Senior Spotlight: Nico Summaria

Nico Summaria brings a love of the outdoors and a passion for playing lacrosse to his daily activities, and he finds time for both while working at his family’s business and spending time with friends.

The son of Gino and Maryann, Summaria works at , while preparing himself for a career in environmental science. The family also owns  salon.

As he enters his senior year at , his goal is to prepare himself for a career as a wildlife game commissioner—he readily admits he has been attracted to the outdoors his entire life.

He is hoping to find a college or university that can prepare him for his chosen career, while also affording him the opportunity to play lacrosse.

Summaria took time to talk about his two favorite topics in an interview with us.

EB: So how did you decide to want to be a game commissioner?

NS: I have always been attracted to wildlife and nature as long as I can remember. I had the chance to shadow a game commissioner and knew that’s what I wanted to be. My friends may want to go see a movie, but I’d much rather be out by the river or in the woods. I’ve always wanted to be around animals and wildlife.

EB: What can we learn from nature?

NS: Before technology and everything existed, people had to rely on nature to survive. Without nature there is no technology or video games. There’s so much more to it than people know. People may say, ‘Oh, that’s just a fish,’ but you can see up close what a fish does or how a fish lives. Nature opens your eyes to a whole new world underneath the water or deep in the woods.

EB: How did you get involved in lacrosse?

NS: I’ve been playing since the fifth grade. It’s something that is just part of my family’s tradition. I have five cousins that played lacrosse and they were all top scorers at Peters Township through history. I’m an attack man and I guess it was just expected that I try to follow their tradition. I honestly love it more than any other sport I’ve ever played.

EB: What are your hopes for your team in your senior year?

NS: Being with this group of guys since the fifth grade, I want us to win the WPIAL championship, but I also want to prove that Peters Township is advancing itself and making itself so much better. Historically, we haven’t been the best team, but we’re beginning to prove ourselves as an elite team in the region.

EB: What do you enjoy most about your life at Peters Township High School?

NS: I think it’s just the friendships that I have had and have grown up with. I’m proud to say that I have been with my friends for a very long time.

School is almost back in session, and we've decided to bring back the Whiz Kid feature! Would you like to nominate someone?

Also, check out last week's interview with .

Photo Credit: Dana Scheller of Scheller Image and Design