Rogers Neighborhood Realty Senior Students of the Week: Drew Gramza and Mia Vonderheide
Justin Scott - Info@redarrowpreps.com
9/18/2026
This next installment of our new series presented by our friends at Rogers Neighborhood Realty! Our students of the week segment has gone live with staff and coaches at LHS able to nominate the best students from sports, the arts, theatre, academic departments, and more.
For Lowell High School seniors Mia Vonderheide and Drew Gramza, some of the most meaningful parts of high school have come from the people they have met along the way.
Both have remained active throughout their time at Lowell while succeeding in the classroom and forming connections they hope will last well beyond graduation.
Mia Vonderheide kicks an extra point during last year’s powderpuff game.
Mia Vonderheide
Mia Vonderheide participates in cross country, track, National Honor Society, Interact and the Lady Arrows Varsity Club. She is also involved with the LINKS program and Lowell’s unified basketball team which is one of the highlights of the winter at LHS.
Her favorite part of high school has been meeting and becoming friends with people through her classes and athletic activities.
Vonderheide is particularly proud of the grades she has maintained while balancing the responsibilities of being a student-athlete.
“I’m most proud of my GPA and grades, especially as a student-athlete,” Vonderheide said.
The friendships she has formed through the LINKS program have been especially influential. Vonderheide said the students she has met through the program have taught her lasting lessons about kindness and friendship.
“They taught me so much about kindness and friendships, something I will carry with me for a lifetime,” Vonderheide said.
Her experiences have also shown her that she will continue working toward what she wants, even when she encounters setbacks or challenges.
Vonderheide’s primary goal for her senior year is to enjoy the experience and continue making new friends before graduation. After Lowell, she plans to attend Michigan State University and study nursing, with the eventual goal of becoming a travel nurse.
Her advice to younger Lowell students is to remain open to meeting new people.
“Talk to as many different people as possible because you never know who you’ll find a real connection with,” Vonderheide said.
Drew Gramza poses during the 2026 Lowell Soccer Media Day
Drew Gramza
Drew Gramza has spent his time at Lowell balancing soccer, golf, National Honor Society and his academic responsibilities.
His favorite high school memory came during last year’s Military Appreciation Game. Lowell earned a victory over Coopersville late on a goal by fellow senior Ben Homolka, but the meaning behind the game made the night particularly memorable. The Red Arrows played in honor of their late coach Sebastian Szymanski who passed away in a car accident.
“Playing for Sebastian made it the best game I have ever played in,” Gramza said.
Gramza considers becoming a captain of the Lowell boys soccer team his greatest accomplishment in high school. His teammates have also been among the most influential people in his life.
As an underclassman, Gramza looked up to the older players within the program. Now an upperclassman and team captain, he continues to draw motivation from the people around him.
“I’m constantly striving to do better for my teammates,” Gramza noted.
High school has taught Gramza how much control people have over the reputation they create for themselves.
“You completely determine who you want to be seen as,” Gramza said. “By doing good things, people will like you, and it will make high school a lot easier.”
Before graduating, Gramza hopes to help Lowell win a district soccer game and finish with a GPA above 4.0. He also wants to positively influence his younger teammates and his brother Tavis who plays on the JV team.
After high school, Gramza plans to attend college. He has not yet selected a field of study, but sales, business and engineering are currently his leading options.
Much like Vonderheide, Gramza encourages younger students to make an effort to connect with the people around them.
“Talk to everyone,” Gramza said. “Giving someone a small compliment can make their day so much better, and it’s so easy.”
