Many people hyperfocus on their future, like participating in activities that strengthen their resume, or sacrificing their social lives to study, because they fear being ordinary people. Oftentimes, they forget to live in the moment, enjoy the present and, instead, seek an extraordinary lifestyle. Noah Ziskrout, however, has not forgotten to do this.
Noah Ziskrout is a senior biology major with a concentration in molecular biology. He plans on going to medical school after he graduates.
Though he wants to become a doctor, Ziskrout is still considering which specialty he wants to go into. “I’m still working on that part; specialty-wise, I’m not sure. I think I’ll just figure it out later, but [I’m] maybe leaning towards general practice, family medicine.”
Ziskrout has not always been a biology major, and like many students, he switched from one major to another. “Originally, I was [in] biochemistry, and I came to realize I’m not very good [at it], nor do I like chemistry as much as I do the bio stuff. So after that first semester, I switched over to bio.”
Similar to the average UD student, Ziskrout chose to go to UD to further his career because of its overall benefits. “I’m originally from Houston, so it’s nice being closer to home than somewhere out of state. I have family up here in Dallas. I like the aspect of the well-rounded liberal arts education that UD provides and they also gave me a lot of money.”
Outside of academics, Ziskrout is also a friendly and outgoing individual who has touched the lives of many people. On campus, he has made plenty of friends who admire his character.
Clark Raab, a current freshman in Gregory Hall, said, “I just want to say that I really respect Noah. I felt kind of homesick coming to UD, but he really took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, and I really appreciate that he’s been a great role model to me and many other students.”
Raab met Ziskrout in a casual and UDesque way. “[Noah] was actually on the orientation pamphlet, and I saw him on the Mall and I was like, ‘Yo, you’re the dude from the orientation pamphlet!,’ so we met that way.”
Ziskrout also befriended Charles “CJ” Alexander, a junior at UD. “I met Noah through my General Chemistry II class, and we just kind of hit it out of the park from there. When I saw him on the orientation packet for this year’s orientation, I just knew that he was going to make it big.”
Nathan del Puerto, a current senior, was also impacted by Ziskrout. “I met Noah on our first day moving in, and ever since, I’ve just kept running into him. He’s a really good influence, and he’s a good person.”
Though it seems like Ziskrout is an ordinary UD student, no UD student is truly “ordinary.” Most people would never imagine meeting a Guinness World Record holder, but UD regulars and residents do not need to look any further than here on campus for Ziskrout himself.
“I have the record for the fastest time to walk 20 meters with my feet facing backwards. I can turn my feet around and just walk like that, so I’m going forward and my feet are going backwards,” Ziskrout explained.
Ziskrout did not directly train for the record, either. “I used to do a lot of martial arts [and] taekwondo, and they prioritize a lot of lower body flexibility. It was around that time I figured out I could do it, so I was like, ‘This is pretty cool.’ Years later, my friends showed me the guy who held the record before me, and he was like, ‘You can beat them,’ and yeah, I probably could. Then, one thing led to another.”
In November 2020, Ziskrout followed the COVID restrictions and recorded himself measuring out 20 meters on an athletic track while being timed by an official timekeeper. He has been interviewed about it, and Ziskrout admits that he achieved the record purely for fun. “It’s just a fun party trick,” Ziskrout said.
Ziskrout has shown his ability to have fun in life and proven that extraordinary people are simply ordinary people who have done extraordinary things.