Senior Thomas Gozdowiak has been very involved in GHS since his freshman year. He has been on Student Council for all four years of high school, the tennis team for three years, and just recently joined the Student Equity team this year. He represents dedication and the spirit of leadership and his involvement in the school’s clubs shows his commitment to Greendale.
In Student Council, Gozdowiak helps with organizing events like the Homecoming dance, advocating for other students and promoting school spirit. He has enjoyed his time making memories at GHS.
“I don’t think I have a specific favorite memory of high school. I’ve enjoyed everything, especially with the clubs I’ve joined,” said Gozdowiak. “I had the most fun when we decorated for Homecoming or for my junior Prom.”
Gozdowiak demonstrates leadership through his participation on the tennis team. He understands that trust and teamwork is key for success on the court.
“Joining tennis gave me so many opportunities to make new friends and try something new,” said Gozdowiak. “All my teammates get along and we motivate each other to get better.”
By being consistently positive he is able to uplift his teammates and push them to do better.
“I’ve been best friends with Tommy for almost my whole life and have played tennis with him since middle school. He knows how to lift everyone’s mood and keep us positive when we’re feeling down about how the team is doing,” senior Caden Hernandez.
A lot of students in their high school years find a teacher that they are able to lean on and connect with. Gozdowiak’s favorite teacher is Social Studies teacher Cheryl Kingma-Kiekhofer. He had her US Study class for both semesters of sophomore year.
“I absolutely love that he has passion about film and really into movies and it’s super awesome. Love how much he’s committed to that and has a creative spirit that drives him to do that and thinks deeply about it,” Kingma-Kiekhofer said. “I like that he has a very clear sense of style and I like that he’s a really critical thinker and has a good moral compass. I can tell very easily he’s a very supportive friend.”
Gozdowiak’s plan next fall is to attend UW Milwaukee and step into the film industry. He has always been interested in how movies were made and hopes to make his own one day.
“My plan right now is to go to UWM and major in film. I want to make movies, that’s always been my dream,” he said. “And if that doesn’t work then I’ll probably go into photography or something along the lines.”
In his fourth year of high school Gozdowiak has been able to learn a lot about himself. Looking back on his high school experience he has advice to offer to the underclassman.
“Do not let yourself hold back on anything. If there’s something you want to do? Do it. Embarrassed to dress up for a spirit day? Don’t be,” said Gozdowiak. “If I’m being honest, don’t care about what other people think, it sets you back a lot. Enjoy the moments you can. Make the most of everything,”
