“To me, gaming can be a sport,” he states. He cites the mental focus and stamina required for esports, and notes that esports competitions draw large viewerships and command high sponsorship and advertising rates, much like their in-real-life counterparts.

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A history buff, Ronald is particularly interested in World War I and World War II. He cites the Battle of Verdun (the longest battle of WWI, lasting 9 months, 3 weeks and 6 days) and the Gallipoli campaign (one of WWI’s pivotal battles, setting the stage for the formation of the Republic of Turkey) as being his favorite areas of study.

 

Interested as he is in history, it comes as no surprise that Ronald considers history teacher Alex Washam to be his favorite. He also mentioned Brian Brandtner (social science and physical education) and Kathy Browning (physical education) as others he is fond of.

 

As a senior, Ronald has some decisions to make about his future. A lot is still up in the air, but he’s pretty certain he will be attending college, probably studying photography. He is interested in exploring landscape and extreme weather photography, in particular. He is intrigued by the idea of using an aerial drone to take photos from the inside of a tornado or hurricane, something that would certainly be unique and generate a lot of interest in his work. He hopes to build a career as a photographer after college.

 

When asked what he would wish for, if given that proverbial magic wand that can do anything, but can be used only once, Ronald didn’t hesitate. “I would use it to give me a billion dollars,” he said, “but I would use that billion dollars for good things.” He elaborated, explaining that he would give most of the money away to charities, the homeless, orphans and others who desperately need a helping hand. Because that’s the kind of thoughtful, caring young man Ronald is – someone who would use his one and only all-powerful wish to help others, rather than enrich himself. So it seems that Ronald is in possession of some of the greatest gifts one could have, after all: a kind heart and a giving spirit.