Senior Profile: Jacob B. ’26

As we count down to the end of the school year, we asked some of our seniors to tell us about their interests at Friends and how their experience has prepared them for the next step.

Jacob B. ’26

Up Next: Rice University | Major: Astrophysics

Activities at Friends: Varsity Soccer (Captain), Russian Extra Help Tutor, Physics Extra Help Tutor, Varsity Lacrosse, and Wind Ensemble Baritone Saxophonist

Special Programs/Awards/Honors: National ACTR Russian Olympiada Level 4 Gold Medalist, Honor Roll 9th-12th Grade, National Slavic Honorary Society Inductee, AATSEEL/ACTR Russian Language Advocacy Ambassador,  Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Player of the Week, MIAA Varsity Soccer Honorable Mention, and Rice University Tapia Program: 3rd Place Presentation

What is/has been your favorite subject at Friends and why?

My favorite subject at Friends throughout my eight years here is Special Topics in Physics. I am currently taking this class, and it has been an amazing eight months of learning. After taking a deep dive into Accelerated Physics during my junior year, we switched the momentum this year to explore various topics found in our everyday lives and exactly how physics works in the real world. We have touched on advanced topics such as drag forces, rotational physics, fluid dynamics, wave mechanics, and will finish the year with an introduction to astrophysics and cosmology. 

This class has allowed me to see the world differently, as I am finally able to understand how many things around me interact with each other and why they perform those actions. I find my classmates and I engage in each and every topic when we enter the classroom, ready to learn. We have all gotten a concrete understanding of these various topics throughout the year, and it has only deepened my curiosity for how the universe works, pushing me to explore physics in the next chapter of my life.

How do you think Friends has prepared you for your next step in life?

Friends has prepared me for my next step in life in so many ways, but most importantly by giving me the opportunity to deeply explore so many academic topics and extracurriculars. Throughout my time here, I have been pushed and challenged in ways I truly never expected. Academically, taking Advanced Latin Literature: Vergil's Aeneid, Calculus 2, and Russian V all in my senior year while performing all of my extracurriculars was undoubtedly the hardest thing I have accomplished during my time at Friends. There were moments when I genuinely did not know if I could keep up, but with adapting and pushing through, I was able to learn how to balance the workload. 

Beyond the classroom, Friends has also made me an incredibly well-rounded person. I have been able to participate in so many things here that I would not have been able to anywhere else. Being exposed to various cultures in Latvia during the Russian Immersion Program, along with playing an instrument with many other talented musicians and competing on two sports teams for most of my time at Friends, has certainly been the most beneficial experience here. Friends have allowed me to explore all of these things all at once. 

The diversity in my activities has shaped me into someone who is not afraid to take on a lot. I have learned how to balance my life in both an academic setting and outside the classroom. This balance that I have now achieved did not come naturally to me at first. But over time, I figured out how to manage my time while still performing at a high level. That is something I know I will rely on in college and carry with me long after I leave Friends.