Against the wall between the gym and band room; you would be in luck to find the disco ball of the plastics: Vivian Lonczak.
A guitarist, baker, singer, honors student and artist born on April 15th, 2008: Vivian seamlessly strides through her sophomore year with a bubbling personality evident to any student or teacher that interacts with her.
A simple, although an always controversial starting question, due to it depending on the student you ask:
“My favorite teacher is probably Mr. Bly because he manages to keep a very casual environment in his classroom while still making sure we learn the material and have a deep understanding of it.“
While changing topics to more direct questions revolving around classes and clubs, Vivian followed up one of the questions with how she felt and her opinion on how sophmore year was progressing:
“I’m liking sophomore year so far! I think I’m making friends and learning how to become a better student as well as a better person overall.“
When questioned whether or not she would willingly continue to participate in drama club the following years:
“I really enjoyed getting to play Gretchen in Mean Girls. It was a way to get out of my comfort zone and try something new and interesting to me. I was shy at first but I like to think that I opened up and did the best I could portray the character. It was my first time ever being in a musical but I would love to do it again next year!“
While questioning what Vivian had planned as a occupation after college, she emphasized that it would likely correlate with her interests of jewelry, fashion, and painting:
“I know I want to do something creative. I’ve been thinking about doing something in film, maybe special effects makeup or costume design.”
She had clarified however that her major would most likely be distinct from her dream occupation and that she mainly focuses on finding a paying job after college.
“I want to do something in the arts, but I’m honestly not sure of much beyond that. I want to get a degree in something that I can actually do as a job, and the arts aren’t always the most feasible in this regard. I would probably major in marketing or something and minor in something I’m more interested in.”
Although Vivian hadn’t been entirely sure when asked where she intended to study after Ludlow High School, as no colleges had come to mind during the interview and only the scenery of her dream school. “I’m not sure where I want to go to college. Ideally I’d like to go to one that’s in a city. I like being in the center of everything.“
I honestly hadn’t been surprised by the answer. Vivian makes me imagine that kind of person you’d meet in New York in one of its local cafes typing away on a laptop or scribbling in a notebook. Continuing off that, I questioned if she had any major figures in her life that provided a sense of security:
“I would say my parents are important figures in my life because they provide love and support as well as guidance, and I know that they’ll always be there for me as long as they can.“
I loved the answer! I fully believe the strongest bond most highschool students need to succeed in their studies and after graduation is the one they share with their parents and their support. I furthered the topic of inspiration and asked if she had any advice to current and upcoming sophomores:
“The advice I would give to future or current sophomores is to take a step back. Schoolwork, or even just personal issues can seem really overwhelming in the moment which can lead you to avoid your responsibilities. If you take a minute to list off and write down the things you have to do it lets your brain focus on one task at a time instead of all of them at once, which makes everything feel a bit more manageable.”
Vivian, when asked, had given a couple of concluding statements to further illustrate the already large picture of her persona:
“My favorite show is Community, while my favorite movie is Die Hard. A couple bands I really like are Green Day, No Doubt and Cake. Oh, and I was also born the same day the Titanic sank!”