Busy senior year leads to great opportunity for Palmer grad

PALMER — Tim Rockey never had trouble staying busy during his days at Palmer High School.

Each year, the 2011 graduate added more and more to an overflowing academic résumé stocked full with extracurricular activities.

Student body president, student advisory board president, media club president: these are all positions Rockey held at Palmer High as a senior.

He was also a varsity athlete, a first-team all-conference selection on the Palmer High baseball team, and a solid student enrolled in International Baccalaureate courses with a grade point average of 3.3.

In recognition of his work at Palmer High, Rockey has been named a 2011 Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman/Mat-Su Sea Hawkers Student-Athlete of the Year.

“It’s part of my personality. I get it from my dad,” Rockey said recently. “He has trouble saying no to doing any kind of project. He’s always running around doing all sorts of things.”

Rockey was a member of the school’s Civil War Club, worked the Mat-Su Borough School District consensus building team, served as the co-editor of the Palmer Press and was a frequent contributor to the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman and sports broadcaster for Radio Free Palmer.

Rockey — who also participated in drama and music, and competed in football and basketball earlier in his high school career — was never afraid to add something else to his list.

“There wasn’t anything I saw that looked out of reach,” Rockey said. “Student government, baseball, music — it all looked like fun.”

Rockey’s position in student government allowed him to work with high-ranking officials in his school, community and state. He regularly met with past Mat-Su School District superintendent Dr. Ken Burnley and current superintendent Dr. Deena Paramo. He tackled issues important to Palmer High, on behalf of his school.

Palmer’s 2011 graduation was originally slated to be held at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla. Rockey and fellow classmate Alex VanHoomissen led the charge to keep the ceremony at Palmer High, and met with school officials about once a week until the change was made, he said.

One of Rockey’s biggest achievements, he said, came while serving as a student representative for the Alaska Board of Education during Gov. Sarah Palin’s time in office, when the board was discussing the stimulus package. He also worked with the board of education on issues about curriculum in the schools.

“We were working on trying to get sex education in health class for every student in Alaska. That did not end up coming to fruition, but we did play a part in the health class curriculum,” Rockey said.

Rockey said there are many people who pushed and helped him along the way. Palmer High guidance counselor James Zimmer, PHS principal Wolfgang Winter and activities director Jeff Thiede were among those who really helped him with all of his projects at school. Rockey credited Radio Free Palmer’s Mike Chmielewski and the Frontiersman newsroom staff for helping him get a head start on his career of choice, radio and print journalism.

Palmer baseball coach Dave Combs also played a key role, he said.

“I don’t think in any way I can take the credit myself,” Rockey said. “If it weren’t for these people, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Rockey spoke during his high school graduation, and said that was a focal point of his speech — the people and his community gave him opportunity to succeed.

“If it weren’t for Chmielewski, if it weren’t for (the Frontiersman) this wouldn’t have happened,” Rockey said. “In a bigger city, in Anchorage, I don’t think this would be possible, to write for the newspaper. But in Palmer, it’s possible. It’s something I don’t think would have happened anywhere else. I’m so glad I had the opportunity to do it.”

Rockey is currently a freshman at the University of Montana, and it didn’t take long for him to find ways to stay busy at his new school. He’s become active with the campus radio station at University of Montana, KGBA, as a reporter and broadcaster. He’s also the cameraman for GrizVision, which films Montana sports.

Rockey dabbled in a handful of sports, but baseball was always his first love. He was a team captain for three seasons, played a number of positions for the Moose and finished second in the Southcentral Conference in RBI en route to earning all-conference honors as a senior.

Rockey grew up playing catcher, but also pitched and played in the infield and outfield at PHS. Rockey said he loves life on the pitching mound.

“I feel so comfortable on the pitching mound. It comes with playing baseball for 13 years,” Rockey said. “I don’t think anybody can be as comfortable (in their sport) as I am on the pitching mound.”

Rockey, who was also a member of the Alaska Road Warriors American Legion baseball team in high school, said there’s so much that stands out about baseball.

“I probably love the team atmosphere of baseball the most,” Rockey said. “I love baseball so much. That’s what makes it so easy for me to play. Being out there with nine other guys with a bucket of seeds going, trying to steal somebody’s hat, some type of shenanigans, all while still trying to win the game.”

Like many young athletes, Rockey’s childhood dream was to become a professional athlete.

“I always told my parents I was going to be a pitcher in the Major Leagues, make all of this money and buy my mom a yellow Volkswagen Beetle,” Rockey said. “But I started to look at my life and what I was going to do if baseball wasn’t going to work out.”

Naturally, Rockey looked to sports.

“If I can’t be making the play, at least I can be the guy talking about the play,” Rockey said. “To be able to be around sports, having that be my job would be so much better than being in a cubicle somewhere.”

Sports have always been a big part of his life, Rockey said. Even though he’s participated in football, basketball and cross-country running at one time or another in high school, and grew up on the baseball diamond, Rockey said he actually considers himself more of a fan than an athlete.

Rockey said he doesn’t know how long he will actually be considered an athlete, but he’ll always be a fan. He’ll always want to talk sports.

“Sports gives people a second world,” Rockey said. “I wouldn’t say it’s my guilty pleasure. I don’t feel guilty.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com. Follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.