Owen Carso finds balance

A lifelong storyteller, Delaware Valley High School’s salutatorian has found his niche both on the page and on the stage.

Owen Carso, 18, from Matamoras, spent the last four years not only earning one of the highest grade point averages in his class, but also pouring his creative energy into other projects. Carso, who will attend Williams College next year to study English, is the author of three self-published novels, one of which - “A Deal With Death” - he was able to turn into a one-act play with the help of his drama club peers.

Along with his extracurricular activities, academics have always been a top priority for him.

“One of the things I pride myself on is being intellectually curious,” Carso said. “I ask a lot of questions in class, I read widely when I am not in school. So then having this recognition of my intellectual curiosity and my intellectual capacity, that just means a lot to me.”

Carso also has been a part of other clubs and organizations, including Mock Trial, varsity tennis, and the high school band, where he played the clarinet all four years. He was also a member of the scholastic bowl team, the trivia club, and president of the National Honors Society at Delaware Valley.

For his graduation speech, Carso said he aimed to spotlight the ways everybody can search for purpose, using a storytelling technique and comparing the graduation to a coming-of-age novel. He said while there is a lot of uncertainty moving into next year, there is still the ability to “create meaning in our lives by searching and seeking out our passions.”

Carso mentioned two teachers who played a large role in his success within his high school walls: Sarah Fitzkee, his English teacher for two years, and drama director and Thomas Bailer, his Mock Trial advisor all four years and one of his history teachers.

Carso said Fitzkee approached him in 10th grade about a play they were doing, inviting him to join the club, and worked with him that summer to adapt his first self-published novel into a script, marking the first time the school performed student-written production. Additionally, Bailer helped carry the Mock Trial team to their first-ever district victory. Carso said both experiences were special moments.

“I imagined the story a certain way because as the author, it was all in my head and it came out as I envisioned it,” Carso said. “But then having so many moving parts, everyone brought their own unique spin on the characters I had created.”

Another moment that drew him outside of his comfort zone was attending All-State Band in 10th grade, as he was surrounded by “all these incredible musicians” representing the entire state, pushing him to become a stronger artist.

“I had gone to previous band festivals with plenty of kids from my school,” Carso said. “That one, I didn’t have as many kids from my school going. I had to meet a lot of people, sit down at a table where I didn’t really know anyone, and make conversation. That was a really formative experience as well.”

As a lover of all things story-related, Carso hailed two books as his favorites: George Orwell’s “1984,” (which he said displays compelling ideas about not only manipulation and the role of government but also “love and defiance”) and “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, a story whose characters he said he felt especially attached to.

Juggling all of his interests required some scheduling. While prioritizing his writing could be difficult during a busy school year, he was able to set aside time during the summers to explore and channel that creative energy.

Professionally, Carso said he hoped to keep writing and was looking to potentially become an English professor post-graduation from college.

“Make sure that even if you have a busy schedule, just find where it is in your life that you have room for your passions,” Carso said.