Sam Podnar

High school is just four years of figuring out what you like. It’s figuring out who you want to surround yourself with and what kind of work fulfills you—that’s it. It’s much more difficult than it seems, and it’s a constant process of growing out of things and growing into others.

I came to NAI interested in astrophysics and left NASH hating math; I came to NAI loving running and left NASH loving writing. In between, I tried so many things that didn’t pan out, scrapped so many pursuits because I didn’t love them anymore. And that should be the standard: Now, when you have the time and freedom to explore, set a high bar for your free time—if you don’t love whatever’s filling it, find something else.

As I graduate, I’m here with interests that survived the years, the difficulty, and the boredom that often sets in with time. And though they are few, I find them wonderful. Look for work that makes the hours pass by like minutes and for the people that nourish your soul. That’s it.