Humans of Blair: Adventurous learning

"Humans of Blair" inspired by the blog Humans of New York , is a weekly blog that features Blazers and their stories. Come back next Monday for the next edition of "Humans of Blair."

"I don't have any philosophies."

Sophomore Aaron Mott sits at a lunch table where his friends call him Victor. He doesn't know why they do that, just one day they did so he went with it. This laid back approach to change makes his life exciting to others yet ordinary to him. "On the weekends I usually go rock climbing or flying with my dad," he shrugs. Mott goes flying at the Atlantic Soaring Club in Hartford County on Saturdays. In order to fly, Mott has to read stacks of books on the mechanics of flying, such as the relation of the wings in the atmosphere and the wings of the plane. But after reading so much, the act of flying a plane doesn't faze him. "The first time was a bit scary, but once you're in the air it's not scary at all. Especially since I have my instructor with me."

This fearlessness inspires him to pursue intense sports and learn as much as possible. Mott usually rock climbs indoors and scuba dives in Philadelphia. Although Mott lists these activities the same way a student would list theatre or orchestra as the things they like to do. But he recognizes that they're unique. "They're both really exotic sports, if you call scuba diving a sport I guess. They both take you to the most extreme places on earth. You really get to be in touch with nature while you're doing it." Getting in touch is important to Mott, as it's important for him to learn about the aspects of his life. For instance, Mott's maternal grandparents are Finnish, so he studies the Finnish education system. As it happens, this passion for learning ties into scuba diving. "When I was 10, my parents took my whole family on a vacation to Hawaii to visit my grandparents, and from there I took some scuba diving lessons that completely changed my life. It sparked my interest in school and in learning," he says. Mott's lack of philosophies it makes his life adventurous and educational. "I like to have my life changing a lot, so I don't stick to any one philosophy."