Whiz Kid: Holy Innocents' Senior has Many Irons in the Fire

Name: Austin Holland

Grade:  12th Grade

School: Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Accomplishment: Austin Holland excels in music, theater and Spanish. 

Key to Awesomeness:

The Holy Innocents’ student plays violin and guitar, sings in the school’s a capella group called The BearTones, and has performed in many school productions. With so many related passions, Austin calls songwriting his favorite.

“I've always found great joy in performing, even at a young age,” he said. “Writing music is unparalleled for me as it allows me to bring together everything I know about music and the instruments I play to create something that I can truly call my own.”

Aside from music and the performing arts, Austin has studied Spanish since the third grade. “My real involvement, however, didn't begin until that summer when I lived and studied in Barcelona with 100 American students for the month of July. After completing Spanish IV Honors the following year, I studied abroad for the month of July in Spain again, this time with a family in the southern city of Cadiz.”

He is now almost fluent in Spanish and wants to also learn French.

Austin is active in the school's Drama and Orchestra departments; he is one of the heads of the school's Gentlemen's Order; a member of the Student Diversity Leadership Council, a leader of the People's Club; a member of the Holy Innocents' Charitable Youth Fund board; the Global Citizenship Beta Class; a Peer Counselor; and the head of the guitar club.

He is applying to eight colleges. “My top choice is Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California,” he said.“I want to study business with a focus in finance in hopes of following in my dad's footsteps by starting a career in international business. Then again, I would also love to become a teacher.”

He added, “I'm not too worried about making a decision about my career path just yet, I think I've still got some time to figure things out.”