User:MaxRubenstein7/sandbox

Preschool-Elementary School Max was born on October 7th, 2004, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Teresa and Vance Rubenstein, both market researchers for pharmaceutical companies.

In Max’s early years, he found himself more interested in sports and activities over school. He spent most of his afternoons messing with his three dogs, Gus, Rex and Hank, or playing soccer and basketball, in hopes of one day being able to play the sports professionally.

Although most interested in athletic activities, Max was most gifted in piano, having weekly lessons, he found himself progressing very fast, quicker than both of his siblings, Hall Rubenstein and Audrey Rubenstein, who had been playing for far longer than he had. But like many things to come, as Max’s parents pushed him to focus on piano more and more, the joy, which once made him play, gradually began to fade. And by middle school he had quit. So now, with just soccer and basketball in the picture, Max put all his attention on sports.

Middle School-High School After graduating elementary school, Max began playing more organized AAU and travel soccer and basketball teams, but like piano, the two just became severely less enjoyable as they became more prevalent. And Max’s parents never really disliked the idea of quitting sports, as many of these activities conflicted with his schoolwork, which had become increasingly difficult as he grew older. But school was really an afterthought to Max, himself, up until eighth grade when he entered the program Soundings. The prospect of being able to study whatever you want was enticing, but upon entering the program was met with a rude awakening.

Max was completely oblivious to the amount of work that went into Soundings. And the year which ensued had Max completely focusing on classes. And by doing nothing but schoolwork from dusk to dawn, Max gradually began to grow as a student and as a writer.

Entering high school, Max had become a starkly different person than who he was before eighth grade. Dropping both soccer and basketball and focusing now on track and cross country. The noncompetitive nature of the sport complemented the heavy workload and allowed him to finally enjoy a sport, without sacrificing schoolwork in turn for his enjoyment.