Born in Denver, Colorado, Pau Lleonart Calvo ‘17 attended ASB for five years, together with his three siblings, Max, Marina, and Georgia. “My family often moved between the United States and Spain, so it is hard for me to imagine my life without either country. Over the years, I’ve called both places home; however, my family is entirely Catalan, and the experiences I had at ASB as well as the friendships I formed there absolutely solidified Catalunya as the place I call home.”

Now in his final year at Virginia Tech studying a BSc in Computer Science, Pau is planning to work in the software development industry as a software engineer following graduation.

What experiences or teachers from ASB might have inspired who you are today?

“My time with Mr. Bartlett, my Physics teacher, taught me how to balance work and fun. He made the coursework so exciting, and at the end of our time together, my class gifted him some mugs which had phrases on them that he often repeated (something we always found entertaining). Ms. Marta made our Spanish classes exciting by having us regularly bring in home-cooked meals to share. Mr. Daniel always made Chemistry fun and even had us participate in a student vs. student rap battle during class. They, along with Ms. Montse, Ms. Monds (Go Hokies!), Ms. Minu, Ms. Corral, Ms. Vernet, Mr. Speier, Principal Chapin, and others, all had a tremendous impact on how I’ve grown.”

Tell us a little about any extracurricular or service activities you were involved in at ASB.

“While I was at ASB, I participated in and helped organize Mary’s Meals galas where we held auctions and collected donations to help end world hunger. I was also a member of ASB’s Rotary Interact club and regularly volunteered at a local home for the elderly, where my classmates and I helped the residents learn how to use modern technology. At one point, my friends and I even ran a small science club out of one of the high school classrooms!”

What would be a favorite ASB memory?

“My favorite memories from ASB are of the first time I met each of my best friends. Looking back, it feels like we met in such accidental ways, like running into each other in a hallway or coincidentally being placed in the same orientation group on the first day of school. I could never have predicted how important each of them would be to me.”

In your opinion, what makes ASB special?

“Because of its size, ASB has a unique way of personalizing relationships between students, teachers, and faculty. The diversity within the community also allows students to develop a global mindset that is truly unique. It’s because of these qualities that I woke up every morning excited to get to class, to see my friends and my teachers.”

If you could describe ASB in one word, what would it be?

“Personal.”

Anything else you would like to share?

“You can check out my software projects (like a realistic snowflake simulator) at gitlab.com/paullc.”

Once a Lynx, Always a Lynx!
#Lynx4Life #ASBtogether

Contributed: May 2021