Marc Fiocco doesn’t have much in common with the author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.

The St. Andrews Regional High School student, a year younger than his Grade 12 classmates, never went to kindergarten.

“I guess I was already good at building blocks,” he jokes. “I skipped kindergarten and went to Grade one.”

All I Really Need to Know I Learned at St. Andrews might be a better title for his book if he ever decides to write one.

“The school has helped me become the person I am, and I want to give back because of what they’ve done for me,” said Fiocco, who went to St. Andrews Elementary School before attending the Catholic high school.

On Turnaround Day last month, when students get to wear “civvies” instead of school uniforms, he told hundreds of schoolmates as much in an impassioned speech. The part-time guitarist also performed Lean on Me with friends.

The affable honour roll student has balanced academics with involvement in other areas. He’s an athletic sports rep on the student council and participates in Spirit Week programs, assemblies, dances and recycling initiatives.

The Saanich teenager delivers weekly announcements, actively promotes school sports, plays soccer and badminton, and is also active in rowing and track and field. Off campus, he has played for Lakehill Soccer and Gorge Soccer.

And he didn’t have to wait until he earned his N licence to be in the driver’s seat.

“He’s quite driven,” said his mother Marianna, a dietition and active Island Catholic Schools volunteer herself.

“The school system’s good because of smaller classes and the teachers know the kids really well. I hope he’s maybe been given the opportunity to do things because it’s such a small school.”

Marianna admits even she was taken by surprise when, hearing her son was such an eloquent orator, decided to pop in announced to assembly one Monday morning.

“I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

Marc, whose brother Dante, 14, also attends St. Andrews, says public speaking terrified him when he was younger.

It wasn’t until Grade 11, after watching how comfortable his friends were doing it, he gained confidence.

“Just watching them encouraged me to participate,” he said. “I realized how much I was missing out.”

Among his many activities this year, Fiocco was captain and MVP of the school’s senior boys soccer team, which placed second in the provincial cup.

He said he gets his passion for athletics from his father Rick, an architect and soccer player.

Sports isn’t just a great opportunity to make friends and learn about team spirit, he said.

“When teenagers get bored, they do stupid things,” he said. “The lessons you learn from sports are things you can carry on for the rest of your life.”

His P.E. teacher Mick Goodger describes Marc as a hard-working athlete, one who deserves an A for attitude.

“He puts in excellent effort. He plays soccer very hard and shows a good deal of leadership and reads the game well,” said Goodger, noting Fiocco’s strongest suit is probably track and field. “He’s a really nice boy, a good person.”

Goodger says the only advice he’d give him would be to develop the ability to sometimes say no “so he doesn’t spread himself too thin.”

Indeed, Fiocco has had his hands full with his studies, sports activities, being a retreat leader and helping organize food drives for homeless teenagers.

“That really bothers me,” said Fiocco, who also won the Tony Mayr Award for humility, kindness and generosity.

“Seeing a teenager living on the streets doesn’t seem right to me.”

How does he keep it all together?

Fiocco admits it’s been a “crazy” year.

“It’s pretty fun, but time management was a big issue for me this year.”

Diane Chimich, Marc’s math teacher and student council supporter, describes him as an “outstanding” individual.

She said his academic excellence is all the more remarkable because he isn’t one of those students it comes easy to.

“He works hard at it,” she said, applauding his tendency to go above and beyond and help people for no payback.

“Especially when it’s not something you initiated — that’s what makes it such a privilege to work with him.”

Marc is registered at UVic to study first year sciences, but he’s keeping his options open, he said.

“If that doesn’t go well, I’d like to be a P.E. teacher.”