Congratulations to the 2017 I WILL WAIT FOR YOU: The Rick Salmastrelli Scholarship winner, Mark Turkowski!
With a 3.42 GPA, volunteer at the Lawrence High School student store, and an active member of DECA, Mark demonstrates the true definition of a team player. As a varsity basketball member and captain of the varsity lacrosse team, Mark embodied the true values of Rick Salmastrelli in this quote:
My absolute favorite memory as an Lawrence High School athlete [was] on May 11th of this year…It was my senior year and I wasn’t playing due to a season ending knee injury.
To us, it truly is impressive when an athlete selects his favorite memory to be one that he isn’t even on the field for.
Mark excelled in sports, especially at the game of lacrosse. Joining the varsity squad his freshman year, Mark worked hard and challenged himself to be the best he could be on that field, but nothing prepared him for an injury that cut his high school career short. The year, senior year, that is suppose to be the most glorious for any high school athlete, hit Mark with a ton of bricks when he tore his ACL and meniscus before the season even started. A devastating injury for anyone, Mark took it in stride and figured out how to contribute to his team in any way and all ways he could. He wasn’t going to let this get him or his teammates down!
Mark stated, “I have always believed that the assist was just as important as the goal,” a line my father often used with me during my high school sports career. Mark truly practiced what he preached and everyone noticed. From his teammates to his coaches and teachers, all recognized the might, strength, and compelling character Mark exemplifies. One teacher described Mark as “dynamic, forceful, energetic and [a] well respected leader,” while Coach Brennan, his Lawrence High School Lacrosse Coach, gave Mark the ultimate compliment when saying that, “Mark became a ‘player-coach.’ He was able to help his teammates by correcting mistakes and noticing things I may have missed.”
This hardworking and driven young man will attend Misericordia University in the fall. Congratulations, Mark, we are all big fans and cannot wait to see what you do in the next four years as a college athlete!
Tina Salmastrelli and Mark Turkowski
Tina Salmastrelli and the Turkowski Family