Dani Szabo is an essential component and vital aspect of the Charlottesville High School community. His involvement in many different programs and activities have given his scholastic career a flourish that isn’t matched by many other students. Dani has participated in soccer, tennis, Debate, BACON, Investment Club, and makes time for volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity. His work ethic has inspired many of his peers and has served as a great base for whatever direction he decides to go with his life.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to sit down with Dani Szabo and ask him a couple questions.

Q: How do you manage the balance between school work and so many extracurricular activities?

A: I just try to not worry about it all. I generally do a lot of work during school so I can go home and relax and have fun. I also think sleep is super important so I make sure to sleep a decent amount each night no matter what.

Q: What type of classes are you taking?

A: I’m taking a good variety. Of course there’s the classes that everyone takes, like Gov and English, but then I take Econ and Engineering which I’m interested in. Those classes are pretty easy on homework as well so they help balance my day.

Q: What are your plans for after high school?

A: I’m going to college at UVA. I think I want to go into business, but I honestly am just gonna try some new stuff out and find what I’m interested in. For now, I just plan on finding some new friends and figuring out what I might wanna do in my future.

Q: What drew you in to joining the debate team?

A: I think initially I had a friend who urged me to try it out and I liked arguing and wanted to practice some public speaking so I gave it a shot. Honestly, I also knew that I needed to join something that might stick out for colleges and debate turned out to be enjoyable and helped me get some real-world skills beyond what I was learning in my classes. It was also fun to hang out at meetings and talk and get food.

Q: What were the positives of your soccer experience and why didn’t you do it your fourth year?

A: It was a good way to get to know some people in the school outside of my grade, and to get to know people I didn’t really have classes with. Soccer has also been really good all four years I’ve been here, and going undefeated in JV and going to state finals sophomore year was special. Ultimately, I just had too many injuries and concussions. Since I wasn’t gonna play in college, it wasn’t worth it for me in the long run.

Q: What are some of the positive skills/values you picked up during your time working with Habitat for Humanity?

A: I got a chance to see and become more involved in our Charlottesville community outside of school. That’s where I first really became aware of some of the bigger problems in our city, and I also just got a chance to meet a lot of cool people with different stories that expanded my world beyond just my high school friends.