FLEX TIME A B r u n swic k S n apshot
Renaissance Man By Courtney Kennedy
I
t’s elemental. On the pavement, in the
the Connecticut Association of Conservation
lab, or hoisting the jib, Spencer McDonough ’14
and Wetlands Award and the Dominion Physical
invests and savors every waking hour. Spencer
Science Award.
dropped by for a chat in the quiet of one early
Spencer’s also a zealous and accomplished sailor.
morning, fresh off his mountain bike after riding to
He is a member of the 2012 Youth World Team and
Maher Avenue from his home in Belle Haven.
the 2013 U.S. Sailing Development Team (USSDT),
The ride may not be an odyssey or even a
the youth pathway team supported by U.S. Sailing’s
trek, but it has been a day-in, day-out journey of
Olympic Sailing Committee (OSC). It was created to
awakening and consequence.
help young athletes identified as future Olympic pros-
pects acquire the skills necessary to launch successful
Why cycle when driving’s an option? For Spencer,
it’s about feeling alert and mentally ready to tackle
campaigns and compete at the Olympic level.
the school day.
was far from predestined to live a mariner’s life.
“Earlier this year, I found I woke up exhausted
Although Spencer grew up in Belle Haven, he
and often didn’t truly wake up until well into the
His first exposure to the sport came one summer at
school day,” he admitted. “When I mentioned this to
the suggestion of a neighbor who invited him to try
my mom, she suggested I walk to school; the fresh
sailing lessons with his own children.
air and exercise would wake me up. I elected to ride
my bike — well my dad’s bike, since I didn’t have my
of determination through a sea of excitement for
own — because walking would take all morning.”
a sport that has since become a passion. “Whether
I chase an Olympic campaign or a business career,
A modern-day Renaissance Man, Spencer is
Spencer was gone like the wind, carving a wake
fluent in and dedicated to a variety of fields. He
that’s still undecided,” he said.
understands that, balancing school, sports, and
extracurricular interests, things can get stressful.
naturally as science. “The physics of sailing is cool.
It’s this abstract of science that drives me to explore
“Stepping away a little bit and connecting to the
Reconciling his two, big interests comes as
elements is what I do to recharge,” he said.
more,” he explained.
Spencer fuels his mind through science and is
To keep an even keel, Spencer said, it’s important
particularly passionate about quantum physics and
to drop the “real world” stuff, get outdoors, and
theoretical physics. In March, he and his science
“have a little fun.”
lab partner, Ashish Ramachandran ’14, were named
finalists, among 11 other Brunswick boys, at the
from the commotion of everyday life,” he said when
Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair.
asked how he defines fun. “Be it through sailing for
Their project was titled The Particular Application
“Anything that will get me outdoors and away
fun, skiing, or even reading a good book.”
of Graphene as an Integral Component of Photovoltaic
Cells on Flexible and Transparent Media. It garnered
the physics and commotion of another school day,
1st Honors at the competition and was a medalist for
he headed into the Upper School crowd.
12
times of Brunswick • Spring 2013
Then, awake, alert, and mentally ready to tackle B
Stepping away a little bit and connecting to the elements is what I do to recharge.