BETHEL — Senior Anthony Conant started at Telstar in December of his sophomore year and said he immediately had friends after he made the basketball team.  He counts Cruze Kimball, Elliot Norton, Brody Morgan, Grady Kellogg, Wiley Williamson and many others as his friends.

“I actually have more friends here than I did back at Mountain Valley and it just felt good,” he said.

He had a lot of work to do to pass a class he was failing, but now, “it feels good to get my work done. It gives me motivation to keep doing it,” he said. And while he is able to self-motivate, he recognizes that Music Teacher Jen Christiansen, “is always there to help me if I need anything.

“Chorus gets me out of my comfort zone,” said Conant, “especially because I have a solo.” He is a bass and will sing a solo in the song, “Grown Up Christmas List” at this month’s rescheduled Christmas concert.

Conant has five siblings and lives with his mother, Justine Laurinaitis and her partner, T.J. Savage.  At the holidays the house is full, he said.

Conant’s favorite sport is baseball and specifically, he likes to play third base. “It is pretty scary because if someone hits the ball hard at you it’s not going to come slow, it is going to come fast. You have to be ready at all times,” he said. When he was a child he dreamed of being a professional Major League Baseball player and dreamed of playing in college, too.

On the Telstar varsity basketball team, he plays the four or five position (forward or center). He likes how competitive and physical basketball can be. He said his team has already won more games this year than they did last year.

Conant said he thinks he would like a job in construction after he graduates in June. Someday he may want to own his own company, but will work as an apprentice first. He is attracted to the idea of a “hands on” job versus working in his head or on a piece of paper.

However, he may enroll in online classes at Central Maine Community College.

He said while he has never worked with kids before he would like to have that experience, too, so will work at Mahoosuc Kids Association where his stepbrother Jaxon is enrolled.