A recent graduate from the Class of 2012 who is now attending Johns Hopkins University, Alex Koren started juggling when he was 9 years old, teaching himself by picking up 3 tennis balls and practicing every day for hours, 'inside, outside, and everywhere'. When he was 14, Alex attended his first juggling convention in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the International Juggler's Association's (IJA) annual festival.
Alex left that convention with a new outlook on what he could do, which at that point was 4 balls, 2 chinese yo-yo's, and 3 clubs. He ended up going to another juggling convention in Pittsburgh, and winning a 1st place medal in chinese yo-yo speed passing. The next year he then returned to the IJA festival in Winston-Salem, NC, making his way to juggling 5 balls and continuing to learn other props from his fellow jugglers from around the world. Alex returned to D-E with the goal of starting a club, which he did: The D-E Juggling Club. The Club carries with it the amusing sub-title of "throwing things up and hoping they won’t come back down.”
"The way [D-E] endorsed the juggling club and approved it, made me feel like I was free to create my own path in my high school career. The School made me feel like I was accepted, even with a hobby that was off the beaten track. And I also came to realize that without my juggling, my work ethic wouldn't be what it is today. Juggling has taught me that when I make a mistake, I can try again until I get it right.”
"I'm proud of the Juggling Club for progressing as much as it has as a community and as individuals. Everyone participates in teaching others and some have even made the effort to visit senior centers to put on a performance. It's a great feeling seeing the skills that the Juggling Club shares, being transformed into a passion by fellow students."
While a student here, Alex balanced his passion and talent for juggling with playing guitar with the Jazz Rock ensemble and Soccer. His favorite classes at D-E included Philosophy and Computer Sciences. His ability to successfully balance his interests in athletics, academics, and a personal passion also led Alex to being a D-E Admissions Tour Guide during his tenure here, including maintaining a 'day in the life' blog. Truly, Alex was and remains a skilfull juggler in many ways! |