MCHS Student lives and Breathes Soccer

Matt Wickersham, 17, Minooka Community High School Senior

If it’s not school work Matt Wickersham is engrossed in, it’s soccer. 

Soccer in the morning. Soccer in the afternoon. And soccer in the evening. Oh and add weekends in there too. Soccer pretty much takes up Wickersham’s life right now.

“Soccer takes up a lot of my time,” said Wickersham, who is the goal keeper and captain for the Boys' Soccer Team. “I have been playing soccer for about 12 years; since I was five years old.”

Wickersham, a resident of , said he makes his Mom nervous when he plays.

“My mom has to look away and close her eyes when the ball is kicked to me,” Wickersham said.

When he is not playing soccer, he is coaching it. He coaches a team of six through eight-year-olds in the Three Rivers Cheetah Soccer Club in Minooka. 

“Hopefully I will play in college,” Wickersham said.

However, amidst his soccer games, practices and coaching, Wickersham was named the Channahon-Minooka Rotary Club’s September “Student of the Month.”

“I was surprised because I didn’t think I would receive the recognition, let alone be the first one,” Wickersham said.

The recognition was based on academic achievements, grades and community service. It will allow Wickersham to apply for scholarships through the Rotary Club later in the school year.

In the classroom, Wickersham maintains a 4.7 GPA. This qualifies him to participate as President of the National Honor Society and as a member of the Spanish National Honor Society. He has also been recognized as an A.P. Scholar and as a member of the SPC All-Conference Scholastic Bowl and Speech teams.

Wickersham will also become a member of WISE, a Math and Science Club this school year. 

While he is undecided on a school, Wickersham plans to attend college and double-major in chemical engineering and education. Some of the schools he is considering are MIT, University of Minnesota and Stanford.

Two days a week, Wickersham tutors at the

“It helps me prepare for teaching,” said Wickersham, who wants to become a high school teacher or college professor.

But first he is going to focus on the chemical engineering career. Math and Science are Wickersham’s strongest’s subjects. He wants to work as a chemical or environmental engineer and than continue on for a Master’s in Education.

Wickersham credits his English teachers Jen Gabel and Nancy Lehman as two individuals who are a major influence in his studies and career choice.

“They can really teach a class,” Wickersham said. “They can see that kids are understanding and want to learn.”

In the little bit a free time Wickersham has, he volunteers at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet. He said he enjoys being with his family and friends. 

Wickersham likes to travel. It is an advantage when his Mom works for a major airline. 

Last summer, he participated in an exchange program in Spain. For two weeks he stayed with a family in Spain. The student, who he stayed with than returned to the United States and lived with the Wickersham Family for two weeks.

During his freshman year, Wickersham and his family traveled to Australia. One day he would like to travel to South America. Perhaps even have an engineering career there.

“As a kid I was obsessed with kangaroos, so when we were in Australia we went to a petting zoo where there were kangaroos and koala bears,” Wickersham said. “I really want to go to South America. I know the language and I could work internationally.”

Putting all the serious stuff aside for a moment, one would never think that Wickersham would one day love to meet actress and Saturday Night Live star Tina Fey.