Will knows you can hear him. “People first told me I should do theater back in middle school, because I was very loud—as I still am now,” he quips. Over his four years at Commonwealth, he has used his voice to spectacular effect: As a champion of the Boys’ Soccer, Basketball, and Ultimate Frisbee teams at recess. Bringing Commonwealth’s mermaid mascot to life during a recent Hancock talent show. And, yes, through theater. But don’t mistake his hilarious turns on stage (and off) for a lack of substance. Like the sharpest comedic minds, Will is a keen observer, whether he’s looking across the throughlines of history or at life on an atomic scale. 

Getting to Know You

What is bringing you joy right now?   

I'm watching a lot of football right now—mostly the Browns, who aren’t doing too well, but they won last week, which is bringing me joy. My dad’s from Cleveland, so he's a Browns fan, and he impressed upon me at a very young age that I should also be a Browns fan, and now I am stuck with them for better or worse. 

What is your favorite book (or a book you’ve re-read)?

I've got a lot of favorite books. I just read Essence of Decision [by Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow]. It’s about the Cuban Missile Crisis and how world leaders have less control over what their countries do than what we might like. Lots of different people up and down the chain of command make these little decisions that have a waterfall effect, and there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Obviously, with the Cuban Missile Crisis, we were so close to nuclear catastrophe, and there are a lot of people who have control over whether or not we end up going down that path. But I also think the fact that we haven't had a catastrophe yet is a testament to how these people don't want to nuke everybody. They want world peace. I think it's an inspiring testament to the fact that a lot of humanity actually has peaceful intentions. 

What do you think is the most intriguing paradox?

There's this idea that the best way to ensure nuclear deterrence is to have the most nukes possible: the way to prevent destruction is to build up your capacity for destruction. It’s an interesting paradox, but it’s not great for a number of reasons. I think the less nukes, the better, but, sadly, I just don't think [nuclear disarmament] is gonna happen in my lifetime. Unless you have a functioning nuclear program, you will be forever at risk of being taken advantage of by countries that do. 

What are your favorite comfort foods? 

Ooh, I have a lot. I like mac and cheese. Super good. Steak and mashed potatoes, when the juices from the steak get on the mashed potatoes with some steak sauce in there. That's incredible. Also, some really good pasta hits. My mom makes really good Italian food. 

What was/is your favorite class (at Commonwealth or elsewhere)? 

A lot of favorites. Two are history and chemistry, and I think they're similar in the way that, by getting good at them, you gain an ability to understand how the world works on a deeper level. Like, having a concrete understanding of history helps you understand why things are the way they are in 2025 and what we can do to make the world better—and what things we shouldn't do. I think it's empowering, especially here in a country where we have so much control over what goes on in our government, compared to lots of other countries. Also, it's just super cool to be able to look at current events and go, “Oh yeah, I know why that's happening.” 

When do you feel the most enjoyably challenged?

Whenever I have to write something for history that requires me to grapple with the idea that there's no one concrete solution, no one umbrella you can just put stuff under. As a writer, I often go, “Well, this happened because of this.” Obviously, it’s easier to write that way and also easier to think that way, but the world doesn't work that way. And forcing myself to consider a confluence of factors is really fun. It's challenging, but it's fun. 

What never fails to make you laugh?

I always find myself laughing a lot in rehearsal, because it’s my excuse to be unserious and serious at the same time. I can have fun and creatively express myself. Obviously, you need to be serious about what you're doing, but I just end up laughing a lot. If I'm being real, I'm also probably the one making other people break in rehearsal the most. Like, I’m not usually the crux of the issue, but I’m often involved. I take full responsibility for that. 

What are people most surprised to learn about you?

I spent six months in Switzerland when I was two years old. We were there for my parents’ jobs. Obviously, I don’t remember any of it, but I can tell people I spent six months abroad. Apparently, I ate a lot of Swedish meatballs from IKEA. I had a great time, so I've been told.

Pen or pencil? 

