Jonathan Schwartz cherishes the time he spends relaxing with his dogs in his backyard.

“[My dogs] are always happy to see me, so they’re always a source of brightness in my life,” Jonathan said.

Jonathan’s family plays a major role in his life. He feels as if the person who inspires him the most is his mother.

“[My mother has] raised me all my life, so it’s impacted me and shown me that I always have someone to fall back on,” Jonathan said.

His family also aided him in his volleyball career, as multiple family members introduced him to the sport.

“[I started playing volleyball] in sixth grade,” Jonathan said. “My brother was playing volleyball, and my mom also played volleyball when she was in high school. I like the teamwork aspect of it and the fact that it’s not a one-person sport but requires the cooperation of everyone.”

In addition to volleyball, Jonathan also exercises. He uses both volleyball and exercise as outlets for his stress and frustration.

Jonathan’s stepfather also plays a major part in his life, from helping him build a computer to teaching him other important skills.

“The most useful skills [he’s taught me] are how to change the tires on my car, how to change the brakes on my car and how to replace the fluids in my car, like transmissions fluids and oil,” Jonathan said.

The computer he built alongside his stepfather helped him clarify what he wanted to do in the future.

“[The most important object to me is] the computer I built myself because I talked a lot with my stepfather, who helped me pick out parts,” Jonathan said. “He helped me get an interview with someone at his work, so it helped define what I want to do in the future with video game design, and it really kind of helped solidify my passion.”

He highly values his friends in addition to his family.

“[Ryan Vaughn (12)] is my best friend,” Jonathan said. “We both are Harker lifers, so it’s kind of been a journey through school with him. He taught me just to be myself and that school isn’t necessarily the most important thing in life.”