Senior Spotlight: Aidan Rydarowski

Productivity is the best word to describe Aidan Rydarowski. During his years at Metuchen High School, Aidan has constantly had to balance professional work and difficult school courses while also staying closely involved in the school community. According to him, learning how to multitask and handle so much work efficiently has been one of the most significant lessons he has learned at Metuchen High School. 

Aidan plays a crucial part in many extracurricular activities, including various national honors societies and clubs at the school. More specifically, he is currently in the math, science, Spanish, and national honors societies. He is also president of the Spanish club, where he leads bake sales and other club activities weekly. He plans on continuing to pursue Spanish and get better at speaking the language in the future, stating, “I would like to study Spanish a little bit in college so that I can become fluent.” Senora Ortega, one of Aidan’s Spanish teachers that he has had over the past few years, said to bring up a quote that she used with them and that he and his friend Colin consistently repeat during the class period. This quote is, “Ay que lindo,” reflecting the playful attitude that Aidan has in class while at the same time proving that he is intent on becoming a truly fluent Spanish speaker. His friend Colin Gawronski says that Aidan is a truly great kid who has a “competitive spirit” and one of the “biggest heart[s] of them all.” 

When it comes to college specifically, he is not sure where he is going to go to school just yet, but he plans to focus primarily on the study of business while planning to minor in film as well. He also would like to do something relating to civics when he is in college. His top college choices currently include Middlebury, Fairfield Honors, and Rutgers Honors, each of which is a great school. 

What Aidan is especially passionate about is his work over the years of professional editing. Ever since freshman year, he has spent countless hours editing videos to be uploaded to YouTube. These videos have garnered over one-hundred million views. He has helped one specific YouTube channel grow to over eighty thousand subscribers over the past few years. Using the freelance program known as Fiverr, he started listing, “chess video editing because there was no one doing that on the platform”. This major project has taught him a lot about running a business and creating a strong and effective work ethic. It has also taught him how to teach others, since he has trained multiple people to become as capable of an editor as himself. Milo Rosal, regarding the strong work ethic that Aidan has developed, says that, "Although it may seem that Aidan would never hurt a fly, he is a fiery competitor, which gives him the attributes of being the excellent student he is. He has built a strong base of character that he will now bring to the next stage of life."  

On top of spending at least an hour a day editing, Aidan also works at the ice cream shop in Metuchen called What’s The Scoop. He has been working there for several years and has been enjoying doing so for quite some time. In addition to his editing, this experience has enabled him to understand how to be successful and how to appropriately run a business. Aidan’s time is also spent teaching and educating others when it comes to health and safety, which he does through being a Robert Wood Johnson Safety Ambassador. He says that he recently “had to design a safety lesson about safety in and around cars that was taught to first-grade classes.” So far, using an interactive program that he designed with other ambassadors, he has taught five first-grade classes. He plans to continue taking part in the safety ambassador program, where he’ll be teaching more first-grade classes about vehicle safety in the near future, along with other ambassadors.

One of Aidan’s friends, James Vissichelli, says that, "Aidan is a great friend and reliable classmate. He's had a huge impact on MHS, whether that's through Spanish Club or as a Safety Ambassador, and he's made an impression that ripples throughout the wider Metuchen community. The dedication Aidan has to his friends, family, and work is unmatched. Aidan is one of those people that you know will succeed no matter where he goes, and I can't wait to see the many accomplishments he has yet to make."

In addition to being devoted to helping out the school community, Aidan is also very giving outside of school. Each month, Aidan spends time at a soup kitchen in Jersey City, where he helps care for the less fortunate, an activity that he is extremely passionate about and enjoys dedicating his time to. 

Considering all of the endeavors and programs that he has engaged in throughout his high school career, Aidan is clearly devoted to helping others. He is a truly good person who is intent on experiencing success and making the world a better place. Through volunteer work, educating the youth on vital life lessons surrounding safety, and more, he has proven to the world that he has a bright future ahead. All of his friends are in agreement that they can’t wait to see where Aidan’s unique blend of empathy and productivity takes him in the future.