Mason Raborg

Meeting Mason in person makes his ability as an all-around athlete evident to all.  Mason played Football and Lacrosse for four years at Tuscarora High School and Basketball for two, as well as an additional two years which he played for the CLBL. Having never played Lacrosse before high school; Mason tried out for the team because they needed players. This led to a four-year Varsity career which ended as one of the team captains and the school record holder for assists in a single season. A distinguished athlete-Mason is headed to Costal Carolina University where he will major in Physical Education and minor in Coaching.  After being accepted to and exploring several universities, the beauty, energy, and welcoming environment at Costal Carolina in addition to the availability of the coaching minor, made it an easy choice.

Focusing on school never came easy for Mason. As a student with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Mason had to find ways to compensate and persevere to stay on top of his studies.  During the pandemic Mason was able to use his love of sports to help him succeed. He would often go out in his driveway between classes and “shoot hoops.” This provided movement breaks that enhanced his ability to focus when learning on-line.  Discovering video games that could be played with friends who were remote also helped to offset the social isolation of those years.

Football provided Mason with training both on and off the field.  The demands of practice and physical conditioning left little time (or energy) for schoolwork at the end of the day.  Athletics meant he was still at school training when peers were home having dinner.  “I knew I had to take advantage of every minute available during school hours to complete assignments and study for tests and exams.”  As a four-year member of the  AVID class offered to students at THS, Mason was also provided with extra learning tools to help him challenge himself by taking more rigorous Honors, AP and DE classes.  AVID is the acronym for Advancement via Individual Determination. AVID is an established 501c3 non-profit organization that works with Loudoun County Public Schools.  Due to the structures put in place through his athletic teams and AVID classes, not only was he a fixture on the honor roll all through high school, but he was also a member of the National Honor Society his junior and senior year.

One of Mason’s most positive attributes is that he has an uncanny ability to connect with people. He is a friend to all, and he has a huge heart. This is demonstrated in his work at Morningside House Senior Living facility where he enjoys serving the residents their meals and interacting with them, and in the inclusive organizations he participated in at Tuscarora such as: Husky Buddies, Unified PE, and the PEER Program.  PEER stands for positive experiences in educational relationships. This is a select program for student leaders that is designed to develop students’ peer mentoring skills in order to assist their peers emotionally, socially, and academically. It also matches the peer mentors with students who need extra encouragement for a wide variety of reasons.  Mason was assigned to a deaf student who was also a non-English speaker.  Because Mason had participated in two years of ASL, he was able to have basic communication with the student. He would also try to find things they had in common to discuss which helped to build a relationship of friendship and trust. Going a step further, he would introduce his peer to other students at lunch and when needed seek help from people who could interpret conversations to help his peer feel included and better acclimate to the school.

Considering Mason’s background in athletics and his career aspiration, it is no surprise that one of his favorite  experiences has been as a volunteer coach. He has  been helping to coach since he was in 8^th grade.  This year he worked with the Harper Park Middle School Varsity Team. According to the HPMS head coach, “Mason uplifted the kids, both mentally and emotionally – from our biggest star to our last reserve off the bench, he always possessed the gift of the right words to get them in a frame of mind to succeed on the floor.  He had an innate ability with the kids to understand what was bothering them or what was eating at them, even when they did not want to talk about it and get them to start working past their issues.  It’s something that as a parent and long-time league official that you would love to see in an adult coach, but it’s a skill that is in brutally short supply and finding it in a young adult is rarer still.  I know that he has designs on being an educator and a coach after college, and I can’t think of a better career path for a young man with the empathy and intuition in interpersonal interactions that Mason has.”  Mason was able to take his own experiences as a player to help coach and mentor these young athletes. “Kids get down when they make a mistake.  I learned to take students aside when this happened to let them know ‘It’s okay.’ With this ‘permission’ they could more quickly get back in the game.”

Mason also fulfilled many of his Key Club hours by making snuffle matts for the dogs at the Leesburg Animal Shelter. This was a special project because anyone that knows Mason knows that he is a dog lover. Not only does Mason have a big heart, but his willingness to go the “extra mile for others” is second nature to Mason. Overcoming obstacles and helping others do the same throughout his high school years will certainly fuel his effectiveness as a teacher and coach after college graduation.  Congratulations on all you have accomplished Mason!  We have no doubt that you will find much success at Costal Carolina and beyond!