What are you involved with at school?
Oh boy, all of my activities? Let’s see. I was just elected class president, so that’s exciting. I’m also Tri-M Co-President, I am an officer of the STEM Ambassadors Club, a member of the First Responders Club, and in all the bands: symphonic band, pep band, and pit orchestra when it’s time. I’m also a firefighter outside of school and a member of the National Honors Society. I’m also on the homecoming court (and was later voted homecoming king).
How did you spend your summer?
I actually was at Carnegie Mellon for five weeks this summer at Pennsylvania Governor’s School which is a whole program that actually used to be funded by the state, it’s not funded by the state anymore but it’s still completely free. I had to apply to get in, write essays, get recommendation letters, and everything. Then, we went there for five weeks and we had classes everyday from 8 in the morning to 8 at night. We learned from professors at Carnegie Mellon about all sorts of science stuff from cancer biology to the theory of relativity and stuff like that and then we had homework all night long.
Did you get to do anything fun?
Yes, on the weekends we did fun stuff.
What’s your favorite Springfield memory so far?
My favorite Springfield memory? That’s so hard. Well, I’ll tell you for the homecoming questions and the senior night questions I put playing in the pit orchestra for The Little Mermaid and Grease because playing in the pit orchestra is just so fun. I’d say that’s probably my favorite memory.
If you could only play or listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?
One song? It’s like an existential question. One song for the rest of my life? I have to think. It should be something long so there’s a lot of variety. Let’s say, ok I’m going to be corny and say The Grieg Piano Concerto.
Is that listen to or play?
Well, I can’t play piano. Wait, for me to play for the rest of my life? Well, I’d have to say the Mozart Clarinet Concerto because that’s what I can actually play.
Our last question for you is, as a senior, what does your ideal day look like in a year?
This time next year? My ideal next year? So ideally, I’ll be in college. Hopefully, I’ll get accepted somewhere. Ideally, I’ll be at college doing civil engineering. So I think my ideal day would be waking up at 8:00, having class from like 10:00 to like 2:00, but not just lectures, cool classes too like labs and stuff. Then, I think it’d be really cool to have marching band practice in the afternoon. Then, at night, what’s the fun thing I would do at night? At night I think it’d be nice to just like sit in the common room and watch a movie with a bunch of people.
Thank you so much, Tommy! I wish you the best of luck!
