With the end of high school quickly approaching, Luke Wilson sets his attention to his future at Bloomsburg University with his eyes set on mass communications.

Within his time at EHS, Wilson proved himself as a multifaceted individual by getting involved in various activities from the Marine Fitness Club, several facets of band, ETV and the list goes on. 

Stinger: What are your plans after high school?

Wilson: Right after graduation I’m going to go to the beach a lot this summer [and] enjoy the outdoor weather and then in the fall I’m going to Bloomsburg for mass communications. Hopefully after college I can get some work experience around the area then I want to move down to Myrtle Beach. 

Stinger: Obviously this year was different because of the pandemic, so what did you learn about yourself through the pandemic? 

Wilson: This wasn’t necessarily pandemic related but I felt […] sort of like togetherness–I mean this sounds really cheesy but–togetherness [which] really hit me around the Christmas season. I really liked just being indoors and hanging out with people, watching movies. I really did take that for granted. […] I also learned about regenimenting your schedule. […] when you’re busy all the time and you only have four hours of free time because you got work, a club and school. You use that time more wisely versus when you have the entire day to yourself, or in COVID’s case you have a whole year to yourself. You sort of waste away a lot of that time doing stuff that you wouldn’t want to be doing like scrolling through social media […] instead of playing a game, reading a book or hanging out with people. 

Stinger: Were you remote or hybrid this year? 

Wilson: I started out hybrid then I did remote because hybrid was just pretty tough. To get in and out of the building half of the week just really messed up my schedule and it became way more of a hassle to be hybrid then remote. […] Then I switched back to hybrid for the second semester and the same sort of thing happened where it just wasn’t worth going in […] so I switched back to remote.

Stinger: Did you have any mentors throughout high school? If so, who? How did they guide you?

Wilson: The first mentor for high school was my brother, Ben. He’s not my oldest brother but when I was a freshman he was a senior and he really looked after me. He was the drum major in the band and he gave me a lot of guidance and sort of set me on the right path as a freshman. I was definitely surrounded by some bad influences that could’ve gotten me in bad crowds but I feel like he played a huge role in guiding me on the right track […] and motivating me a little bit even after he […] went to school. I still use a lot of things I picked up from him. 

Stinger: Who would you say is your biggest inspiration?

Wilson: I have a lot of inspirations. I feel like anybody who has a humble attitude and puts others before themselves–I always strive to be like that. My dad […] is a really hard worker and he pushes me constantly, [but] not in a bad way. If we’re working out or something or I need to get yard work done, he’ll always be there and making sure I get it done and taking accountability for me even though that’s my responsibility […]. Definitely humble attitudes and work ethic helped me a lot. 

Stinger: Any teachers  at EHS in specific that had an impact on you?

Wilson: At Emmaus I really liked Mrs. Kinzel, she was a really nice teacher. I had her for two years of math and she was just a really nice person and would always help me slack on homework and stuff. And Senora Hess of course, I had her for two years of Spanish [and] she was always really nice. Her class was always really funny, we could goof off and still learn a lot of Spanish. 

Stinger: What would be your advice to upcoming seniors?

Wilson: Just have fun because […] you’re going to be living through your senior year and it’s going to be flying by just like every other grade passed like seventh grade. It’s just going to fly by and you’re going to look back and fondly remember all the good memories. So my advice is to you is just make as many good memories as you can and have fun and get your work done but don’t take it too seriously. Don’t get caught up in the little stuff […] and just have a good time. Go outside, get out with your friends. 

Stinger: What do you think you will miss most about high school?

Wilson: That’s a hard one […] but probably just the atmosphere, the feel, the vibe of it. You walk into school on a spring day and it just has that particular feel and smell in the air and it’s just a good feeling. […] The feeling of being liberated from a long school day is just so amazing. Having more freedom might sort of dampen that, the feeling of how good it is to get out of school and go to… Taco Bell.

Stinger: What are you most excited for at college?

Wilson: I’m excited to have freedom. There’s a Steak ‘n Shake at Bloomsburg–I’m really excited about that. But I’m excited to sort of have my life in my own hands. I want to get away from home not because my home life is bad but just because I want to be on my own and just sort of see, […] learn and grow. I want to learn new things, I’m excited for my film classes. Again, it’s just another step in life towards my future.