N-W’s Schaffer wins Hewitt Award

by Eric Keppeler Niagara Wheatfield Tribune, May 10, 2007 When she was a little girl, Michele Schaffer says she wasn’t all that interested in sports. She took up dancing, figure skating and gymnastics until she hit fourth grade, when she decided that she needed a change. “I really wasn’t very good at them,” she said. Her older brother, Matt, was very involved in athletics, and Michele thought that looked like a lot of fun. So she got involved in some of the youth basketball programs and later took up running. Eight years ago, she never imagined that as a Niagara-Wheatfield senior she would be accepting the 42nd annual Thomas E. Hewitt Award, presented to the top candidate based on scholastic achievement, athletic achievement and school and community involvement. “I was very surprised,” said Schaffer after winning the $2,000 scholarship award Sunday during the presentation dinner at Niagara County Community College. “I know all of the other candidates from the other schools, and they were all very qualified. They’re all smart and they do a lot. I really wasn’t expecting it.”

Michele Schaffer was a three-sport athlete at Niagara-Wheatfield and captain of the cross country, basketball and track and field teams.

The daughter of Michael and Elaine Schaffer, Michele has been an athletic standout throughout her high school career. She is the captain of the Falcons’ varsity cross country, basketball and track and field teams and is the reigning Most Valuable Player in all three.

“She’s an integral part of our offense and our defense,” N-W girls basketball coach Diane Fegatilli said at the end of the winter season. “She’s been playing basketball for a long time and she reads plays extremely well. She’s just a rock back there.”

Schaffer also has participated in Niagara PAL AAU travel basketball, as well as Gloria Parks and Buffalo PAL basketball teams.

But what set her apart was her scholastic and community involvement. Schaffer is a member of the National Honor Society, is listed in “Who’s Who Among American High School Students” and has achieved honor and high honor roll status in all four years at N-W. She’s also involved in the school’s music program, as well as various community service organizations outside of school.

“Sports only takes you so far,” Schaffer said. “It’s not going to be your whole life. It feels good to help other people and give something back. And it opens your eyes to other things that are going on.”

Schaffer will attend Duquesne University in Pittsburgh in the fall to pursue a pharmacy degree. She hopes to complete a six-year doctorate while minoring in Spanish, and then perhaps studying abroad.

Athletics don’t figure into her plans right now, although she hasn’t ruled out eventually trying to walk on to the cross country team. She admits to being intrigued by Duquesne’s Division I basketball program, but concedes that it would take more time than she’ll likely have.

“The academics are going to be a very different workload from what I’m used to,” Schaffer said. “It’s going to be a very demanding schedule, and I want to focus on the academics. I’ll see where that takes me.”