The last thing Mason Krieg expected to hear during any NHS meetings was the chanting of his name in celebration of becoming the NHS senior for November. He couldn’t imagine someone like him being nominated, let alone winning- but for everyone else, the choice was clear.

“[Me and my friends] were all sitting at the top of the auditorium,” Mason Krieg said. “When they found out, they were all cheering.” 

Krieg’s accomplishments don’t end there, as he’s been a part of Cross Country since his freshman year. 

“It’s just taken up so much of my life ever since seventh grade,” Krieg said. “Even through COVID time, it’s just been something I could look forward to.”

Despite his successes, Krieg is consistently supportive of those around him, even when they’re his competitors.

“[Mason] stood at the finish line and congratulated or fist bumped every single person that came through,” Mason’s mother Jennifer Krieg said. 

At this same race, Krieg helped push Palatine to eighth in state for the 3-mile varsity category and won 12th in state for himself. 

“It’s almost overwhelming,” said Krieg. “12th in state, being senior of the month, I don’t know it really hasn’t sunk in yet.”

Being nominated for senior of the month stems from his success in cross country, with the same people he ran with voting for him. 

“I’m so very proud of the team,” said Krieg. “Getting to race with them has been great.”

Even outside of school, Krieg goes above and beyond to help those around in his community without asking something in return.

“He helps out with the neighbors, like mowing the lawn and shoveling snow,” said Jennifer Krieg. “He’s not really asked to do it, he knows it’s the right thing to do.”

Both inside and outside of school, Krieg demonstrated the values that nominees and winners of senior of the month aspire to.