Park Center Students Show Versatility Outside Classroom

It’s a double dose of Standout Student with two students from Park Center High School. Senior Aaron MacMurdo and junior Michaela Hobin share more than a schedule of challenging classes. On the Park Center High School football field, there are two players on offensive that share an unlikely story. First, there’s a hardworking center and competitive senior named Aaron MacMurdo. “I’ve just been told from the very beginning that I have potential to do a lot, and I should strive to do my best in everything that I do,” said MacMurdo. Then there’s MacMurdo’s teammate, a hardworking wide receiver and competitive junior named Michaela Hobin. “Most people don’t think a girl can play football, their like, ‘you play football?’ You can’t,” said Hobin. Hobin can play football, and she does after earning a spot on the Park Center varsity football team. Long after football practice is over, MacMurdo and Hobin are still on the field with the Park Center marching band.

MacMurdo will graduate next spring, and this three-sport athlete has his sights on studying electrical engineering and computer science. “Academically, math is really fun for me. I’m learning a whole bunch of new things that challenge me,” said MacMurdo. Band teacher Wade Schroeder knows both students are going to do just fine after they leave Park Center High School. “They’ve learned how to work hard and balance competing kinds of activities, and that’s what grown up life is about,” said Schroeder. MacMurdo plans to attend North Dakota State or the University of Minnesota-Duluth next fall. Hobin plans to major in criminal justice at Minnesota State University, Mankato.