Annapolis Student
Richard Maxham, senior
Orchestra and Film Society Archon
Hometown: Lynchburg, Va.
“In high school it felt like there was a lot of unnecessary hurdle jumping, but here everything I’ve tackled has felt important. My dad had a friend who came here, who he felt was a good speaker and a lover of books. So my dad encouraged me to take a closer look at St. John’s. The more I read the more excited I got, and it became the only place I applied to. I felt that St. John’s was the only place where I could get a real education. If the college didn’t accept me, I could have pursued a trade or developed my other talents, but I wanted to be a more rounded individual.
“The violin is a family tradition. Three generations were violin makers. It’s been important for us in some way for the last five generations. I started early, at age three, and I just can’t separate from it. There was a period of time when I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep playing, and my dad told me to choose, which was really the first time I had a choice. I kept putting it off, but eventually it got to the point where I couldn’t stand not having a violin around, and ever since then I’ve grown more fascinated with it. I balance my time doing everything very carefully. I’ve always enjoyed movies. I appreciate them, and their musical scores, a lot. I’ve given up a lot of sleep over the years, but the things I do I find so exciting that it energizes me.”
“St. John’s is one of the most important things in my life. I feel like being here has helped me to be more cautious, to not get taken in by incorrect opinion, to question. It’s helped me to be more whole as a person, to find a voice, a voice I’m happy with. I’ve learned how to be thoughtful about myself, and not get hung up in trying to find the right answers -to appreciate complexity in life. I used to think a good author should write so a child could understand it, you know, very clear about what they mean, but I’ve learned to appreciate the greatness of what we can’t grasp.”