Being a “Renaissance Man” means that one is multi-talented and has many areas of knowledge. Throughout history, the list of renaissance men holds some of the most influential and famous geniuses of all time, like Leonardo da Vinci, Sir Isaac Newton, Galileo Galilei, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. The list, however, doesn’t contain Hillsborough High School’s renaissance man: senior Justin Dominique.

Dominique’s presence was felt immediately when he stepped on the pitch. Before the season started, he was selected to be one of the three captains on the boys soccer team because of the tremendous leadership qualities he possesses. Dominique later went on to become the leading goal scorer this season with 15 goals, and also lead the team with seven assists.

Numbers, however, don’t describe his physicality; he stands at a whopping 6 ft., 4 inches tall, and 195 pounds of lean muscle making him virtually impossible to mark. Dominique was almost always the central focus for other defenses, so when he didn’t have the ball at his feet, he often created attacking opportunities for his teammates.

As a result of his impact on the pitch, Dominique received many post-season awards. He was selected to the First Team All-Somerset County, First Team All-State for Central Jersey. In addition to this, he has been recognized as a regional All American and ranked the best player in Somerset County. Dominique has also been selected to play in the senior All-Star game on Dec. 2.

None of this was handed to Dominique. Instead, he worked hard to receive these prestigious honors on the soccer field by cross training and playing varsity volleyball in the spring season. One of his main influences has been head coach Eric Puma.

“The last couple years with coach Puma have been unforgettable,” Dominique said. “We have had our ups and downs but through it all, coach always goes back to the values that have gotten him to where he is today, and those core values will always stick with me.”

Dominique stands out not only of the field but also in the community. Sophomore year, he was selected to be a Peer Mentor, and this past year, he took the role of co-leader for Peer Plus.

“After going through the process of being a Peer Mentor, Co-President of the Peer Plus Club, and a part of the varsity volleyball team, I have learned that getting the opportunity to represent HHS in anyway should not be taken for granted,” Dominique said.

Continuing his soccer career in college is definitely something Dominique has been considering, he just doesn’t know where he might end up at this point. Where ever it may be, Dominique has a bright future ahead of him.