Name: Dean Montesano
Age: 17
School/Grade: West Milford High School/ Senior
Sport: Football
1. How did you get involved with your activity?I first became interested in football when I was young and would watch football games with my father. I started playing flag football at the age of seven after begging my parents to let me play.
2. Who is your biggest inspiration?My biggest inspiration is my father. There is no one else in the world like him, and he always knows what to do and say in the right moments. He teaches me life lessons every day and gives me advice to get through any problem I face. One day I hope to be the type of man he is.
3. What would most people be surprised to know about your activity?What most people would be surprised to know about football is that it is an incredibly large time commitment. Summer football camp makes up most of my summer, and practicing everyday after school until about six doesn’t give me much time for anything else.
4. Who is your favorite teacher of all time? Why?My favorite teacher was my third- and fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Wittman. She is my favorite because she was the first person, other than my mom, to really push and challenge me to do better than I thought I could. Without her, I would not be where I am today in my studies and in my life.
5. Name three things you would bring with you if you were on a deserted island?If I ended up on a deserted island, I would bring my guitar, a water filter, and a journal.
6. Share a favorite moment with your group/club/team.One of my favorite moments with my football team was in the locker room after we had won our first game. Everyone was laughing and smiling, music was blasting, and everyone was just happy. Since we lost our first two games, I didn’t get to see a lot of smiles In those two weeks. Seeing those smiles after our win was great and I was glad to see my brothers happy.
7. What does being a Highlander mean to you?To me, being a Highlander means that you will always try your hardest and fight for what you believe in. It means you will never take no for an answer and you’ll always be there for your Highlander family.
8. What do you do with your time, when you are not doing your activity?When I’m not playing football, I’m usually studying for calculus and physics or teaching myself to play guitar. I also spend a lot of my free time hanging out with my family and my girlfriend, Kayla.
9. What is your favorite movie, book or character? Why?My favorite movie is “Remember the Titans” because it illustrates a football team that fought against all odds and proved everybody around them wrong. They made a name for themselves and showed how much heart they had when playing their game. It’s my favorite movie because I try to do the same thing in my life.
10. Share something no one knows about you.Something no one knows about me is that I’m a pretty good artist and I enjoy spending time drawing.