Learn, create and imagine with Jonathan Thornley, a multitasking junior here at Bear River High School.
He is taking seven AP classes this year, which makes up pretty much his entire schedule. He is taking AP 3D and 2D Art Design, AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry, AP Calculus, AP English Language and Composition, and AP U.S History.
Thornley doesn’t stop there though, he is a very hard worker. “I was working at the LOP Activity Center, which basically allowed me to get a lot of homework done while I worked, which was nice. Now I'm going to be doing a lot more lifeguarding. Can't quite do that as much. If you're above the age of 16, you can kind of just get hired, if you get certified.” said Thornley.
It’s hard to imagine doing so much in one day, but enjoyment makes things a lot easier.
“My motivation? I actually have a genuine interest in taking my classes. I enjoy learning those subjects, except for English. So the motivations within the subject.” said Thornley.
“I do a water polo club year-round, along with swimming during swim season, and I participate in Bible club, philosophy club, and a few others,” said Thornley.
Thornley has been in the water for a long time.
“I started water polo my freshman year and I've been doing it since. Swim, I did sophomore year, but I was on a swim team way before that since I was four.”
Thornley also enjoys other hobbies and activities outside of school. “I really like climbing, bouldering. It is definitely a big interest of mine. Can't quite do it as much now, 'cause it's pretty Art and ceramics Teacher, Elizabeth Jens, mentions how amazing of a student Thornley is. “I thought, ‘Wow, what a stunner he was’. He's just got some innate talent. Every year, he does more and more amazing things.”
His style in ceramics is unique and universal.
“He likes to work with cosmic concepts. He likes to work with atmospheric perspective in relief, and he likes to sculpt really tiny, impossible objects.” said Jens.
Jens also really enjoys his company and smarts. “He spends every period in my class. And I adore him, he's a wonderful kid. Just brilliant in every way. And he just has such a vision. He's absolutely a visionary, and doesn't really let problems get in his way. He solves lots of intellectual and artistic problems with every new project he makes.” said Jens.
Thornley also takes difficult classes under Biology and Chemistry teacher Jennifer Weir.
“My first impression of Jonathan was that he was a very quiet student, and in class, a little bit difficult to get to know. But obviously he had a lot of academic knowledge and did really, really well on tests.” said Weir.
Weir also loves Thornley’s curious mind and motivation to learn. “I think that one of the things about Jonathan that amazes me is that he is very curious. He's super curious about a lot of things. And so that curiosity drives him to try new things and to learn.” said Weir.
Thornley has made a big impact in class and to Weir herself.
“I think my favorite story is that Jonathan once told me that people don't think mathematically enough. And that that gave me, as a teacher myself, gave me a pause, that Jonathan views the world in a different way than I view the world,” said Weir. “And that, I might talk about relationships and content and information in the sciences, but Jonathan is also thinking about, ‘Could those things be related mathematically?’ and that there might be a way to represent that in a mathematical academic equation and that that is just something that's really unique about Jonathan.”
