Interests

My interests are as diverse and broad as the sun is wide, with the technological portion first and foremost in my mind. I have a passion for the mechanical, which began as an obsession with vehicles in my youth. My most powerful passion has to be my interest in steam power and the Age of Steam itself; steam locomotives, cars, engines, etc. are a boyhood passion. Internal and external combustion engines fascinate me; the former of which started me on the path to becoming a car guy. I love working on cars, motorcycles, lawnmowers, and the like; every chance I get I am helping my Dad bang around inside the engine bay of one of our two early-model Ford Focii or his old early '80s Honda UJM, or keeping my own bike in working condition. My interets in mechanical things was ultimately why I joined FIRST Robotics Competition Team #1432, "Mahr's Metal Beavers" and why I take shop at Franklin. To be totally honest, I love working with my hands on just about anything that needs fixing, as well as working with machines to create unique things. Another area of interest I have is electronics; basically anything running on electrical power and generating electrical signals that interact with devices running on other electrical signals interests me. I started out with electronics in freshman year, when I saw plans for a bicycle turn signal that I wanted to build. I taught myself how to solder, equipped myself with Dad's old tools, and have greatly improved my skills since then.

Arts

I have high-class levels of appreciation for the arts and entertainment, especially the performing and visual; perhaps more so than normal patrons, being an artist myself. I am proficient in two of the most known performing arts: dance and music. I have been studying piano since I was in 7th grade, and am currently Late Intermediate proficient as well as a budding composer in my own right. I have also been taking dance since I came to Franklin, and plan to continue as far as I can with it. My musical background goes back as far as preschool age, when I was still part of the Community Music Center; it also helps to have a grandmother who is a composer and piano teacher. I have also received formal voice training, and sung in several choirs. I have also acted at Franklin High School, in one of the 2015 Senior-led One-Act Plays. I played Joe Hardy in The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From.

Current Occupation

I am not currently employed, occupying my time with finishing high school. In the past, I worked over the summer of 2015 with the Portland Water Bureau as part of their Asset Management division, helping to organize Condition Assessment data into an MS Access database.