Zachary Muragaki
As a current senior at Urbana, Zachary Muragaki has spent the first semester of his final year submitting applications to colleges and practicing for the MD NBAC 46th Annual Christmas Invitational, a swim meet where he swam the 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events. It’s clear that swimming takes up the majority of his time outside of school, and doesn’t allow for a grandiose social life. On the rare occasion that he is given a day off, or finds a way to squeeze the time in, he enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons with the close friends that he has acquired over the years.
Although busy, he has never lost sight of his ambition to make movies of action and fantasy that provide entertainment and give joy to anyone who watches. When asked, he said that he’s most comfortable and creative when at his desk at home. According to him, “It’s where I do most of my work, it’s a place outside of reality in my eyes. I don’t use that desk for anything academic or financial related.” It’s not uncommon to see him feverishly typing away on whatever imaginative idea he has, and the passion he puts into his projects is admirable and inspiring to anyone who gets the chance to watch the process.
He says that the superpower he would choose to have over any other would be called “Traction” and that for him, “It would enable me to edit the friction interaction I have with any object. Basically, I want to ice skate on sandpaper, just to show off to all the pros.” But a real life super power that he already has would be compelling others to strive for their own goals alongside him. As for Zachary, the person who motivates him the most would be his father, with the fundamental fact that, “He just believes in me.” Determined and supported, he plans to attend Ithaca College, following him dream as he pushes others to do the same.
