SAUGATUCK, Mich. — The next Meijer Scholar Athlete of the week is not only a great student-athlete, but a leader amongst his peers.
Saguatuck High School student Matthew Hartgerink plays three sports for the Trailblazers - football, basketball and baseball.
He is a captain on his teams.
Outside of athletics, Hartgerink is involved with the school's Interact Club, which helps the community through volunteering and fundraising.
He is also the treasurer of the National Honor Society with a 4.2 GPA, which is good enough to have him ranked sixth in his class.
Hartgerink says being a good student-athlete comes down to being determined to complete your schoolwork.
"My parents have preached this to me since I was a kid just working hard in the classroom," Hartgerink said. "Make sure I get my studies done first. Just working out for sports as well. Just growing up I put school first and just made sure that is a priority in my life. Just work hard. You have to put school first because if you don't maintain good grades and stuff like that, you won't be able to play. Just make sure you have a good schedule. You get done with practice, you go home, take a shower, eat food and get right on your homework. It is pretty easy to go sit on your phone for two hours and forget about your homework. You just have to make sure you get that stuff done first."
Hartgerink hopes to make his college decision soon. He's got it narrowed down to Michigan State, Indiana and Georgia. He aims to study business.
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