Senior of the Week: Varit Asavathiratham

Shay Kashif / The Exonian 

By ARYAN AGARWAL, AVA TRUONG, ANDREW YANG, and MEGHAN TATE ZEE

The world drops beneath you — hundreds of dizzying feet of sheer rock and empty air below. The only thing between you and a brutal meeting with the earth is your grip on a rough ledge. Your fingers throb from hours of punishing ascent. Sweat slicks your back, but your mind stays razor-sharp, scanning the face of the rock for the next hold. Under pressure, coolness is a virtue when one slip could be the difference. From an onlooker’s perspective, climbers appear to be a bit crazy. Why would someone risk their life for an adrenaline rush? Climbing may appear like a pastime reserved for thrill-seekers with a death wish, but at its core, the sport is a craft demanding much more than brute strength or wild courage.

The mix of intelligence with a seemingly careless risk is what makes climbers such special personalities. Two-year senior Varit Asavathiratham serves as a perfect example of this philosophy: climbing with a “goofy” but methodical character. Not only does Asavathiratham view climbing as an opportunity to challenge his problem-solving skills, but he also believes that it is “the perfect way to do something with others, while also being able to sit down, chat, and have a meaningful conversation with them.” Unsurprisingly, every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., he trains at Rock Climbing Club and introduces others to the sport—in fact, he invites all of our readers to come and try it out!

“He’s invited me to rock climbing a bunch of times,” senior Ethan Ding, a close friend of  Asavathiratham, mentioned.

Asavathiratham’s presence on campus blossoms beyond just the wall too. Serving as a proctor in Knight House, he is also a co-head of the Thai Club, a member of the MUREX Robotics team, a leader of the annual International Student Orientation, and a board member of the International Student Alliance. 

Asavathiratham recounted the story of his life prior to arriving at Phillips Exeter Academy. “I was born in America and lived in New York and then Chicago for six years before I moved back to Thailand with my family. I lived there for 11 or 12 years, attending an international school in Bangkok.”

He explained that, growing up in a large family, “my parents and grandparents pushed me to always have compassion, to always have empathy. My mom opened a community mall back in Bangkok and gave the proceeds to the slum communities in the area. She met this old lady who was living off of $20 a month—she was struggling. Mom brought her into the business and tried to help her by giving her work and a family.”

At Exeter, Asavathiratham’s tenderness has been a prominent quality in his friendships. Upper Celine Zhang praised, “Varit is a genuinely nice person who truly cares about people. Just out of nowhere, he will ask you, ‘How are you doing?’ He actually means it.”

“He is a very truthful person,” added Ding. 

Asavathiratham shared a core principle behind that attribute “Whatever you do, try and help others, whether that be your family or the people in your neighborhood.” 

Asavathiratham also described his interests before coming to Exeter. “I climbed; I coded, and I slept. That was about it.” His passions for climbing as well as computer science have both stuck, but according to him, “I decided to come to Exeter because I wanted more.”

He explained, “During the summer program in 2022, I experienced all the great parts of Exeter without the workload. I met a bunch of cool people and some of my best friends. At that point, I wanted an academic challenge as well, so I applied.”

However, that decision didn’t come so easily. Asavathiratham faced a plethora of challenges upon his arrival at the academy. “My family and I were very close, so it was definitely tricky as they were my primary support system. Now I try to call them daily, and it’s been good. Luckily, I have some great friends here too.” 

For Asavathiratham, his friends hold a special place in his heart, and that feeling is mutual. Senior and close friend Masaki Muneyoshi reflected on their friendship.“[Varit] is someone who looks out for everyone. He and I talk a lot, late into the night; we have these conversations, and you can tell that he values them.” Though he has a very caring side, according to Asavathiratham, he can also be “a goofy guy when with friends.”

Upper Athena Creigh joked, “He is incredibly unserious most of the time unless you need him to be. He’s very positive and enjoyable to be around.”

Senior Anders Toresjo said, “I can, with complete honesty, say that Varit is the best friend I’ve made here at Exeter; no matter what, he always has your back. In addition, Varit is the easiest person I know to talk to, and he shares (or just tolerates) my pension for dad jokes.”

Zhang recalled her favorite memory with Asavathiratham, “This year for my birthday a lot of my friends threw a surprise party. Varit’s sister had taught him a K-pop dance, and he did it in front of the whole group. It was so much fun.”

“I think Exeter has helped me come into my element in that way. I’m able to be myself around friends, more than I was anywhere else,” Asavathiratham said, “I never would have thought of myself before as the type of person to make friends with a bunch of people and get people hyped in activities.” 

Asavathiratham further reflected on his reserved personality and how Exeter has helped him open up. “For myself, as a quiet person, Harkness is very difficult. Back in my old school, I was more introverted.” 

He continued, “When I came here, the people gave me an opportunity to speak up. I think I gained a lot of confidence from that.” Though Asavathiratham can be reticent at times, he believes that his friends have helped him grow in courage. The praise and appreciation are mutual.

“Varit is very wise. I’ve enjoyed our conversations a lot and really appreciate him as a person, as a friend, and his presence. As we go into senior spring, hopefully, we get to spend more time together,” Ding remarked.

Asavathiratham’s legacy in Exeter lives through the climbing room, the robots he’s built, but more importantly, the people he has influenced with his empathy and warmth. Looking to the future, the senior dreamed, “Hopefully, one day I’ll do something cool, meet some cool people, and help better the community in Thailand. If I can be remembered that way, I think I’ll be happy.”