If you’ve ever seen those commercials that have “The Most Interesting Man in the World,” you’ve basically heard of Connor Mortell. Is he the most fascinating guy on campus? It’s possible. When he’s not riding his Segway or traveling the world, you can probably find him in his signature outfit, khakis and a button down, loudly telling some incredible story about his life. Though some of his behaviors are quirky, like not listening to music (EVER! Can you believe that?), once you meet this fellow, you will be swept away by his charm and charismatic spirit. It’s almost guaranteed. And by the way ladies, he’s single.
Name: Connor Mortell
Year: Sophomore
Major: Finance
Hometown: Stuart, FL
Involvement on campus: Honors College, BYX
Q: What do you do for fun?
A: “I love to read and travel, but what I really find fun is the stuff that is not a regular occurrence and cannot be planned. I joined in with a street dancer in Paris over the summer and took a Segway to prom. So really, nothing is more fun than spontaneity.”
Q: What’s the craziest thing that’s ever happened to you?
A: “I like to believe that in my life I’ve gone out and done a lot of crazy things, but as for the craziest thing that’s ever happened to me, it was probably a few years ago. One night, my dad, one of his friends from college, my dad’s friend’s son, and I went out on the boat and hung out at a sandbar all evening. On our way back, a little after midnight, my dad’s friend took a turn a little too sharp and lodged the boat about thirty feet onto the sandbar. So my dad and I had to swim to land and go get help. I should also mention I had caught 42 sharks in that same area in the past month. It was only a 15-minute swim, but being at midnight in shark infested waters did let me feel it was pretty crazy.”
Q: If you could travel anywhere right now, where could you go?
A: “My step mother is actually a flight attendant, so I’m pretty close to being able to travel anywhere right now. I went on just shy of fifteen trips this past summer. Once I went to Cambridge for one night just to surprise my little brother. And in the first few weeks of class this year, I went to Iceland for a weekend on a moment’s notice. What that has taught me is that it doesn’t really matter what the destination is. It is 100% about who is there. I love the people I know here so I do not have a huge desire to be anywhere in the world away from TCU. But if I were to go anywhere, it’d be to reconnect with friends. Probably Newport News, Virginia or Alfred, New York, I have some great friends out there and it’s been a while since I’ve had a nice adventure with them.”
Q: What is your ideal first date?
A: “Like I said, I love spontaneity. I also don’t ever let something be smaller than it can be. I’ve flown to Chicago to spend the day with a friend and driven five hours for lunch. If a romantic interest were added into that equation, I’d definitely want to make it something over the top. That makes me come across a little ridiculous, but hey, I am a little ridiculous. Off the top of my head I couldn’t say something because it would have to be tailored to the girl and her interests because her enjoying it is the most important part.”
Q: How will you celebrate when TCU beats Baylor?
A: “I’ll be through the roof. I may be from Florida, but my dad attended TCU so I’ve been born and raised bleeding purple. I’ve worn my game day khakis every Saturday for years. I’m psyched no matter who we beat, but when we beat Baylor, that’ll be unbelievable. My family is coming out to TCU for Thanksgiving and we all have been huge fans from the start, so we’ll all be ecstatic. I’ll definitely be celebrating with them.”
Q: Where do see yourself in ten years?
A: “I love finance and hope to become an investment banker. So in ten years I’d like to be excelling in my career. One day I’d like to be married, but I do not see it happening within ten years. There are plenty of people out there who are married by thirty (well, twenty eight), but I’ve always been behind the curve in that respect. But I really just hope to still be off adventuring. This summer, my friend and I want to go to Chicago and break the world record for longest time spent on a Ferris Wheel. If I’m still doing stupid, exciting things like that from time to time, I’ll be happy.”
Photo Source: Connor Mortell