Gocsik's hard work pays off

NORWALK — This was never the goal. But St. Paul High School senior Samantha Gocsik approached each day in the classroom with one mindset. "I always try to put my all in everything I do," Gocsik said. "I know if I do that, my hard work will pay off, no matter what result it brings." That result is a grade-point average of 4.28, good enough to earn Gocsik valedictorian for the Class of 2025. Commencement at St. Paul is on May 25. "It wasn't necessarily ever a goal, but I could see my grades getting higher, and I knew I had this opportunity," Gocsik said. "I believed in myself and trusted that if I put in the work, this was a possibility. "I'm really fortunate to reach this achievement. I had a lot of great teachers that have helped me get here and a great support group. That really plays a big role." Adding to the honor, Gocsik's father, Mike, is retiring as the principal at St. Paul High School at the end of the current school year. He got to deliver the news to his daughter. "It's definitely a little surreal," she said. "My dad was the one who told me, so it made it a little more special. I've been thinking about how I'm finishing my senior year. All the time I've spent in math, science, and those late nights or difficult assignments all had their purpose. "Those struggles that came with them paid off in the end." During her time at SPH, Gocsik has been class and student council president, class representative for the Firelands Leadership Conference, and has been elected to the National Honor Society. She earned the Academic ACE and Leadership by Example awards and has been the Kiwanis Student of the Month. In the church, Gocsik has been on the Liturgical Minister leadership team, was a Eucharistic Minister, and was a member of the Kairos team. Gocsik also excelled in athletics for the Flyers, earning 11 varsity letters in golf, swimming, and competition cheerleading. In golf, she was a two-time captain and held the team's low average. In the pool, she was also a captain and helped the 400-meter freestyle relay set a program record in the event this past winter. She was also a captain in cheer, helping the competition Flyers to their first-ever OASSA state championships in February. "Athletics really helped with the leadership aspect and to stay driven," Gocsik said. "It taught me to keep going when things are difficult. A lot of those lessons carry over to schoolwork. It may be difficult now, but this is worth it. "The swim records and the state championships, that hard work paid off. We earned those through trials and difficulties. Earning valedictorian was the same way. It was hard along the way, but in the end I'm lucky to have this." SPH teacher and head cheer coach Katie Weisenberger had Gocsik as both a student and in football sideline cheer as well as the competition team. Weisenberger said she was impressed with the way Gocsik balanced golf and football cheer, as well as swimming and competition cheer. "She never complained," Weisenberger said. "She showed up ready to give 100 percent, even if she had just swam for two hours right before our two-hour practices began. Once she started something, Sam was dedicated and driven to excel. In the classroom, Sam always puts in the same dedication." Further, Gocsik was always putting in full effort into assignments, athletics, and various groups. "She never took her foot off the gas and made the high school experience look easy, even though she was putting hours into everything behind the scenes," Weisenberger said. "I can't wait to watch her achieve her dreams." Gocsik will attend Ohio State University as a biology major for pre-optometry. She was motivated to enter optometry, having grown up around the medical field her entire life because of her mother, Dr. Rebecca Ware. "I feel called to optometry because I've also had eye issues," she said. "Being able to help others with similar struggles is something I really want to do." As for her speech to her graduating classmates, Gocsik said it will be a mix of memories with some entertainment. "Just about all the things we've done and how we've helped each other get through," she said. "Nothing was alone. We were a community together. It's about finding what makes you happy and finding the people and things that will lead you to that happiness."