Interviewed by Derek Swartzlander
Icon: You graduated from Bluffton in 2019. What have you been doing since then?
Since graduating in 2019, I attend Ohio University where I am pursuing a BS in Media Arts Productions. I was sent home for online school last March and plan to move back into Athens on May 9 (finally).
Tell us a funny story from college.
My very first night at OU, my friends and I witnessed a car get pulled over by cops on horses. They tried to flee, but four horse cops boxed them in while they tried to shoot the gap. I’ve never seen that before and I doubt I’ll see it again.
If you could live anywhere you could chose in the world, where would that be?
I really like the vibe of Brentwood, California, because it’s right by Santa Monica and Downtown LA, but feels like a small suburb with easy access to the beach and mountains. Internationally speaking, I’d love to spend a few months in Tokyo or Seoul.
Do you have a favorite TV show?
Yes, my favorite show right now is Attack on Titan. I used to have a stigma against anime like most people I know, but my friends and I all love this show. It has amazing animation, a tragic main character, expert-level foreshadowing, the best soundtrack, and huge societal themes that really make you think.
If you could meet anyone in history, who would that be?
I’d love to meet Aristotle, because he has so much knowledge from his mentor, Plato, and Plato was taught by none other than Socrates. Then, Aristotle went on to mentor Alexander the Great. I’d love to ask Aristotle tons of questions about the time period and what Alexander was like.
What is your favorite holiday?
My favorite holiday is Christmas, because I love having time to relax with my family and friends with little to no other obligations. I feel like Christmas is the holiday where everyone gets a large and needed break.
What do you do on long car rides?
I like to listen to a large variety of music when I go on long road trips. If the road trip is scenic, I like to talk with friends and watch the landscape.
If someone made a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
Jesse Eisenberg, because I think he’s the perfect combination of being funny and weird.
Can you tell usa about teachers at Bluffton who inspired you?
I liked most of my teachers at Bluffton, but Mr. Hoff and Ms. Erford probably inspired me the most.
Erford always gave the best constructive criticism about our creations and really pushed you to give your all.
Mr. Hoff gave me the wonderful opportunity of being a part of Ocean Focus which led to one of the best trips of my life.
Thanks to that program, I take conservation seriously and have a large desire to see as much of the world as I can before I go.
Do you have any advice for high schoolers today?
My advice for high schoolers today is to be yourself. Don’t mold yourself to fit the people around you and be a part of a group of friends that values you for who you truly are as a person.
High school can be very cliquey, but college is entirely different because there are so many people.
