“One of the things I would tell my freshman self is to try new things. High school is boring if you stick to the same routine and never do anything interesting.”. Between the Academic Team, FBLA, Skills USA, Quiz Bowl Team, and the Science Bowl, David Dodd is someone who is not closed off to the idea of trying new things. You may have heard his name over the speakers during the morning announcements while you were half-paying attention. David has found a place in high school being a part of just about every extracurricular academic league. These teams compete throughout Kentucky for schools to showboat their most academically gifted students. McCracken County has since become a major player in these tournaments, David being one of the main representatives for MCHS at these events.

David’s work with the school doesn’t stop there. He also actively involves himself with community service done through both the BETA Club and NHS, and despite what David puts back into the community, he is looking forward to a change of scenery as he enters his college years. David plans to attend the University of Tennessee, largely in part due to their world-renowned Nuclear Engineering program. He discovered his passion for chemistry thanks to the now retired, House 5 Chemistry teacher, Mr. Whitley. David has prepared to follow this passion out of state as a pioneer studying a new form of modern energy.

With a schedule like his, it was imperative to ask what he enjoys doing. He answered by saying he enjoys math and theoretical sciences. The following question was what do you enjoy when you’re pretending to be a human being. He then answered that he had a love for sports and movies. He’s been a proud Tennessee fan for all his life and can normally be seen repping orange on gameday.

When David was asked if he had a quote he enjoyed living by, he pulled out his phone and started googling for something stupid that would inevitably make its way into the newspaper. He then decided to quote his favorite author, Douglas Adams, “It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes.”. Despite the tongue-in-cheek delivery of the message, there is a solid message behind it. There is no one singular answer to life. Success isn’t handed down and given at random, it is worked for and earned. If the challenge is easy, then it wasn’t a challenge. If the answer is always potatoes, then the questions are poor.