He takes versatility to a whole new level, trumping the notion that passion can only be applied to one field. At a school with thousands of well-rounded individuals, he represents just how unbounded interests can be. From chess champion to instrument intellectual and beyond, there’s no one label you can place on Washington University junior Mark Heimann.

“At Wash. U., you can be a nerd, and that’s cool, but you can also burst the bubble of being the stereotypical nerd. I like that we have nerds in the sense that you have an area of interest that you’re really passionate about and proficient in but not in the sense that that’s the only area you’re able to participate meaningfully in,” Heimann said.

When Heimann was 5, his dad bought him and his twin brother their first chess set for Christmas. Just a few years later, Heimann finished fifth in the national championship for second-graders. He then went on to win the national grade-level championships from third through fifth grade, as well as in seventh and eighth grade. In middle and high school, he won the Pennsylvania state championship as well as the Ohio state championship. Despite the influx of honors related to chess, Heimann remains humble about his achievements.

“It’s crazy how good Mark is at chess but how relatively few people know,” junior Laura Watkins said. “He’s a really genuinely humble guy, and [he] never talks about his achievements unless you bring it up and ask him.”

With so many chess accolades, Heimann often felt boxed in by the label “chess guy.” He said he still loves the game and currently holds the position of president for the Chess Club on campus; however, in high school, where there was “one standard for being cool,” he felt he needed to branch out.

“The story of my life in high school was that I was really concerned I was too nerdy,” Heimann said. “To a certain extent, I felt like chess was reaffirming my status as a nerd. Every time I talked to peoplee, they would always say, ‘Oh, you’re really good at chess,’ which is cool, but I was like, ‘Is that all there is to me?’”

Looking to explore new interests, Heimann spent the majority of his spare time in high school researching unique instruments. At around the same age he started playing chess, he also started playing piano. In high school, however, his instrument cravings became more obscure when he picked up and became instantly obsessed with the hammered dulcimer—an instrument he describes as a “lumberjack’s piano” that’s “a joy to play.”

Heimann “has introduced me to eight new instruments, most of which I do not remember the names of,” sophomore Shane Deiley said. “But my favorite that he has introduced [me to] is the hammered dulcimer. It’s so cool, and he’s a boss at playing it.”

In addition to the hammered dulcimer, Heimann plays the guitar, mountain dulcimer, ocarina, tin whistle and thumb piano (kalimba)—just to name a few.

“I have varied levels of proficiency, like I’m definitely not an expert on, say, the tin whistle,” Heimann said.

Heimann has taken classes for some of the more common instruments that he plays, but it’s more difficult for him to find teachers for the more obscure ones. Whether he’s learning in a class or teaching himself, he puts a strong emphasis on maintaining the traditions behind each individual instrument.

“I try to learn traditional styles of the instruments I play because I don’t want to show disrespect for the instrument or the traditions that are built around it,” Heimann said. “One of my sources of angst with musical instruments is that I hope I never engage in any type of cultural appropriation.”

With each instrument, Heimann said he finds a new side of himself. For him, music and all art forms cultivate self-expression. In an effort to further delve into this self-expression and to once again challenge himself, Heimann began taking voice lessons his freshman year. Without a background or an interest in singing, he saw voice lessons as a way of “stretching” himself. He imagined how “awkward” it would be to sing in front of someone who was there to evaluate him critically but thought that “awkwardness” would be a great experience. So, with little hesitation, he added voice to his growing list of instruments.

“I still don’t consider myself a really great singer, but, you know, there are some things you do because you do them really well, and there are some things you do because they’re there to be done. Since coming to college, I’ve been trying to do as many of those things that are there to be done as I can,” Heimann said.

Watkins described Heimann’s passion for trying new instruments no matter the circumstances as “contagious and inspiring.”

He “is very determined—when he decides to do something, he gives it full effort,” Watkins said. “And I don’t think it’s because he wants to be really good for the sake of being the best; it’s because he enjoys it. That’s clear in his passion for music and his talent with multiple instruments, and it’s that determination that’s inspiring.”

Heimann’s determination seeps into areas far beyond the realms of chess and music. Along with a double major in mathematics and economics, he will pick up a minor in writing, which he considers another craft form for self-expression. He has also shown interest in computer science and art. His passionate attitude translates itself into his faith as well. Heimann is not only a member of Cru (Overflow), but he also has accumulated various accolades from Bible memory competitions—including placing third in the National Bible Bee memory competition.

“One thing people would not expect about Mark [Heimann] is just how many interests he has. We are talking about a kid that will probably end up with about 180 credits in four years—he almost always takes 21 credits—and they span from his majors in economics and math to computer science, music, creative writing and art,” Deiley said. “He literally can talk about any topic with anyone and is extremely open-minded and objective about issues.”

Although he is unsure where he’ll end up in terms of a career, Heimann said he is determined to continue cultivating his passions. Specifically, he knows that music will always remain with him.

“I definitely don’t see myself going out and being some sort of rock star, but it’s not out of the realm that music ends up being something that influences my career,” Heimann said. “I feel like if I stopped being an artist someday, I would feel incomplete.”

No matter what Heimann ends up doing in the future, Deiley feels confident that his friend will forever be “his curious self, still lighting up people’s days.”