May 30, 2007 By Rob Burchianti 5 min read

Pasquale always going the extra mile It always seems that athletes dream about being music stars and music stars dream about being athletes.

Then there is Marissa Pasquale who is both of those, and a whole lot more, while also ranking at the top of her high school class with an almost unbelievable grade point average of 4.517 on a 4.0 scale.

Pasquale played four years of volleyball and softball, and two years of basketball at Frazier. The 18-year-old senior also was president of the National Honor Society and editor of her school’s yearbook and newspaper. She was treasurer and clarinet section leader of the marching band, was a member of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and served on student council.

Even with that full plate of activities, Pasquale has found time to perform in a local, all-girls country band called “Girls in Black Hats.”

“We’ve been playing around here going on about two years now,” Pasquale said. “We’ve done a couple benefit shows for burn victims and a quad accident victim, too.”

Pasquale showed she has the same knack for music that she does in athletics and academics by learning the drums to help her band. “We really needed a drummer, so I started taking lessons from another local drummer, and I’m still doing it,” Pasquale said.

Pasquale prefers to go the extra mile whenever possible.

She is an active member of the Perryopolis United Methodist Church.

She usually goes Christmas caroling with the church during the holiday season. She accompanied the NHS on a visit to a local nursing home, and was one of several NHS members who wrote responses to letters that children sent to Santa Claus.

Pasquale’s impressive resume resulted in her being selected as the top female student/athlete at Frazier High School. She will receive a $500 scholarship through the Fayette County Student/Athlete Scholarship Program.

The program, sponsored by Davis and Davis Attorneys at Law in conjunction with the Herald-Standard, will provide $7,000 in scholarship money to 14 of Fayette County’s best and brightest student/athletes.

A banquet will culminate the program on Sunday, June 3, at the Historic Summit Inn. At that time, each of 14 honorees will receive $500 toward a college education. HSTV will videotape the program.

Pasquale, the daughter of Mark and Bonnie Pasquale of Perryopolis, has been able to handle her heavy extracurricular schedule while excelling in the classroom.

“It’s time management,” she explained.

“It’s making sure your priorities are straight. I love everything I’m involved in, but I always knew academics came first.

“I wanted to make the best of my four years at Frazier, to get involved and leave my mark while I had a chance to.”

She certainly left her mark in volleyball, where she was a three-year starter and helped the Lady Commodores reach the playoffs each year while also winning a section title.

“The coaches told me, ‘You’re short and fast, so you’re a defensive specialist,’ so that’s what I became,” Pasquale said with a laugh. “It was a thrill for us to win the section in 2005. That was pretty awesome because we finally beat Geibel, our rivals. I was a sophomore, but we had a lot of seniors that year.”

In softball, Pasquale was a four-year starter – three years in center field and one at second base – and was voted to the FCCA All-County team. She batted in the middle of the order in her first three years, but fared well as a No. 2 hitter as a senior.

Pasquale played basketball as a freshman and sophomore, but the physical pounding of being a three-sport star took its toll on her.

“I liked basketball, but my knees were starting to ache,” Pasquale said.

“I thought that it’d be nice for my body to have a little break in between volleyball and softball seasons.”

When asked who she looks up to, Pasquale didn’t hesitate.

“My parents,” she said. “I have a great amount of respect for them. I know they’re proud of me. They always supported me. I tell them all the time that they’re my best friends in the world, I couldn’t have asked for better parents. They always make sure they’re doing what’s best for me, and helping me accomplish my goals. They love me no matter what. They helped me to get where I am today with their love, support and guidance.”

Pasquale also had plenty of support from the Frazier faculty.

“A lot of my teachers had a positive influence on me as well,” she said. “I feel like I have a huge happy family there. It was nice being in a small town, too.”

Pasquale, who also recently won the KDKA Extra Effort Award, has decided to attend the University of Pittsburgh.

“I’m leaning towards government and international relations,” Pasquale said. “I really haven’t decided about athletics. I may do intramurals, but I want to focus more on academics and organizations, and I really want to study abroad.”

Pasquale has two older sisters, Jessica Pasquale, who lives in Tennessee, and Kristen Ames, who lives in Pittsburgh.

“I’m kind of nervous about college, but I’m kind of excited, too,” Pasquale said. “There’s so much to do and so many options. My sister lives there, though, so it’s not like I’m going to a huge city by myself. I’m hoping she can help me learn my way around.

“I’m mostly excited. I’m ready to move on to the next stage and see what life has to offer.

“But I won’t ever forget the past and all the people who have helped me.”