I like being able to erase stuff, because my handwriting is kind of terrible. I will oftentimes need to go back and make revisions to words I can't even read. 

Fall, winter, spring, or summer?

Winter, because I like dressing for winter better; I wear hoodies a lot and it's more comfortable. And you can go skiing, which is really fun. I like the snow. I like Christmas. All sorts of cool stuff happens in winter. 

Life as a Commonwealth Student (and Beyond)

What was your first impression of Commonwealth and how has it mapped to your experience?

So coming here from my middle school—which was not huge, but it was bigger than this—I was like, “Whoa, everything is tiny.” I knew it was small because I had done my due diligence with the research and all that. But I was still like, “This is gonna take some getting used to.” But I found that you actually have a lot of freedom to do stuff here. You have flexibility in your academics. Teachers are really willing to help you go deeper on things you care about. And you have a lot of freedom outside the school as well. I love being independent. Those two things were huge for me coming here. And, obviously, I have gotten used to tinyness. It’s definitely endearing. Like, I feel like everybody here knows me. The independence is great because it really allows you to take ownership of what you’re doing with your life. And I think that's a very powerful thing for someone growing up to have.

Using metrics besides grades, how do you define “success” in your classes?

Improvement from where you started, both in knowledge and also in skills. If you're doing better at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year, I think that's success. Work you’ve put into the class should be taken into account as well. Like, having the mental fortitude to stick with something even when you're not immediately successful should be celebrated. 

Tell us about your theater experience: what drew you to performing and what’s kept you treading the boards?

So people first told me I should do theater back in middle school, because I was very loud—as I still am now. They were all like, “Will, you have a great voice. You should do theater.” And then COVID happened, and I never really got the chance to do it. Obviously, in ninth grade, I was getting used to things here and acclimating myself, so I didn't really have the opportunity to do theater. Tenth grade finally comes around, and my parents are like, “Okay, people have been telling you should do this for four or five years. You should actually do it this time.” And I'm like, “You know what, I will.” So I go out for the fall play, and we only had three official cast members, which was intense. It forced me to take on a larger acting responsibility than I expected, especially as someone who hadn't done a lot of acting prior to that. It threw me into the fire a little bit, but I'm grateful for that, because I learned a lot about what it means to be good at acting, what it means to improve as an actor, what it means to hone your craft on the fly. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been trying to help underclassmen who are new to theater acclimate to that process. On top of that, I really like getting up in front of people and making them laugh. When you get laughter out of an audience, it's a good feeling. All of that has kept me going back. 

How else do you spend your time outside of classes?

I do sports three seasons here: soccer, basketball, and Frisbee. They’re all super fun. My favorite part is getting to interact with my peers in an environment that I don't usually. I get to see them not just as students but as people, and I love that. I've gotten to build a lot of friendships through sports throughout my time here. Similarly, I do Model UN, and getting to go to conferences with my peers and talking to them about policy allows me to build those intercommunal relationships that I think makes this school really special. 

How has your Commonwealth experience colored the way you look at the world? How you plan for your future?

So, people here are really willing to help you learn about the things you want to learn about and excite your intellectual curiosity. I haven't decided what I'm gonna do out in the world yet, but one of the main ways I'm gonna figure it out is to find people who will help me continue to hone my intellectual curiosity and to evolve as a learner, as a person. I think Commonwealth has done that really well, and I want to continue doing that as I move on from here. Commonwealth has encouraged me to not just take things as superficially presented. To peel off the outer layer and go, “Okay, there's more going on here.” And to not be afraid of the fact that there's more going on but rather to embrace the complexities of life. 

What would you tell your ninth-grade self?

In ninth grade, I was a little bit overwhelmed with the academic side of things, so I would tell ninth-grade me to relax. Like, it's gonna be okay; just keep doing what you're doing and have faith in your ability to figure things out. I think everyone who's here is at this school for a reason, and you just need to trust that you have the capacity to do things well and give yourself the space and time to figure things out. 

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