Thursday November 12th, 2020: E Block - the end to a long day! Winter is coming, so the outside is misty and close to raining, but the birds continue to chirp (we think- we were actually inside so, upon reflection, we have realized that we can’t really attest to that). The mood is light, and the Human of CPS makes small talk as we anticipate the year’s fourth student interview. I click record. “Welcome, Satyel.” The interview has begun…
Celia: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?
Satyel: Like ever? Hmm...the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me. I don’t know if this counts as crazy, but the first thing I can think of is when I entered a short film I made into a film festival. It's funny, because I really didn’t think I was going to win. It wasn’t something I was extremely passionate about, or that I really, really wanted to win. It was just something I did on the side, and to think that the judges actually liked it was really crazy to me. It was awesome, and I think I learned a lot more from the experience than I thought I would.
Celia: That’s so cool! What was it about?
Satyel: It was basically about this character who went to a beach, and found this shell. It turned out to be a magical shell, and because she touched it when she picked it up to look at it, she found herself inside the shell when she woke up. It all turned out to be a dream, but it was just this crazy story. It was just some basic thing I had come up with, and it was crazy that I actually won it. The short film actually ended up inspiring things I made in the future.
Celia: When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Has that changed for you over time?
Satyel: I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, but I’m also super interested in psychology. More specifically, criminal psychology or forensic psychology. Behavior analysis in general. I don’t know why, they’re vastly different jobs. I’ve always dreamed of being a criminal investigator, but I’ve also always dreamed of being a teacher.
Celia: Are there any teachers that have had a profound impact on your life, or any other people that have been very influential?
Satyel: My third grade teacher, I believe her name was Karina, and I really liked her because she focused a lot on happiness, and doing things she enjoyed. I know I had another teacher that year that really stressed me out, but she genuinely made me just want to be happy. Like, all the time. She had smiley faces all over her classroom, and she’d always smile when you walked in the room. She really emphasized the importance of being happy, and I really liked her.
Celia: Can you walk us through a typical Saturday in your life?
Satyel: I usually wake up around 7 or 8 o’clock. I really like to wake up on the earlier side, compared to some people, but some people also like to wake up super early on the weekends, so I don’t really know. I usually spend Saturdays doing things that I enjoy doing, rather than doing work. I usually leave work until Sundays. So I wake up, and get breakfast. I usually have a really good breakfast, like pancakes and fruit. I spend time with my family, and then I might go for a run or something. Sometimes I spend the day cleaning the house, because that’s calming and enjoyable for me. I also read, do art, and other chill things like that. I like to go out in the afternoons and evenings, so I might go see friends, or go get dinner. It’s harder right now, but I try to make it work. If I’m not eating out with friends, we’ll have a nice dinner that we spent time making. Then I watch Netflix, and go to bed!
Celia: Do you have a favorite place in the world, and if so, where and why?
Satyel: Well, every other year I go to France, except obviously this year we couldn’t because of Coronavirus. Because I’ve been there so many times, and go to see family, I really like staying at my aunt’s house. This is really specific, but my aunt’s house has an attic. The ceilings are kind of low, and there’s a bed in there, and it’s always super hot, because I always go in the summer. I always like just laying down on the bed, in my little enclosed space. I haven’t been there in a while, so it’s kind of sad, because I really love it there.
Celia: How has the start of College Prep been, and how has it compared to middle school?
Satyel: College Prep has been great and pretty much what I was expecting, but I really like the people. I feel like they’re my kind of people, and that’s the main thing I’ve noticed. Everyone here is someone I would want to spend time with.