This previously ran in our 2022 June Senior Issue.

Nicholas Velde’s most important memories about high school will almost always include wrestling. This fall, Velde will be attending Franklin and Marshall College to study business and pursue Division I wrestling. Outside of school, he enjoys going to many different Emmaus sporting events. 

Stinger: How do you feel like you’ve changed since your freshman year? 

Velde: I guess the obvious answer could just be maturing, but being able to figure out problems and not just give up on them. 

Stinger: How did being a student-athlete throughout high school affect you? 

Velde: I mean, it definitely created like a lot more stuff I had to do, I guess in stress, but obviously it’s worth doing it in high school and I’m going to do it in college again. 

Stinger: Did you have a specific mentor in high school? 

Velde: My mentor for wrestling was Mr. Carolla, who was the social studies teacher, and I always go and chat with him here and there. So he’s always on the lookout. He can help me with anything. He looked at my college essay and stuff like that, so definitely someone I can look up to. 

Stinger: What was your favorite memory from wrestling? 

Velde: I guess hanging out with my friends, being on the bus and enjoying those kinds of times with all the teammates and stuff like that, and then hanging out with them on weekends, that was always fun. 

Stinger: Do you have any advice for underclassmen? 

Velde: Don’t focus on the past and the future and focus on the present, what’s in front of you, go day by day. 

Stinger: What will you miss most about your time at Emmaus? 

Velde: Honestly, going to sporting events is always fun, cheering on my friends. 

Stinger: Are there any classes you wish you would have taken? And if not, then what was your favorite? Velde: Actually a class I wish I took would have been PFM. I think that’s probably one of the most useful classes after high school, because it tells you everything about like, houses and stuff like that. 

Stinger: If you could change the mascots to any other living creature besides a hornet what would it have been? 

Velde: Elephant, yeah, nice big elephant. 

Stinger: Do you have any last comments that you would like to add? 

Velde: Just time flies, enjoy high school.