Aaron Bolonick, Senior - Interview Conducted by Araddhya Tibrewall
Araddhya: If all jobs had the same pay and hours, what job would you like to have?
Aaron: I would probably go do something in government. Actually, I take that back…I would be a journalist because I like to learn about the way things work in the world and I think it’s very important for everyone to do that. It’s interesting to me also because I love traveling—it depends on what kind of travel you’re doing obviously—but I do like traveling, so that’s a part of it, and it’s often paid for.
Araddhya: If you could make a 20-second phone call to yourself at any point in your life, present or future, when would you call and what would you say?
Aaron: I think I would call myself when deciding what to do after graduating from college. What I'd say is probably to not focus so much on what will be the most lucrative or have the most prestige going into a profession—or going into professional school for something—because I’ve heard a lot of stories of people who’ve done that, and they say not to do so. That’s what I’d say.
Araddhya: What are some of the events in your life that made you who you are today?
Aaron: I think one event that made me who I am today is honestly getting into College Prep. What I’ve really liked about College Prep is the way in which…is the high quality of education that a lot of people don’t have access to. It has really helped me become a better writer and a better thinker in general. And I think it has given me a really nice, low stress place to go to high school than a large, public high school. Another event is…I used to play classical cello, and then I stopped doing that in fifth grade and started playing the saxophone. That has definitely made me who I am just because I really like doing it; it’s the largest extracurricular involvement of mine. It’s the best way for me to express myself and have fun with other people because I was never in team sports—in a way, it’s my team sport.
Araddhya: What do you want your epitaph to be?
Aaron: (laughs) I would say something like….. “Life is short. Enjoy it while you can.” Obviously, I’m still very young, but I think that it’s weird how fast things have progressed. There are times when I let things happen without engaging in things around me, and that’s not really a great idea. Something I’d actually add is, “Take notice of what’s around you.” Because that’s something I’ve been doing more, both literally—visually—and in terms of the opportunities and people around you. I used to be shy and wouldn’t reach out to people or try things because I thought I wouldn’t be good enough at them, so…something along those lines. Obviously more edited than that.
Araddhya: Here’s a series of quick questions. You’ll be given two things. Indicate your preference.
Eyes or ears? I think I have to say ears. Even though I like eyes and I love being outdoors, which I wouldn’t be able to do as easily or at all, music is something that I like and makes me feel better at any point in my life—and I would be depressed without it.
Drama or dance? I don’t do either. Though if I had unlimited hours in the day, honestly probably dance.