If you walked past Noah Todd in the hallway, you’d likely see a typical junior: hoodie, headphones perpetually around his neck, flip-flops instead of close-toed shoes. In a school of 3,000 students, Noah is a master of blending in. But sit with him for ten minutes in lunch and a different person emerges, one who sees the world in a comedic fashion.

While his peers are scrolling through social media during free periods, Noah is hunched over a vehicle. It isn’t the prettiest, but with dedication, he brings these vehicles back to life.

“I’ve always liked cars and how you could turn a small car into a powerful machine” Noah say. “People think big is better until they get into motors.”

Noah’s obsession with cars started in elementary when his family would leave NASCAR on the TV. Instead of changing the channel, Noah began imagining himself in the cars. He began to use video games to live out his dream of racing.

“My mom thought it was just a phase,” he laughs. “But then she saw I’d designed my room so that all you seen was cars, that’s when she told my dad to take me for my first drive.”

Despite his passion, Noah did not take Automotive during his junior year. He preferred videography and broadcasting. For him, the humans of our school aren’t just faces in the crowd, they are occupants of space. He often finds himself people-watching with his camera, he’s not being nosy though, but to see how students interact with each other in the building; where they congregate, where they hide, and where the “flow” of the hallway breaks down.

As senior year approaches for Noah, he is nervous about the “big” world outside. “Life after high school feels like a massive construction project I haven’t seen the plans for yet,” he admits. “But I guess you just have to lay the first brick and see if the foundation holds.”