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When did you become interested in track & field? How old were you?
I began by running with my dad and a close family friend of my dad a little in middle school. I started cross country freshman year of high school because my dad told me that I would make a good long distance runner. I then truly became invested when I was 15 after missing the state meet. The competitive drive was ignited after that and caused me to love the feeling of competition and running fast.
 
What did you like about it?
Being able to talk with people for hours without worrying about anything else. Being with 10 of your best friends and zoning out to get way from the stress of school and life, it is the ultimate stress reliever. And during those grueling workouts, knowing that everyone else is hurting too so working together makes me realize that I'm never alone. It taught me how to become comfortable with being in pain and that hard work and confidence is needed to become the person and runner I want to be. As well, it is the best way to see all of the city. Running lets me see so much that I would never have seen before.
 
As a first-year at UR, you ran on the 4x400 relay in several meets. What's the most challenging part of the relay?
Staying mentally focused while for your turn in the relay and once getting the baton, having to adapt to the position that I was given and making sure that the next person has an advantageous position. And during indoor track to make sure that I don't have to hit or get hit by anyone because there is such little space to get started going into the curve.
 
Set the scene for us. The relay is underway and you are next on the track. What's going through your mind?
At first, I'm hoping that I don't drop the baton. Then making sure that it's actually my turn. Then I'm worrying about the race hurting and that I can keep up. Then back to not dropping the baton because it seems like the guy handing it off to me is going super fast.
 
You ran on the distance medley relay (DMR) at the Liberty League championships (UR finished second). Which leg of the race did you run?
I was the miler, so the last leg of the relay.

Because the DMR legs are all different lengths, are the runners as interchangeable as they are in a 4x400?
Not at all in my opinion. The 400 runner couldn't be an effective miler as they require different strengths. Just like how I would get blown out of the water by the 400 sprinters. This makes a DMR an even more impressive event as it shows that a team is truly versatile and allows us to mix sprinters and distance. 
 
One of the races you ran last winter was the David Hemery Boston University Invitational. Have you ever run at an event as big as that?
Never. That was probably the scariest race and most nervous for a race that I have experienced, even over the state meets in high school. Getting onto the track in front of a ton of people, some being pro athletes, and knowing that this would be a fast race shocked my system. I mainly realized that I made it and was good enough to compete close with the very best.
 
When you are home, do you plan to work with any youth programs – coaching, counseling, working behind the scenes, etc.? What do you like about doing that?
I usually work at the local parks and run summer camp for the Chicago park district or I am helping with my brother's little league teams. My favorite part is that I get to know the people in the neighborhood and interact with everyone back home. Everyone has a different story and way of life, and I get advice from 12 year old's while giving them my own advice. Everyone works together.
 
In October, 2020, you ran in a Virtual 8K organized by Vassar College. How was that conducted? Did you run through Genesee Valley Park?
Coach Novara let us know that we actually had some "competition" for a time trial, which made everyone excited and gave some extra motivation. We didn't have anything close to a racing opportunity since last March so this allowed us to see all the progress made. So, we raced here at Rochester while Vassar raced at their school. We then combined the results and determined who the winner was, for both the individual and team. We actually decided to do this race on the track, one for faster times but also so that times would be fair because courses, like GVP, can drastically change the strategy of racing. GVP is known for being a harder course as the hills, 2k laps over 8k, and even snow at points change the way we race. So we need to build a strategy with our crucial passes and attacking hills to ensure a team win.
 
What led you to the University of Rochester?
I wanted an academically rigorous school with an open curriculum where I could also run. My mom's family, who lives in Buffalo, recommended here because of its status as an academic school. When I visited, I loved the campus when I first got here and was in complete awe of Rush Rhees. As well, the amount of resources that the university has for me blew me away.
 
Did you speak with any UR alumni before making the decision to come to UR?
I didn't talk with any alumni before making the decision. But I was able to talk to people on the team, mainly the seniors that graduated last year, the summer before and felt welcomed to the team. Having training updates over the phone kept me accountable and established a culture of hard training with studying.
 
Why did you choose a double major of Computer Science and Physics? How are they connected?
In Physics, it is all about calculating the probability of events happening and explaining the core mechanics of how the world works. I have always been interested in why the world around us works the way it does. And with computer science, I loved building projects and creating something that could benefit me and do tedious things for me. In the physics/CS world, quantum computers are being built and they are ways to simulate and accurately predict the future, which can be used for AI units, like self-driving cars or robots. These computers take core quantum physics ideas of superposition and apply them to security, medicine, or AI to create substantially faster computing times .
 
Have you worked with any campus groups tied to your studies?
I haven't been very involved with anything so far, but I plan on attending the 2021 hack-a-thon, where you build for an extended period of time and build a full application from scratch. My friends have said that it's rewarding and can find new people to build a project together with.