By Bruce Karnick

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The Hastings Area Rotary Club is excited to once again host a “Student of the Month” program. The Student of the Month program was suspended due to the COVID pandemic. The Student of the Month is nominated by teachers and chosen for both their Academic and Social achievements. The selection each month will be given the opportunity to attend a Rotary meeting where they will learn about the service organization, enjoy breakfast, tell the club a little about themselves and receive a $250 scholarship award. The student will also be featured in an article in the Hastings Journal.

HHS Principal Mike Johnson said it best, “I am pleased to announce that HHS senior Tyler Bushinski has been selected as the Hastings Rotary Student of the Month for October 2021!”

“It is truly an honor to nominate Ty Bushinski for the Rotary Student of the Month,” added Johnson. “Ty is an extremely dedicated student-athlete who inspires others with his unwavering discipline, work ethic in the classroom, example he displays in sports, and his leadership throughout the school. He is a two-sport athlete who competes in cross country, where he has been a two-time captain, and track and field.”

Tyler was nominated by Tim Haneberg, Cindy Benson and Jason Koch. He has been part of the Link Crew program, Spanish Honor Society, peer helpers, FCA, and is a National Honor Society Officer. He also excels in the classroom, boasting a 4.0 G.P.A. all while taking strenuous classes such as AP Calc, AP Government, College Literature, College Spanish, AP Physics, APUSH, AP Stats, AP Language, and AP Chemistry.

“He does work very hard. And I’m very proud of him. You know, he’ll come home, and he’ll be doing homework till 10 or 11 o’clock at night sometimes. He’s just very motivated, and it makes me very proud to see that because I feel like he earned it,” explained Tyler’s father, Shawn Bushinski at the October 14th Rotary meeting.

Tyler’s parents are not the only one’s happy to brag about the impact he has on his peers and the community of Hastings.

Mrs. Benson says, “Ty is always smiling! He has been a link crew leader for two years and continues to work hard at forming relationships with his freshmen in a variety of situations. We can always count on him to be on time, enthusiastic, and responsible. He carries these same attributes into the classroom. During AP Chem class, he worked well with his lab partners, asked great questions, and his determination and hard work always shined in whatever learning format we were in.”

Mr. Koch also had high praise for Ty. “As an athlete and in his everyday life, Ty is an extremely hard-working individual, always pushing himself and his teammates to reach their fullest potential. Ty never takes a “day off,” approaching each practice as an opportunity to improve and get better. He not only leads by example, but also encourages and helps his teammates along the way. Ty is also very reliable, never missing a practice and always performing at a high level. He is one of those athletes that you never have to wonder if he is accomplishing what he is capable of, but makes you realize that the will to work hard, and the desire to perform well, allows people to accomplish great things.”

Mr. Haneberg resonated with many of the same views of Ty. “Ty is a phenomenal young man and an amazing support person for fellow students. He is a student-athlete who is the definition of both leadership and character. He models each of these traits in his daily actions, interactions with his peers, and through his positive attitude. Ty’s ability to lead comes directly from his high character which he exemplifies through morality, courage, and integrity. His ability to be a positive role model to his teammates and peers, allows them to analyze situations that high school students are faced with and make moral decisions. Every coach, teacher, or other school personnel always has positive words to say about him due to his honesty, academic ability, work ethic, and positive attitude.”

While he does not get much free time, he loves to work on cars when he gets the opportunity to do so. He hopes to attend either St. Thomas or Northwestern University where he will major in mechanical engineering.