If you have ever been a part of either the arts or athletics departments here at Northwood, chances are you’ve heard the name Austin Korynta. Korynta, a junior, has spent his entire high school career working in both theatre and cross country. In the past, he has consistently run well, winning the county championship in both his sophomore and junior years. He has also acted in several school productions, including the spring musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and this year’s fall play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
One of Korynta’s biggest takeaways from his experiences in the arts and sports is the sense of community he feels with others in the departments..
“My favorite part is not even so much the show, but what leads up to the show, just making friends,” Korynta said. “We’re a cast and we’re also a family,”
This semester, Korynta showed his ability in both areas by balancing a role in the fall play and leading the cross country team as one of its most successful runners. Because of this, he had to spend a lot of time devoted to these two activities.
“It was very difficult,” Korynta said. “It’s not the first time I’ve [had to do both] at the same time], so I was more confident doing it, but it took up a lot of time…. This [cross country] season was my first season as a leader, so it was kind of hard to balance being a leader in that and trying to do the best that I can in theatre. It was a lot of stress. Line memorization was hard. Training was hard. It involved a lot of late nights [where I was] still at Northwood. But in the end, it all worked out. Both the production and the season are over now so I finally get to rest, and that’s nice.”
– By Cameron Underwood
