The Chronicle had the opportunity to sit down with Luke Bushner, a student who truly illustrates the true Malvern spirit. Luke is the captain of the Varsity Water Polo and Swim teams, a MECO leader, and the president of the National Honor Society, and we had the chance to hear more about everything he does to make Malvern a better place.

1. Tell me a little about your background. Where are you from and what schools have you previously attended?

Well, I was born and raised in Narberth, Pennsylvania. It’s a great little town to grow up in. From Kindergarten through 8th grade I attended Waldron Mercy Academy. Then after 8th grade I came to Malvern.

2. You are involved in a plethora of activities here at Malvern. Tell me a little about what you do and what interests you.

Ever since I was a child I was always really passionate about learning, especially science and nature. So those interests have stayed with me throughout my life so far. That motivates me to participate in activities such as the National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, Mathletes, and other academic based activities. Coming into Malvern, I thought I would be a football/baseball kind of guy, but for some reason I decided to swim freshman year and ever since then I’ve been a water sport kind of guy.

3. As captain of two sports teams (water polo and swimming) you spend a lot of your free time in the pool. How long have you been swimming and why do you love it so much?

I began swimming in about 5th or 6th grade, just swimming in the summer. I swam for Waldron but it wasn’t that serious. So when I swam freshman year I was at a serious disadvantage from the other swimmers, as I barely had any serious experience or training. I used to not be able to complete certain sets or make certain intervals, but I just had to do my best. At the end of the season, my times improved immensely, and I realized how hard work could pay off in the sport. Then I decided to play Water polo the next year, and came to love that sport as well.

4. The swim team is off to a great start and the water polo team celebrated it’s first ever Inter-Ac championship. What contributed to this success?

Yes, the swim team is off to a great start. Last year we had our best finish ever, going undefeated and placing second at Easterns. This year we could even top our performance last year, and we have a shot at the 1st place spot. The recent success can be attributed to the immense work that everyone has put in throughout the last few years. Its a process, and its a lot of hard work; the success didn’t just happen. The returning seniors and juniors have put in a lot of work training these past few years, and with the talent of the sophomores and freshman we have the most depth and speed we have ever had. The same goes with water polo. The hard work of past seasons just seemed to culminate this year in our first ever championship.

5. Do you enjoy reading and if so tell me about something great you have read recently.

Yes I love reading! I don’t have much time to during the school year, but during the summer and breaks I read a lot more. I read a lot of Michael Crichton, Stephen King, and Dean Koontz. I recently read Crichton’s latest book Micro which was finished posthumously. The scientific ideas underlying much of his plots are really interesting.

6. What, in your opinion, has been your most significant thing you have accomplished at Malvern Prep?

There are a lot of things I have been really proud of throughout my Malvern career. I have had a great high school experience and I wouldn’t do anything differently. I couldn’t pick one thing in particular, but definitely my MECO leadership has been something that has been really important to me. It’s almost surreal that all the MECO weekends are over, but it has been an honor and such a privilege.