Unsung Hero: Brian Diver

Plays golf; builds robots; does karate and more

Brian+Diver

Staff

Brian Diver

Tyler Moulton, Staff Writer

From the unused black boards of Abington High School to the lustrous golf fields at Strawberry Valley, Brian Diver makes use of his impressive intellect and leadership to further AHS’ academics, extracurriculars and everything in between. Let’s have a few words with one of Abington’s brightest seniors.

We know you have played on the golf team all four years. How would you describe your experience?

I’d describe it as a learning experience. When I first started, I knew I just wanted to do some sport in the fall, and I really didn’t like any of the other options. Over the years I grew to like it more, and now as a senior, I really enjoy it.

How did this season go? 

This season didn’t go well in terms of wins, but we have been having a lot of fun, so I’ve been happy enough with our season.

How have you handled the added responsibility of being captain this year?

It hasn’t been too much of a struggle; it’s a small team, so it isn’t too much work to keep all of us in check. I also get to work with Jason (Polito), so the responsibility hasn’t fallen solely on me.

I wrote my college essay on karate – it’s a great stress reliever and a good way to spend time.

— Brian Diver

 

Moving on to academics, I understand you earned the Advanced Placement Scholar Award last year. If your infamous sarcasm can be avoided, can you tell us your feelings towards school?

School is sometimes difficult, but I think it’s necessary. I don’t think I would be satisfied with myself if I didn’t try as much as I do in school. I have a pretty cynical attitude towards school, but it’s really not that bad.

What are your top colleges at the moment? Do you have any specific majors in mind?

I’ve been thinking about Syracuse, Amherst and a few others. I’m still kind of searching, and I’m not entirely certain on where I want to apply yet. I’m really interested in the space sciences, so I’ve been thinking about aerospace engineering or astronomy.

You’re also one of the only students from AHS involved in the Norwell robotics club. Can you tell us about that?

That all started freshman year; Mike Spallino came to me at the end of the golf season and just sort of offered it up. He asked if I wanted to come to the Norwell robotics club and, since it sounded cool, I took him up on the offer. Every year there is a different sport. It’s not like Battle Bots; the robots don’t fight each other. They have to perform activities like throwing Frisbees and stacking boxes. You see a lot of unique designs for the robots.

What other extracurricular activities do you enjoy participating in?

I also do karate, which I’ve done for over a year. I wrote my college essay on karate – it’s a great stress reliever and a good way to spend time. I do math team as well, which is just great as I’ve always loved math as a subject.

Is being on the Ultimate (Frisbee) team a big aspect of your high school career as well?

 Yes, it is. It’s a bit different than the other stuff I do; it’s much more athletic than how I usually spend my time. I picked it up from my brother, and have been carrying along with it throughout high school. I feel like it’s a good way for me to branch out from my normal, nerdy self.

Last question: do you have any helpful advice you’d like to give to incoming freshmen and underclassmen?

I would say you should definitely try to learn as much as possible, and not just in school either. Just try to take in the entire world around you because you won’t always be able to.