Senior K.L. Hoang is not taking a conventional path out of high school. Many people know him as the boy who wears all white and goes barefoot. What few know is that he has specific reasons for dressing the way he does.

“When you have long hair you are more connected with spirit. I wear white because it’s the cleansing color,” Hoang said. “I go barefoot for spiritual and health reasons. It’s better for your muscles and physical structure.”

Hoang did not always dress and act the way he does. His current philosophical beliefs formed over the course of his years in high school. Hoang suggests students use high school to discover themselves.

“High school is the best time for people to figure out what works best for them. You should try to experience as many things as you can,” Hoang said. “I figured out that I’m good at writing and doing environmental work. This is why I was part of The A-Blast and manage the garden here.”

The activities he participated in during his time at AHS taught him important lessons in teamwork and collaboration.

“I learned that people are extremely significant as individuals. When you cooperate with each other and connect with each other this individualism turns into something bigger,” Hoang said. “It’s a catalyst for change when people come together.”

During his time at AHS, he also discovered his passion for writing. He began writing down his thoughts at the end of sophomore year.

“The book I’m writing is basically qualifying big philosophical and ideological concepts and turning them into practical forces that individuals can understand,” Hoang said. “I started writing down my thoughts that kept popping up in my head. I realized that I could expand on them, turn them into short essays, and eventually [compile them into] a collection such as a book.”

Hoang has many theories about various experiences in life. He discusses his thoughts on energy and how it helped him find his interests.

“There is a certain distinct energy in every experience and every place.” Hoang said. “If you become aware of how you feel doing different things then you can understand what you are meant to do.”

Although he is not entirely certain about his plans immediately after graduation, he has ideas about what he will be doing.

“I don’t think I’m going to college right off the bat. I want to travel as much as I can,” Hoang said. “When you travel and you meet new people and places. When you experience different things you make use of the life you have and breaths you take.”

After traveling, Hoang plans on applying to a non-profit agrarian college in Fairfield, Iowa called Maharishi University of Management (MUM).

“MUM is very spiritual, their meal plans are organic vegetarian and they have an organic farm,” Hoang said. “Most people go to college because they think that it’s a gateway into being successful in the real world. For me, I treat going anywhere to any institution as another experience.”

Hoang offers personal advice to those who are still looking to find themselves in high school.

“You can’t change the world by having big ideas and lofty aspirations. What you have to do is change who you are individually and help others change themselves,” Hoang said. “Since you are part of the world, when you change yourself you change the world.”