PREPARED FOR A LIFE OF SERVICE SIREE COFTA ‘20 Saint Teresa of Calcutta is oft-quoted saying, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” There is nothing small about what senior Siree Cofta has accomplished. At 18 years old, and still finishing up her first semester of her senior year, she is already working with the North Shore Fire Department with the hopes of entering the highly competitive Milwaukee Fire Cadet program in 2020. How she got there is a study in incremental pursuit of greater goals. Several of her teachers report that as a freshman, Siree was judicious about her school work, but quiet and reserved. As the years went on, Siree quietly amassed a portfolio of accomplishments while building her confidence and sense of self. She holds several school weightlifting records, competed on the wrestling team, served on stage crew, won a Scholastic Art Award for her painting, competed in throwing for Track and Field, and trains for powerlifting competitions, all while maintaining over a 4.0 GPA. The alarm clock rings at 4:00 am every day for Siree. She packs her backpack, lunch and clothes for the day, and then it’s off to her 5:00 workout at the Jewish Community Center in Whitefish Bay. She gets ready at the gym, leaves by 7:00 and is off to Pius XI to start her school day. As her Mom says, “She’s crazy....but awesome.”
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Her faith is important to her as is working to her potential out of deep gratitude for the opportunities she’s been given. In addition to all that she does at Pius XI, Siree completed her fourth mission trip through the Catholic Heart Work Camp program this summer. “If I can choose how to spend my time, it’s going to be in service. Whether it’s training to be a firefighter...or being on Pius XI stage crew...even if I’m just moving chairs around for two hours, you realize how much it helps others. It’s easy to make a difference, even if it’s just a small one.”
