As eighth grade student Eric Yablonski’s middle school career comes to a close, he talks about his academic experience and athletics and arts careers.

If you look around the mod space during Experiential Learning Block and Community Time, you will see most students gaming on their phones, playing with spinners, rushing to study for tests, and chatting with friends. Very rarely will you see a student like eighth grader Eric Yablonski.

Coming from a large family in Phoenixville, Yablonski is grateful of his upbringing.

“[My parents] push me to do my best. I have a lot of other siblings, so attention is spread thin,” Yablonski said.

Yablonski thinks that his parents have impacted him the most by sending him to Malvern Prep. where he said he has learned a lot.

The thing Yablonski has learned most from his parents is their prudency and cautiousness, but especially their frugalness, he said.

Yablonski also realizes that the experience of having siblings has impacted him. “[My siblings] taught me to be there for each other,” said Yablonski.

In between classes and after school, Yablonski is always getting work done early and preparing for the next day.

“If you walk into the mod space and he’s not in there, it’s surprising,” eighth grader Chris Krein said. “He always has his homework done, and he does it in school.”

Yablonski has learned to prioritize his homework first. “School work comes comes first, so when I get home, I do all my work. Then I relax and I play bass guitar and the drums,” Yablonski said.

When he’s not in the mod space completing Membean homework or solving math problems, Yablonski is participating in the numerous extracurriculars Malvern offers.

“I’m in the rock band and CT band. I play water polo, rowing, and swimming,” Yablonski said.

During September, Yablonski even started a band with Krein. “We were like, ‘Oh, let’s start a band!’” Krein said. “Our friendship has evolved ever since then.”

Some of Yablonski’s teachers recognized his love of learning new things.

“Eric Yablonski loves problems,” Yablonski’s math teacher Mrs. Diane Giordano said. “The harder the problem, the more he likes it. He loves to be challenged. He’s very inquisitive and curious about the world. He’s always finding new problems on his own and trying to find solutions.”

When Yablonski’s friends and teachers think of him, they think of his perseverance.

“When he starts, he doesn’t stop until he’s finished,” seventh grader and Yablonski’s bandmate Noah Buscaglia said. “He’s very tenacious. He sets out to do his goal and he completes it.”

“He has excellent work ethics,” Giordano said. “He will sit and persevere until he accomplishes what he set out to accomplish.”

Buscaglia thinks Yablonski is a great example of an involved student. “Eric provides good feedback for my projects, he’s good to work with, he’s very smart, and he’s a talented drummer,” he said. “He’s well-rounded.”

Yablonski plans to have a future in engineering. “I want to be an architectural engineer,” he said.

Yablonski’s friends think that he has a bright future.

“I think that he’ll do well. I’ve heard great things about what’s in the future for him in high school already from his peers and himself. I wish him the best of luck,” Buscaglia said.