“Teen of the Week: Duane Gottschalk Jr. • Local (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital)” |
| Teen of the Week: Duane Gottschalk Jr. • Local (www.HometownAnnapolis.com - The Capital) Posted: 11 Sep 2010 05:22 AM PDT Duane Gottschalk Jr. was 7 pounds, 14 ounces at birth. Now 6 feet 6 inches, he's 310 pounds, almost all of it well-toned muscle. "I've changed," the 18-year-old deadpanned. "Even though Duane has a huge stature, he has an even bigger heart and humble personality," said Diane G. Casey, his former Advancement Via Individual Determination instructor at Broadneck High School. Larry Cope, a neighbor in the Revell Downs community where Duane grew up, remembers when the youth was known as "Little Duane." "That's far from the truth now," Cope conceded. "He challenges himself continually and succeeds in all he tries. … His kindness to others is exemplary even as a senior to the new kids in school." The teen isn't sure where his "big guy" gene came from. His dad, Duane Sr., is 5 feet 10 inches, weighs 180 pounds and is the smallest of six brothers. The senior Gottschalk owns Air Gott Services, Inc., an air duct and dryer vent cleaning service based in Severna Park. His mom, Pamela, manages the firm's office. The other "child"in the household is Chelsea, an Australian dingo who is 14 years old. A member of Broadneck High School's Class of 2010, college life with a little boot camp warm-up started in mid-August for Duane. He is a freshman at SUNY Maritime College. It is located in the Bronx in New York City at Fort Schuyler. Usually, after graduation, about 60 percent get jobs in the maritime industry, either at sea or on land. They average higher starting salaries than graduates of Ivy League schools. About 20 percent enter the military. The former varsity wrestler and defensive lineman on the varsity football team credits the AVID program for helping him earn a berth at SUNY Maritime. "AVID prepared me for college," he said. "I learned study techniques which I will be using. The program helped me in applying for colleges. It's difficult if you don't have a guide. I got a lot better grades as a result of AVID." He began his involvement with the program at Severn River Middle School. He attended AVID leadership conferences held at Severna Park and Glen Burnie High schools. When Severn River Middle received national accreditation in the program, Duane was sent to represent the school at a Board of Education meeting. "As an AVID student, Duane has been a tremendous role model for our younger students," Casey said. "Duane has always been willing to accept any challenge, both in and out of the classroom. Whenever I asked for volunteers to help tutor other students, Duane was one of the first to offer his assistance." Through the Parole Rotary, Duane attended a three-day Rotary Club Youth Leadership Conference at Camp Letts in 2009. The 140 teens from Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania, were divided into 20 teams. During competitive projects, his team came in third. Jeff Herrick, head coach of the Broadneck football team, echoed Casey in calling Duane a "role model," whom he lauded for his dependability and ability to work with his teammates. The head wresting coach, Scott Harrell, observed: "Duane was a tremendous source of inspiration to his team. He worked as a hard as anyone in the room and never gave up on his goal of being in the starting lineup. Even with the difficult situation of being behind his teammate Jacob Garner, the 2010 Anne Arundel County Champion at 285 pounds, in the lineup he never stopped pushing for that starting spot. "I believe that he simply infected our wrestling room with a 'never quit' attitude that simply made everyone around him that much better, particularly Jacob Garner, his workout partner. While wrestling is perceived as an individual sport, Duane understood that wrestling is the consummate team sport and was a huge part of his partner's success simply because of his strong work ethic and selfless attitude." Duane loved "every minute" of wrestling. "Everything about it was hard, but I'm a better person. It really, truly was a family. I'm proud I did it." He's planning to join the wrestling club at SUNY Maritime. Nominated by his coaches, Duane was the first recipient of the Taylor Geotzke Award, a $1,500 scholarship named to honor the memory of the late Broadneck High student. Since November, Duane has volunteered at the Arnold Volunteer Fire Department Company 17, and attended the 1,400-hour emergency medical technician basic course two nights a week for five months, followed by a 15-day, 108-hour firefighting 101 course. Earlier this summer, he came certified after passing the Maryland State test. After he takes a 24-hour hazardous materials course and is certified, he'll be eligible to ride the fire engines on calls. "A lot of family members have been firefighters," he said. "I love pretty red trucks with flashing lights. I hope to volunteer at the Arnold station when I'm home on breaks." Before he headed off to college, Duane worked for the second summer with the Maryland Park Service at Sandy Point State Park. He worked at the contact station, handling funds and customer service inquiries. After Duane's shift ended at 7:30 p.m., he often worked another two hours helping volunteers on various park projects. "When you hire someone in a venue like this full time or seasonal, integrity, character, honesty and reliability are paramount," said Jay Kenty, assistant manager of Sandy Point State Park. "He's a great ambassador and a tremendous asset to this park." "The greatest compliment I could pay about him is I'd be proud to call him my son," Kenty noted. Kenty didn't stop there. "I'd trust that guy with any of my daughters and the keys to my home - he's that dependable. Basically, he can have the keys to the City." Anyone may nominate a Teen of the Week. If you have a nomination, send it to Wendi Winters at Teen@quantumstep.com. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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