his other subjects, and he feels as if he’s learned a lot. Looking forward, Brendan is inspired by his dad, who serves as an orthopedic surgeon trained in sports medicine. Watching him work has been rewarding for Brendan. Because of that inspiration he is considering going into the medical field. To do so, he has goals of going to college, and hopes to get a scholarship to play baseball at the school of his choice. He is currently reaching out to schools and coaches to see what opportunities might be open to him.
Until then, he will spend his year not just focusing on academics but snowboarding and wake-surfing in his spare time. Thankfully, there’s lots of water and snow in Washington!