The beauty of human connection lies in the individual, how everyone holds something that differentiates them from the rest. Hobbies are a factor that play into the uniqueness of a person. Maybe someone who appears to be largely academically involved is unknowingly a great athlete, or perhaps someone known for their athletics has a hidden passion for the arts. People may come off as surprising when the things they actively participate in are revealed, as demonstrated by the students here at Francis Howell Central.
Contrary to expectations, freshman Rebecca Rosner is not the typical student-athlete. When her schedule’s not packed with cheerleading or swimming, Rosner consistently practices Irish dancing, a hobby she has been involved in for seven years now.
“I consider [Irish Dancing] a unique hobby because it’s never something that’s commonly talked about,” Rosner said. “And then, when people ask, ‘What’s your hobby?’ It’s like ‘Oh, I didn’t know you did this. That’s really cool.’”
Irish dancing is not simply a fun pastime to Rosner. Though swimming and cheer take up the majority of her weekly schedule, Rosner is sure to make time for dancing every other weekend, when she participates in Irish dancing competitions. Her clear dedication to the dance shows just how much she values the activity.
“I’ve put my whole world into Irish dance and I really enjoy doing it,” Rosner said.
Though it is not the most conventional form of hobby, Irish dancing has influenced Rosner and the type of person she has become. Without it, she would lack the aspects that form her unique identity.
“It’s something that really has shaped the kind of person I have grown up to be,” Rosner said.
Along with Rosner, sophomore Andrew Dungan happens to spend just about every day practicing his niche hobby: competitive mountain biking.
Just this summer, Dungan claimed the title as 3rd in the Under 29 category for competitive mountain biking in the state of Missouri. Dungan attributes these accomplishments to how much the sport has transformed him as an athlete.
“I kind of think it’s one of my defining things at this point. It’s kind of the only hobby that I have,” Dungan said. “I go mountain biking every day, have actual practices twice a week, and race every other weekend throughout the fall.”
Though very time-consuming, Dungan’s love for the sport is evidenced by his persistence and incredible achievements. Dungan goes on to speak of how mountain biking has influenced the way he interacts with his local community.
“I think we have one of the best communities in sports. We’re really supportive,” Dungan said. “My friends know a lot about what I do, and I’m kind of known [at school] — whether it’s a good thing or bad thing — as that kid who does mountain biking.”
Similarly, Senior Ryder Blaise credits improved physical health to rock climbing, something he took up more recently. The activity has also formulated his newly found love for the outdoors.
“I went to Yosemite with my grandfather, and he started climbing all over the place, but I was left behind because I didn’t know what I was doing,” Blaise said. “I saw him climbing and thought that I wanted to be able to do that.”
Since that remarkable event at Yosemite four years ago, Blaise, to this day, spends whatever free time he has rock climbing. Though a bit difficult to manage with things such as marching band, Blaise makes sure to utilize his summers and available weekends for improving upon his skills.
Rock climbing may have been the turning point for Blaise to become more connected to the outdoors. It appears that even spiritually, rock climbing has shaped Blaise into the best version of himself.
“I just feel like I want to get outside more often,” Blaise said. “I feel I used to be on the lazier side, but then I got into it, real hard too.”
Hobbies are not simply pastimes; they reveal the core passions of a person, what motivates them the most. The unexpected benefits that these interests produce lead someone to be not only intriguing, but feel as if they are complete. This includes the students of Francis Howell Central, many of whom hold such diverse skills and ambitions.
