Bookworms get a bad rap as being antisocial, but Will ’27 defies that stereotype. At any given time, you can find him both laden with literature and stepping up as a leader for several Commonwealth clubs: Fencing, Robotics, COMMunity, Public Health Club. Then again, perhaps it’s that very bookishness that makes him such a mindful leader, eager to reflect and iterate on the Robotics Team’s processes or plan social events with COMMunity that help his classmates unwind and connect. Keep reading to get to know this junior a bit better, from his retro musical tastes to the importance of staring into space.

Getting to Know You

What is bringing you joy right now? 

Going to cafés and reading. I love getting into a good book. Recently, I read Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. It's about a man who was a logger, and he had a really interesting life. I recommend that one. For our [school-wide] summer-reading book, I chose Homegoing [by Yaa Gyassi], which follows two half sisters from Africa; one half of the lineage was enslaved and brought to America, and one half stayed in Africa. I loved that one and would totally recommend. Right now, I'm reading Prophet Song [by Paul Lynch]; it's set in an alternate-reality Ireland where there's an authoritarian takeover, and it's written from the perspective of a mother, so we get to see the impact on her family. It's an important read.

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

It's actually a series called Septimus Heap [by Angie Sage]. We would just play the audio book over and over when I was younger. There's a lot of nostalgia in it for me, but I feel like it's also really well written, and it holds up as an enjoyable read for me now, even though I'm not in the age range for the target audience anymore. But I really love it. 

What are your favorite comfort foods? 

I don't know if I have one, because I think any food can be really good, especially when you're hungry. I had a good dinner last night: it was tomato soup and grilled cheese. 

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

I loved Biology 1 and English 10 last year. Those two classes have definitely been my favorites so far. Whenever I'm reading a book, I always think about how that English class really changed how I read and how I look at characters and perspective.

When do you feel the most enjoyably challenged?

When I'm trying to do something I haven't learned yet, so I have to work it out as I’m doing it!

What never fails to make you laugh?

Bridget ’27! It’s easy to laugh with people you know well.

What are people most surprised to learn about you?

I danced ballet and tap for five years. I’m in fencing now, and a lot of it really transfers over: there’s a lot of balance, a lot of being nimble. 

Pen or pencil? 

Pens. I like the contrast of the dark ink on the light paper; you don't really get that with a pencil. I just find pens a little more fun, and I like to color code. Pens can be difficult to work with sometimes, like when you’re taking notes; it looks really ugly when you cross something out. But it's honestly worth it. This is a good reminder that I need to go to Muji and restock…

Coffee or tea?

Tea! I love bubble tea. I also enjoy making matcha for myself. I’ll get a ceremonial-grade matcha powder, and then I like adding some sort of sweetener, like blueberry syrup.

Fall, winter, spring, or summer?

I try to find the best of every season I'm in. I think there are things to enjoy about each season, and I try to look for those as the year changes, even if trudging through snow can be a drag.

Life as a Commonwealth Student (and Beyond)

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

The first time I was ever at Commonwealth was when my older sibling applied. I don't remember much, but I played Spoons with a group of older students, which I really enjoyed. The next time was for my own visit day. I remember Ms. Tyson's English 9 class and Ms. Haber’s U.S. history class; they had a large impact on me coming to Commonwealth. Everyone was super kind, and I felt almost like I was already a student here. And it was clear to me that everyone loved learning, and that definitely holds up after coming here: everyone definitely loves learning. It's maybe my favorite part about the school.

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

In part because Commonwealth teachers do a good job of truly understanding your skills and weaknesses, I think grading is actually a pretty good measure of understanding here. But I’ll say that there's an aspect to success that requires being able to openly talk about a subject or teach it to someone else; that's what I strive to be able to do.

You co-run Robotics, COMMunity, and Public Health Club. Can you tell us more about these extracurriculars and your goals as a club leader?

