When sophomore Alexander Hahn was a mere seven years old, he begged his parent for four things for his birthday: a dictionary, a thesaurus, an encyclopedia, and a graphing calculator.

At a young age, Alexander knew exactly what kind of person he wanted to grow up to be; he is one of the rare kids who has always known the path his life will take. From then on, Alexander has followed that path with an unparalleled determination.

That year, young Alexander got all four things he asked for. Armed with his dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, and graphing calculator, Alexander began to cultivate his love for learning and intense desire to grow in his knowledge of the world that surrounds him.

“I started out just reading children’s books,” Alexander said, “but it wasn’t enough information for me, and I wasn’t really learning anything at that point. So for my birthday when I was seven, because I was trying to prepare for college. I asked for dictionaries, thesauruses, encyclopedias and a graphing calculator. That was all I wanted for my birthday, and I got all that. So that was pretty fun.”

Along with his love for an education, important people throughout his life have helped shaped him immensely, each in their own way. They have helped him develop his determination, decisiveness, and drive that he could use for the rest of his life.

“I remember my first-grade teacher,” Alexander said. “His name was Mr. G, and he was just really fun. He loved nature, so I learned a lot about nature and started reading encyclopedias about animals and dinosaurs.”

Although Alexander’s left-brained qualities are most obvious, he harbors a deep passion for music and the ways he can express himself through his music.

“I have played the violin for five years now and piano for eight,” Alexander said. “I love music, and it’s a large part of my life. I love violin because it allows me to express myself in ways that words don’t allow.”

Along with music, his right-brained side comes out through his love for reading fiction stories like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.

“I love reading,” Alexander said. “[I have] four favorite authors but not really a favorite book. I love Rick Riordan and John Flanagan. The Beyonders were great books, and I loved Lord of the Rings.”

Even at the age of two, Alexander’s unquenchable desire to learn was blatantly obvious. And the plan to get him there? That was already in the works.

“I’d like to be a dentist,” Alexander said. “That’s my ultimate goal. First, I’d like to go to college obviously. For undergrad, I don’t know yet– probably the University of Michigan, but that’s just rough. It’s a good school, and a lot of the professors there are good. From there, I’ll probably take up my dad’s practice which is in Rivertown.”

Alexander’s passion for dentistry has never wavered. Unlike most kids, Alexander hasn’t changed his mind about his future a million times throughout his life.

“I wanted to become a dentist before my dad became a dentist,” Alexander said. “I just always liked teeth. If I become a dentist, I can make people smile more, and smiling is just good for people. It increases a person’s happiness, and you feel good.”