With solid work ethic and joyful attitude, senior Martina Sell excels in various sports and clubs, advanced courses, and electives.

Since childhood, Sell’s interest in cross country, cheerleading, and wrestling management was sparked by her older brother – Charlie Sell. She enjoyed watching her brother run as well as supporting him in his wrestling career.

“I started cheering when I was younger because my brother played football, so I always went to the games and wanted to be just like the cheerleaders,” Sell said. “It’s something that I have continuously enjoyed doing.”

Within these activities, Sell leads her classmates as a four year cross country and cheerleading captain, the SGA and senior class treasurer, and the community service organizer of Spanish Honor Society.

“The leadership positions I hold keep me involved in each meeting and I am happy that I can have a larger role in the decision-making process,” Sell said. “I knew that I could help the overall environment of the school if I joined.”

In order to receive each leadership role, Sell tries to be very congenial and puts effort towards her school and club work.

“I’ve tried to be more approachable over the past few years. Whenever someone doesn’t understand something or has a concern, I try my best to help them and resolve any conflicts that take place,” Sell said. “I also have always taken my work seriously, so I think that has led to people being able to trust me to get the job done.”

While encountering many obstacles through her involvement, Sell seeks guidance from her friends and family. She looks up to Christina Bubba for cheering, her brother for cross country and track, and Emily Kolankiewicz for the various clubs she participates in.

“Emily shows a great amount of leadership and maturity at our age. She motivates me to keep setting new goals because I know that there are people who are getting better every day, so I also want to improve with every chance I get,” Sell said. “I hold a very high standard for myself, so although I am proud of my accomplishments, I never settle because I know I can do better.”

As a leader within sports and clubs, certain skills are required as Sell takes on great responsibilities.

“I found that cheerleading requires strength and cross country requires a lot of mental toughness,” Sell said. “With my leadership roles in clubs, organization and public speaking are necessary and I think I’ve increased my skills each year.”

On top of her involvement, Sell plans to take her skills with her as she applies early decision to Lehigh University. No matter where she goes, she hopes to major in business.

“I like to communicate with others and I have many innovative approaches to concepts that I could use in business,” Sell said. “I am undecided about which aspect of business I want a job in, but right now I’m taking an economics class at Lafayette and I really enjoy it.”

Out of her many options, Sell chose Lehigh University because of its appealing work ethic. With passionate students and professors, it presents a healthy learning environment.

“Lehigh stands out to me because it is a prestigious institution and the students are very serious about their school work,” Sell said. “The amount of alumni interaction with the current students is awesome, and I have a lot of opportunities to grow there as both a student and an athlete.”

In order to prepare for her future, Sell hopes to learn multiple lessons about studying and time management. She plans to take more classes to help her as well.

“I took Super Calculus last year, which was very rigorous and I think that will help me with higher level math courses in college. My economics class definitely gives me a good idea of what college will be like,” Sell said.

Aside from her brother’s impact and involvement in her life, Sell wouldn’t have such an interest in business without the help of her father.

“My dad owns and runs his own business, so I’ve been interested in it for the past couple of years mostly because of him and his teaching,” Sell said.

With such a busy schedule, Sell finds time to relax and knows how to calm herself down when feeling overwhelmed.

“I always find ways to get everything done on my schedule,” Sell said. “I take a step back and plan out everything I need to do, so then it’s less overwhelming and I can stay on task.”

In addition to her education and extra-curricular activities, Sell also enjoys traveling, camping, and painting in her free time.

“I like traveling because I am interested in different cultures and I enjoy learning about the historical aspect of landmarks and different places to visit,” Sell said. “I enjoy road trips because I think it’s fun to be able to pass the time with others.”

As she continues to set high standards for herself, Sell should expect a bright and successful future in whatever she pursues.