By: BHS Senior Spotlights Staff
January 31, 2024
Chosen for this week’s first senior spotlight is Anthony Pytel. Anthony is intelligent, calm, and determined. He enjoys playing basketball, golfing, spending time with family, reading, and sometimes, cooking.
Q: What is your favorite memory from elementary school?
A: “One of my favorite memories from elementary school would have to be the first time I played basketball on the black top with my friends. I used to be very timid and almost scared to ask to play with everyone else. But one day, I built up the courage to ask, which resulted in me making friends because of my skills. I then enjoyed recess everyday.”
Q: What are your plans after high school?
A: “After high school, I plan on attending Baldwin Wallace University to major in Business and minor in either Economics or Finance. I plan on obtaining as much knowledge as I possibly can in order to pursue and excel with anything I desire/choose to do in my life. I also plan on playing varsity basketball at Baldwin Wallace.”
Q: Describe senioritis.
A: “Senioritis to me means to not place school at the top of the priority list, as it used to be. It means to start looking past the walls of the school and start looking towards one’s future. When we’re young, school is more of a priority for the purpose of graduating off to a good college. However, now that the time of graduation is getting closer, we are beginning to treat school less seriously due to the fact that we’re so close to achieving the whole purpose of school.”
Q: What do you think is the biggest problem facing young people today?
A: “I believe the biggest problem young people face is the pressure to fit in. Additionally, young people nowadays are constantly degrading others who they ‘believe’ are beneath them in hopes of achieving higher status or even fitting in with the ‘popular’ crowd. Everyone is not always genuine, and if they are, most of the time they are the ones getting questioned and singled out despite the fact that they are being true to themselves. This whole generation has created its own rule of how to act and how to treat others. And if broken, it will result in you getting backlash and criticism. Ostracism: It’s what scares most young people today from being their own person. If we can get over the fear of criticism and necessary isolation, we will see a change for the better.”
Q: What is the most important quality in a friendship?
A: “I believe that loyalty is the most important quality in a friendship. I believe this because you need to have companions who will defend you when you aren’t there, who will treat you with respect, and who you know will always have the best interests in mind for you. All of those stem from loyalty.”
Q: What is the strongest advice your parents ever gave you?
A: “One of the strongest messages I’ve received from my parents is to not quit, no matter what. If I set myself on a path or if I decided I would try something, I would follow through with it until the end. I was never to take the easy way out, no shortcuts. I was to finish when I was finished, not when I felt like it.”
Q: What dreams do you have for tomorrow’s world?
A: “Some dreams I have for the world of tomorrow is for people to treat each other with more respect. Not only respect, but I wish for people to try and be more understanding with others, whether that’s being with their opinions, beliefs, and even morals.”
Q: What is your greatest fear?
A: “My greatest fear is probably Atychiphobia, which is the fear of failure. Sometimes, I don’t realize it at the moment, but I do fear failing. I believe a lot of people do, too. However, I don’t run away from it anymore; instead, I face it head on by doing the things I am scared of with courage. And, I have learned to take failure and apply it to ways of getting better, otherwise known as success.”
Q: Who is your hero?
A: “I’d say that my heroes are my mom and dad. They have both taught me so many lessons and have always been there for me when I needed them, no matter what. They have influenced me into the person I am and the one who I am becoming.”
Q: Out of your entire school career, what teacher has been the biggest inspiration and/or influence to you?
A: “The most influential/inspirational teacher I’ve been under would have to be Mrs. Hansen. I have had many talks with her about life, money, and other things, and she has always made sure that I had a good understanding of what I had asked her. She helped me obtain knowledge on how to do things the right way and the best way. I’m grateful for her.”
Anthony, thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish the best for your senior year and your future at BWU and beyond. Go Yellow Jackets! 🐝
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 