Marissa B. is an incredibly selfless, and helpful person, and she uses her charitable persona to benefit people through activities such as the Students in Action homeroom. Marissa was born and raised in Wilmington, Delaware, and she went to Saint Mary Magdalene from kindergarten until eighth grade. When she was younger, Marissa participated in sports including softball and basketball. She previously played softball for Padua, and she currently participates on the Saint Mary Magdalene CYM basketball and volleyball teams. Marissa’s basketball team won the division championship this past year, and when she was asked how it felt to win the championship, Marissa stated, “A lot of people look at this win as not a big deal because it was just senior league, but to me it meant the world. My team and I worked hard for that title all year, and it felt really cool to have that goal fulfilled.“ Marissa also interns twice a week at the Jefferson’s awards office, participates in the Chinese Club at Padua, and she is a Student Ambassador. Marissa was always destined to go to Padua because all of the women in her family attended from her mom and sister to her cousins and aunts.

Being a part of the Students in Action team at Padua has influenced and changed her perspective of community service because she claims, “I always did the hours because they were required, but I really began to enjoy helping others at Pitcher and Basin this past summer. Through the experience I was not only able to enjoy the activities, but I was also able to feel the reward of seeing the end product, and feeling the pure joy and gratitude flow out of those we helped.” Even though Marissa is part of the Students in Action team, she is still a student. When asked what the most challenging part of junior year was, she thinks, “My junior year has definitely been the hardest for me academically. I struggled in classes I’d never had a problem with before.” Even though she had some difficulties, she manages to keep her grades up by keeping her priorities straight and focusing on what is most important to her.

Because Marissa will be graduating next year, she has started to think about college and her opportunities. Marissa wants to study communication, and she claims she wants to, “Continue to participate in intramural activities and serve my community, but my main focus will be getting my degree and bettering myself for a career in the field I love.” Marissa is very dedicated to her work, and she works hard to maintain good grades. Padua has changed and affected her life dramatically by forming eternal friendships, which continually impacted her positively. Marissa also claims, “I have grown so much in my faith, academically I have become a better student, and last but not least I’ve learned to have better self confidence and respect for myself.”