Senior Cece Zuniga has been involved in school activities for years, but this year, she added two new leadership roles: co-drum major of the Pride of Metuchen marching band and co-captain of the Metuchen varsity tennis team.
Zuniga is one of three drum majors leading the marching band throughout their competitions this season. Metuchen High School students were able to see her conducting skills at the pep rally in September. She first decided to join the marching band to meet new people before school started. Zuniga felt it was important to have a sense of community where everyone is friends. Her commitment also is inspired by her brother’s experience and her love of music. As to being a leader, the senior thinks it is important to make sure everyone feels welcome. Each band member creates the sound and Zuniga shares that any disconnection can jeopardize their show. Zuniga made it her goal to learn everyone's name in the band. Mr. Messenger talks about this hierarchy: teachers, majors, section leaders, then everyone else. Using this idea, she knows how important her role as a drum major is.
Every day, Zuniga writes one good thing about the day in a journal; that way, she never forgets the little things.
She has also been a part of the MHS tennis team throughout her high school career. Along with two other seniors, Zuniga is a captain of the varsity tennis team, leading the team through both triumphs and devastating losses. Her positive attitude and sportsmanship inspire all team members to play at their best. In the past, Zuniga felt like Varsity and the upperclassmen were always removed, so she made it her goal to be friendly with the entire team. Zuniga saw this as a problem because everyone was basically the same age. With the pandemic, she didn’t know the freshmen and she knew this was a problem.
Overall, the team is very positive, and Coach Thomas wants the team to have as much fun while playing their sport. On a personal level, Zuniga has reached a place in her tennis career where she feels like she is having the most fun. When she was an underclassman, she was constantly working hard and worrying. Zuniga was able to grow and continue to have fun with her friends. Being a senior, Zuniga is going to miss the team. After a long stressful day, Zuniga says, “I just get silly” at practice. She feels like this after-school practice is a way for her to decompress. Not only will she miss the team, but she will also miss Coach Thomas’ sense of humor and sensitivity to each individual player.
As a talented musician, she loved being a part of the fall and spring musicals in the past, but this fall, she decided to take time off due to her new responsibilities. Zuniga thought it was difficult to adjust to the new COVID protocols. While it was fun to go to school to film the scenes, she thought the recorded performance was harder as it created an unneeded safety net. The senior performed in The Wedding Singer as a freshman and served as a crew member for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Zuniga remarks, “Paying my respects to the crew!” Before the pandemic, she was one of the sorority girls in Legally Blonde. When asked about her role model, she spoke about her grandmother, who survived many tough situations. She spoke about how her grandma inspires her to be more resilient and passionate. Zuniga learned to never take a day, or moment, for granted. Every day, Zuniga writes one good thing about the day in a journal; that way, she never forgets the little things. Her advice to any underclassmen would be to enjoy this time because it doesn’t come back. And did I mention that Zuniga is a fantastic student? She enjoys her history and English classes, noting APUSH as a particular favorite. She loves to learn about politics through reading books and listening to podcasts. Zuniga wants to continue her education in a liberal arts college, where she can major in something related to social sciences. Overall, Zuniga says, “I just want to make a difference.” With her poise and energy, Zuniga is sure to continue impacting those around her.
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