Senior Spotlight: Samuel Njogu (12-3)
Helena Saven (12-4)
Photo courtesy of Helena Saven (12-4)
In middle school, you won the spelling bee 3 times in a row. How did you build your talent for spelling?
Mainly because my brother was in it and I wanted to be better than him because he was always better than me at everything. That’s the main motivation for it. I just practiced and studied a lot.
Are you still an avid speller?
I still use words and I spell occasionally.
Why are you interested in skating?
Mostly because it’s fun. It’s active, I’m an active person, and it’s conquering fears over and over. I enjoy the process and it’s cool. If you see someone skating, you think it’s cool. I like that effect. Also I have peers who enjoy skating. I’ll shout out Droopy (Drew), who goes to Central.
What is your skating process?
You got to get the prerequisites first. Sometimes you have to combine skates. After you pop it a few times, you go through the motion. And then you build up the commitment and try with both feet. Just repeatedly land with one foot first and then try again with both feet. Right now I’m trying to do a front-side heel flip which is a combination of a front side 180 and a heel flip. If you don’t time it correctly, the board won’t flip, or it won’t flip all the way. You also have to hop hard enough for the board to rotate. There are a lot of steps.
Congratulations on getting your driver’s license. What is your favorite place to drive to?
My least favorite place to drive is Lincoln Drive because there’s a lot of turns and it’s very curvy. My favorite is the highway to the Atlantic City beach. Last year I drove there for the first time, it was a two-hour trip.
What was your favorite activity in AACC?
We had Drexel mentors come in and explain what it’s like being in college which I enjoyed a lot from a perspective of people who look like me, which I respected. And various events such as the cookout which I enjoy being a part of.
In what way have you changed the most during high school?
I probably matured since freshman year. I didn’t take things as seriously as I do now. Besides that, I’ve learned how to take care of responsibilities and run my errands.
What’s something you hope to accomplish before you enter college?
I want to have mastered another skill, maybe like reading faster. I know you have to read a lot for things, but I find myself having to reread a lot and it slows down the process. I’m going to try to focus on every word so I can retain it rather than forget.
Who is your role model?
I look up to my parents for the things they’ve instilled in me, how they brought me up, and the sacrifices they made for me. That’s good motivation to do the same. In school, my biggest motivator is Mr. Tannen.
Do you have fashion advice for the Masterman community?
Wear things within the guidelines of where you have to wear them. But just because someone else doesn’t like it, it doesn’t matter. Dress for yourself, don’t dress for other people because you can’t satisfy everyone if they’re not into it.
What season would you be?
I would be spring or summer because I cannot stand the cold. I really hate cold weather. It makes me ashy. It makes me cold. It sucks.