Lobsenz '20 Makes His Mark By Creating Opportunities

After giving an energizing speech to the Upper School last trimester, Josh won the SGA election for Vice President. As president of the Young Democrats Club, he helped organize a visit by U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin this past May. He’s also vice president of the STEM Club and plans to play tennis for St. Andrew’s in the spring.

“To (create the activities) you want, you have to be a leader,” Josh said. “If there are opportunities, people are going to take (advantage of) them. Other schools don’t have the same kinds of resources or opportunities as St. Andrew’s.”

All of these interests, however, take a backseat to his love of music. Josh balances his course load of AP and Honors courses, plus a post-AP Music Theory class, with Jazz Band, where he is the lead trumpet. He said playing music at St. Andrew’s in Jazz Band, and Show Band for the school musicals, inspires him.

 

“The camaraderie and making music, that’s fun,” he said. “I don’t find it to be that stressful – playing music is good for relaxing by myself or with a group.”

Josh has studied at Levine Music and the New England Music Camp. He said both programs helped him develop his musicianship and build his confidence, notably in New England, where he jumped from the bottom trumpet of the lower ensemble ot the first trumpet of the higher ensemble in one year.

 

“Josh leads by example in the Jazz Band, always showing that he is not afraid to take risks,” said Instrumental Music teacher Peter Fraize. “He doesn't hesitate to ask a question, make a suggestion, or let his opinion be known in a constructive way.”

Lobsenz has also taken advantage of opportunities outside of St. Andrew’s to grow and learn. Over the summer he took neuropsychology, genetic engineering and anatomy classes at Exeter Academy and participated in St. Andrew’s Spain Exchange, where he lived with a Spanish family and tested his proficiency in the language. Earlier this year he attended the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership seminar, which gave him additional tools on how to lead in his roles with SGA, Young Democrats and STEM clubs.

“It’s been a good experience to (be exposed) to other kinds of leadership, ways to improve my leadership and ways to lead better,” Josh said.

 

Chemistry teacher Will Ferriby said he’s seen Josh go deeper into his studies of minerals and formulas, staying after school to synthesize salesite and devise mathematical equations.

“Josh has a natural curiosity about the physical sciences, and it was amazing to watch him do research on a topic and challenge himself,” Ferriby said.

“If you can advocate for yourself, your teachers can help you and you can have better relationships with them,” Josh said. “They can help you go further than what they’re teaching in class.”

This year Josh will look to advocate for initiatives that will benefit students. In college he plans to study neuroscience or genetic engineering.