I joined Robotics towards the end of freshman year. (Ethan ’26 convinced me to come to one meeting and see what it was like.) I feel like it's a great place to learn. I had no experience whatsoever, and I just hovered around and got to do as much or as little as I wanted. That was great, because I could learn from watching and from doing. Last year was really great; we had a bunch of new members. We had really in-depth documentation for our robot, which I loved, because you could go back and look at all the things that didn't work and all the things you tried. It's a good way to look at your progress as a whole. And we went to the State Championship for the first time, so that was awesome. I was really proud of the robot, and I'm the pilot, so I was also really proud of my piloting. Hopefully we'll have an even bigger and better year this year. For the first time, we have teams: a design team, a build team, a coding team. They aren’t super rigid, but they should help people do what they're most interested in. We always want new people to join, and I feel like a lot of people could enjoy Robotics if they came for one meeting like I did. 

COMMunity was one of the first clubs I joined, because I was just interested in, like, What is a community? But I enjoy planning events, and COMMunity is a great place to collaborate. We're really intense towards academics as a school, and it's good to create times and places where students can relax and socialize and have fun. I think that's important. 

As for Public Health Club, I first became interested when Chance of Life [run by Happy ’26], a club dedicated to fundraising and raising awareness for children with congenital heart disease, was invited to the Harvard Youth in Public Health Symposium. Several members attended as a group, and it was a great opportunity to learn about the field of public health and the many different systems it comprises. I was so inspired that I co-started a club dedicated to public health and biostatistics towards the end of last year, and since then we’ve covered topics such as the current administrations’ approach to public health, basics of public health, and more to come!  

How do you spend your time outside Commonwealth?

I listen to a lot of music. Sometimes it feels like too much, because occasionally I can’t sleep because I will have a song stuck in my head. Usually, I’ll fixate on a couple of artists at a time and play a lot of their music and then move on. My mom plays a lot of music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, so I definitely discover a lot of artists through her: Sade, Elliot Smith, Alanis Morissette, Minnie Riperton, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Fiona Apple, Radiohead. I come back to Amy Winehouse a lot. My taste is always evolving. I’m listening to Big Thief right now. They're this indie-rock-folk band. They have great songwriting, and their sound is really interesting. Oh! I found this artist that I really like on Spotify called Blood Orange. Go listen to them!

I also really love photography. It's a special kind of art, because you're capturing rather than creating something, which I find uniquely creatively challenging—in a good way. Everyone experiences the world so differently, and being able to capture how I feel in a moment is the goal for me in photography. Last year, I did a lot of digital photography. Maybe I'll experiment with cyanotypes this year. That’s a cool medium I haven't explored much. 

When do you feel most connected to other students (or teachers/staff members) in our community?
Like I was saying, I love learning, and I feel like everyone at Commonwealth really loves learning. I think studying with other people is like a great way to learn, and I really feel connected. Even just working next to a friend can feel a lot different than going to class with them.

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

The biggest way Commonwealth has shaped me is seeing the details in things. I think about situations more holistically, and I’m more mindful of other people’s perspectives. 

Teachers being so friendly and available to meet with you and talk one-on-one really helps you build communication skills, too. Like, over the summer, I had a job, and I felt ready to talk with my boss because of all the conversations I’ve had with my teachers.

Commonwealth has also let me explore my options in a way I didn’t know it would when I was coming into high school. The assemblies are awesome, because so many speakers are alumni/ae, and you get to see how Commonwealth has affected them and started them on their journey. 

What’s your advice for prospective students considering Commonwealth?

Definitely come and visit if you can, because experiencing the day-to-day is really important. Also, just be yourself. A lot of the time, students visit, and they want to be very presentable, but we want to communicate with and see the real you. And then, if you come to Commonwealth, I would say getting to know yourself is really important as well—how you most effectively learn and study and plan your time. Commonwealth teaches you that in ninth grade, but it's good to have your own baseline.

What would you tell your ninth grade self?

Be a little bit less worried about school as a whole—grades, friends, even just the transition to high school. Also, reach out to people, get to know people, talk with people; that's the best way to feel connected.

Anything you’d like to add?

It’s very easy to get caught up in the mundane: you go to school, you go to sports, you do homework, you sleep, you shower. But taking time to not do anything is really important. Go to a café and just stare into the street. Give yourself time to think and to process. That’s how you get to know yourself.

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