Morgan Hill Times, 2/20/2014, “Student of the Week: Martin Wenzel.”
What inspires you?
I am inspired by my teachers on a day-to-day basis. Teachers at Mount Madonna School are creative, unique and often extraordinary in their accomplishments. They show me all the ways one can make a difference in the world and each one of them has had a significant impact on the lives of those around them.
Favorite subject in school:
‘Science with Humanity’ is currently my favorite class in school. I think conversations about morality are important to have and increasingly debated as science and technology advance. Science with Humanity connects ethicality to modern marvels such as GMOs and surrogacy.
If you could change one thing in the world:
If I could change one thing about the world, it would be that you have to prove your morality and mental strength to become a key leader. I would make it so that you could only be a senator or president or owner of a large bank if you were at one point or another in the armed forces, worked at a soup kitchen for several years or spent time as a volunteer firefighter and so on. Not only would this increase the amount of overall good being done, but it would make sure that cowards stayed out of power. Only those who were truly committed to achieving those positions would get them because only those willing to do real, hard work would be eligible.
If you could go anywhere:
My destination of choice if I could go anywhere would be Fiji, because of the pristine and unspoiled nature there. People still live there, but not so many that it ruins the atmosphere. If I had to work twice as hard in life so that eventually I could go and once there do nothing at all for the rest of my days – that would be a deal I’d be interested in.
A big challenge in your life right now:
Balancing my time is a challenge I’m facing right now. Fitting homework, athletics, extracurricular activities, applications and my own personal projects all into these short 24 hour days is something that has been new in my life this past year. However, I am adjusting well, my grades haven’t suffered and I’ve been feeling more accomplished with everything I do successfully.
Dream job:
Since I was 4 or so, I’ve always wanted to be a fighter pilot in the Air Force. It is still my favorite job of all time.
Your three favorite things:
My three favorite things are friends and family, being on an adventure, and music. When the three all coalesce I become perfectly content.
Favorite book:
‘ Harris and Me ‘ by Gary Paulsen. It was read to me first in fifth grade by our teacher and we all thought it was hysterically funny and in a way described my ideal childhood. It is about a boy who goes to live on a rural farm with his cousin and entertains himself with redneck shenanigans.
Plans post-high school:
After high school I plan to join the Air Force Academy or Air Force ROTC and pursue my dream job. There are few things more rewarding than feeling like you are accomplishing your life’s goals, and ‘achieve lifelong dream’ is one such benchmark among others such as ‘start a family,’ ‘watch children succeed’ and ‘retire happily.’
Something that makes you smile:
My friends make me smile more than everything. I have fantastic friends and we all support each other 100 percent. Being with them and remembering that fact makes me extremely happy.
Top three songs on your iTunes or iPod:
Top three songs wasn’t enough, so here’s a top six: ‘ The Air That I Breathe ‘ by All that Remains, ‘ In the Air Tonight ‘ by Phil Collins; ‘ Have Faith in Me ‘ by A Day to Remember; ‘ Everlong ‘ by the Foo Fighters; ‘ Rock you Like A Hurricane ‘ by the Scorpions; and ‘ Digital Bath ‘ by the Deftones.