Class of 2026 Senior Spotlight: Samantha Perz, Marquette High

Growing up, Samantha Perz enjoyed a closer view of the workings of a classroom than the majority of her peers.

Her mother, Carol, is a Rockwood teacher and was named Pond Elementary’s Teacher of the Year in February.

“I was cutting and laminating every summer. I was in a classroom,” Samantha said. “I saw all the sides of teaching. I have always really loved being around other people. I think that I have been lucky enough to have experiences that have led me to teaching, specifically working with younger kids.”

Perz, a member of the Marquette High Class of 2026, plans to enroll in the University of Georgia Honors College in Athens this fall, as a double major in psychology and elementary education with a minor in dance.

In addition to watching how her mother over the years, Perz has sought out her own opportunities to make a positive impact on students, including as a preschool dance instructor at the Krupinski Academy of Dance, the studio she attends.

“Teaching the preschool classes was a really big milestone for me in helping me figure out this is what I want to do,” she said. “And psychology has always interested me because it is so intertwined with education. It’s the why behind what you see in a classroom, even if you don’t recognize it.”

Perz has been a Rockwood student since kindergarten, advancing through Kehrs Mill Elementary and Crestview Middle before Marquette. During her time in high school, she has been involved with Student Council and the Key Club service organization.

She is also co-editor-in-chief of the Marquette Messenger student media outlet and counts journalism classes with teacher Emily Jorgensen as among her favorite at Marquette.

Even if it took a little convincing to join in the first place.

“My mom said she thought I should take newspaper. Our neighbor took the class and really liked it, so I was like, ‘Fine, whatever,’” Perz said, with a laugh. “I never would have expected that I would end up where I am today. It has taught me a lot of life skills. My writing has gotten better but also my critical thinking ability.

“When you approach a story, there are so many different ways of looking at it. One of the best things about writing these stories is really getting to understand and dig deeper into all of these perspectives. It’s also cool to have grown in a publication that I know people at our school trust, whether that’s staff or students. Watching new people come in, too, I’m excited to watch them grow and hopefully have a similar experience.”

Perz also said she especially enjoyed AP European History with Katherine Bauman and her ALARP (Advanced Language Arts Research and Presentation) classes, in which she had the opportunity to take deep dives into research topics of interest.

Most of all, she enjoyed the many and varied experiences available to her and her fellow students during her 13 years in Rockwood.

“The opportunities that I’ve had are so incredible,” Perz said. “One of the things I really value – partially because of our area – is the diverse experiences here. I have friends who are very similar to me and also very different. That helps prepare you for the real world because that is what the world looks like. If you embrace that, it can be really fun. There’s also something kind of nice about going to a big high school. Every class is different. That’s exciting to me.”