Luke Pelletier

Practice Makes Perfection

Giving whatever it takes to achieve the goal.

A naturally gifted student and athlete, success always came easy for Luke Pelletier. But winning became more challenging in high school. Luke realized if he wanted to continue to be one of the best on the field and in the classroom, he was going to have to work harder than ever before. “Although I was challenged, I learned that there is a key relationship between hardship and personal growth,” Luke says. Relentless practice and countless hours with the books led to being ranked one of the top 100 kickers in the country, earning straight As junior year, and achieving an impressive score of 1560 on the SAT. In fact, Luke performed so well on the test that Schoolhouse.world offered him the opportunity to run a SAT Math Bootcamp for other high school students around the country. The experience reinforced Luke’s commitment to putting in the effort to succeed. “That SAT Bootcamp experience really changed me,” he says. “I was able to see that working hard and applying my talents not only could help me, but could help others as well.”

In the spirit of supporting his peers, Luke agreed to join his varsity soccer team as a practice player his junior year. He would not get game time, but he would have the opportunity to train with the very talented senior players, support the team, and pitch in to help in any way he could. When a spot on the roster opened up midseason, Luke was given the opportunity to play, score his first varsity goal, and ultimately be part of the team’s state championship win. “I had earned the spot with my attitude and worth ethic,” Luke says. “I learned when you work with heart and drive to do something positive, the possibilities are endless.”

Luke’s many volunteer endeavors is a testimate of all that is possible with the right effort and attitude. Whether he’s mentoring other students, helping out in the food pantry, singing during Mass, or organizing students to clean and maintain his class’s Adopt-a-Spot section of local roadside, Luke is always enthusiastic about leaving the community better than he found it. He believes he gets as much, if not more he gives from the experiences. “Volunteerism has made me thankful for the gifts I have and allowed me to understand that happiness is about helping others,” he says. “I am even more thankful now for my own gifts, and also motivated to share those gifts with others.”