What's in a Name?

Nolan Zorski

Nolan Zorski- Ashkenazi Jewish (Polish ancestry); Nolan is a smart and confident redheaded boy who participates in the high school's tennis team, as well as the debate team and safety patrol club. He is shown to be kind and moral and recognized by his classmates for being vocal about his opinions and having something of a short temper. He has a continuous rivalry with his classmate Eddy Beadles, who often ridicules him and makes him the target of antisemitic jokes and has a close friendship with his classmate Tolkien Williams. He is seen as mature and levelheaded for his age, although his main vice is his tendency to be ruled by his emotions, which can cause him to make rash decisions in the spur of the moment. Nolan is very compassionate and is often inclined to do the right thing, wishing to serve as a fixer among his classmates and mediate people's disputes. He can sometimes be perceived as cocky by a few of his peers and tends to pride himself on his intellect, which makes him less willing to ask others for help. He can be very selfless however and is very family-oriented, which is most evident in his devotion towards being a good role model for his adoptive brother Jonah. He has very strong athletic abilities and very much enjoys roughhousing with his friends, whom he will often join in a game of airsoft. Nolan also likes to play video games and is shown to have a great amount of skill when it comes to computers, being described as arguably having the best technological skills in his class. He is good at playing basketball and often shoots hoops with his friends in his spare time, although he was discouraged from playing competitively due to his short stature and the fact that he is Jewish. He tends to be a bit of a germaphobe as well and is seen as being very particular in regards to how he organizes things, which causes him to be labeled a bit of a neat freak. 

He also likes to play the game of dreidel during family gatherings, although he admits that he is not too much of a fan of kosher. Nolan sometimes clashes with his classmates Mia Vasquez-Rivera, whom he has previously underestimated while working on a biology assignment for class. He can be perceived as anal retentive and a bit of a perfectionist, holding himself and others to high standards, which can lead him to show somewhat of a competitive streak. He shows that he is caring and loyal to his friends however and always keeps them in his best interests, putting their happiness above his own, even it comes at a personal cost. He is also shown to be a natural problem solver and shows a logical side in terms of his approach to situations, which makes him an exemplary student. Nolan is also very outgoing and loves to socialize with others, deriving a great amount of energy from being in groups and interacting with people. He is very energetic and tends to very much be a doer, seeking to live every moment to the fullest and have a good time with the people who matter to him most. He is seldom seen in a bad mood and tends to be snarky in his interactions, showing that he has a quick wit and always full of clever banter. He is also very considerate of those around him and their feelings and has shown himself to always be willing to protect the underdogs. A defining aspect of Nolan's life is his Jewish upbringing, which has potentially made him feel isolated from the rest of his classmates and made him feel like an outsider. He was conceived in New Jersey by a Jewish couple who ultimately moved his family closer to New York City shortly after he was born. His father practices law meanwhile his mother openly works as an activist, which has led her to potentially go overboard in rooting for her causes and left friction between him and his friends. 

His upbringing has made his slightly more philosophical and introspective in some ways that the majority of his male friends, as he describes himself as someone who is always questioning things and seeking truth. Nolan has determined that he would like deviate from his father's career path and possibly pursue a career as a web designer, a teacher, or a doctor. He has a sweet-tooth and especially likes strawberry-flavored things, but can't cook and prefers to order pizza, or toast a couple of pop tarts, or heat up a pot noodle, and "be done with it". His favorite genres of music are R&B, some jazz, and pretty much any and all rock, although he admits that he is quite bad at dancing. He is also tone-deaf and can't sing very well at all, although that doesn't stop him from trying to do so when in the shower and doing chores. Nolan is very close to his younger brother Jonah, whom he is always willing to give advice to if needed and is always willing to make time to play with. The two will often sit in the living room and watch episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba together, and he also likes to pass on wisdom onto him such as discouraging him from the perils of vaping. He will sometimes sleep in the same bedroom as him and often likes to read him his favorite bedtime story, a tale about a disgruntled anthropomorphic steam shovel named Scoopy. He also allows his brother follow him around as he pretends to drag along an imaginary leash that is leading a lizard named Ralph. Nolan also struggles with some hidden insecurities regarding his looks, particularly the prominent nose that he inherited from his mother. He became increasingly self-conscious when he became the target of a vicious scheme orchestrated by a group of popular girls who made a list ranking the boys by attractiveness. He has a prominent jewfro that tends to wild and unruly, although he manages to tame it with styling gel and other products that he purchases. 

He is known for his signature ushanka, which he would often wear as a child, although he has since outgrown it and admits that he visits his hairstylist every few weeks to keep his hair trimmed. Nolan is considered to be attractive by some of his female classmates, although he has yet to succeed in having a steady girlfriend. He has a side to his personality that can be very romantic and once serenaded a girl he had a crush on in the fourth grade with a guitar under the moonlight, introducing his sheltered classmate to the art of kissing. He's had crushes on a number of the girls in his school, although his most significant one has been on Meygan Duncan, whom he tried to support during a difficult time as she dealt with an abusive ex-boyfriend. He also identifies as a heteromantic demisexual, as he needs to take his time to truly get to know someone and feel an emotional connection before he pursues them. Nolan is good at cleaning, as he is meticulous and tidy and has all his books, DVDs and CDs arranged chronologically and alphabetically. He can't stomach gore, so has to look away or fast-forward through such scenes when watching movies and TV shows. When it comes to movie nights with his friends, any 'Saw' movie is completely off the table, and he also felt a bit uncomfortable when he first watched The Passion of Christ. He is also a big bookworm, as his favorite literary genres are crime fiction and thrillers, though he also has a few philosophy and theology books on his shelf. Nolan is considered a bit of a nerd when it comes to his academics, as he takes several AP courses and has aspirations of attending an Ivy League college. He manages to appreciate Mia more when he observes her talent in writing, sitting with her on occasion as they critique each other's work and help one another improve. He and Tolkien share a joint account in which they make Tik Toks together, which has earned them a lot of approval from the student body. 

He also sees a more sympathetic side to Eddy when he realizes that much of his behavior is rooted in his dysfunctional upbringing, as well as the absence of a true fatherly figure. Nolan is a short boy who stands at 5 ft 6 in tall and has a slender build, with curly, unruly red hair, hazel eyes, and light skin, as well as prominent nose. He tends to dress casually in his down time and can often be found in jeans and graphic t-shirts, although there are times in which he prefers to clean up and dress more stylishly, as seen when he randomly comes to school dressed in a suit. He likes to take long showers and is very keen on being hygienic, wearing an Aramis cologne to school that sometimes repels his friends due to its strong scent. He nevertheless has a tendency to forget to put the toilet seat back down after he has finished using the bathroom, which often results in his being scolded by his mother. Nolan graduates as valedictorian of his class and makes a heartfelt speech to his peers about aiming for their dreams, suggesting that with hard work and discipline, anything can be accomplished. He asks Meygan out on a date at one point by giving her a love note in the school hallway, and the two begin to see each other casually by sitting together at the swings or having conversations at the park. He surprises his family and friends by choosing an unexpected career path and deciding to become a guidance counselor, realizing that his true passion lies in helping those around him. He attends college at UC Boulder where he earns his master's in counseling and begins working at an elementary school in Colorado. Nolan falls in love with a fellow Jewish woman named Yentl who he dates steadily throughout his college years before the two eventually get married. They go on to conceive two children together and move their young family to Greely, Colorado in order to surround themselves with some peace and quiet. ENTP 6w7