Five questions for … Justice Colfax

Santa Fe Prep senior Justice Colfax is not your average student.

While most of us attend classes for seven hours and participate in marginal extracurricular activities after school, Colfax divides his time between Teen Court, Model United Nations, Speech and Debate, mountain biking, running — plus an interest in socks. He has been recognized as a New Mexico Off-Road Series champion, and has been awarded titles such as Outstanding Delegate (judges’ choice) in the 2016 New Mexico Model United Nations conference and won first place in Varsity Policy Debate at the Farmington tournament.

Despite his inclinations toward public speaking and social justice, Colfax is most interested in STEM-oriented subjects such as math, physics and computer science, and intends to pursue the latter field of study in college.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP AND WHY?

I want to work in the field of computer science because it is a field we are just scratching the surface of, and the possibilities for innovation are endless.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU HOPE WILL NEVER CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF?

I hope that I will always try to do what I think is right and never sell out to something else for any reason.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE MOTTO?

One who bathes willingly with cold water doesn’t feel the cold.

WHAT IS THE BEST AND WORST THING ABOUT BEING A TEENAGER?

The best thing about being a teenager is the number of things I get to do. I can do sports, extracurriculars, school and chill. The worst part is the pressure to do so many things all the time.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU HOPE TO CHANGE ABOUT SOCIETY THROUGH YOUR CAREER DECISIONS?

I hope to change how computer science is viewed as such a profit-focused field, and do something that makes a real impact on people’s lives.

Ramona Park is a senior at Santa Fe High School. Contact her at yoharamona@gmail.com.