Described by friends, coworkers, and former teachers as a kind, silly, and thoughtful person, Max Podowitz (‘25) passed away in December 2025. He was an NYU Political Science major, where he was pursuing a career which many of his teachers recognized his extreme passion for.
“Max was an excellent student. He worked really hard. He was always on top of his work, and more importantly, he cared about the application of the class in real life. He always asked really thoughtful questions, and he cared about how the government was functioning and where there were missteps and could be improvements for people’s lives,” said Ms. Chloe Kaspar, who teaches social studies courses at CHS.
Podowitz was an influential member of the Georgia Young Democrats Club (GAHSD), serving as Membership Director for the Young Democrats State Executive Board.
“He played a strong role in GAHSD and brought genuine joy and energy into every meeting he joined. His passion for the work was constant and unmistakable, and he never stopped showing up with care, curiosity, and commitment,” wrote an ambassador for the Georgia High School Democrats. “Time after time, he amazed our Executive Board with how deeply he believed in the mission of GAHSD and how seriously he took the responsibility of serving others.”
Podowitz was a student in AP Research with Mr. Fred Avett during the 2023-2024 school year, in which he had to choose a specific topic to research throughout the year and draft an academic paper.
“From my first meeting with Max, he knew what he wanted to focus his research on,” said Avett. “He enjoyed playing Magic the Gathering, a trading card-based game that I knew very little about, and wanted to know what the choices players made during the game might say about their personalities, like how playing a higher percentage of a certain color of card would reflect who that player was as a person.”
According to Avett, Podowitz worked diligently on this topic, even reaching out to the creator of the game for his thoughts and conducting an online survey of Magic the Gathering players. His research found that playing certain types of cards more than others do indeed reflect who that person is inside.
“By analyzing their game-piece of choice, or possibly their favorite color, it is possible to learn far more about [people] than one might expect – a window to the color of their soul,” wrote Podowitz in the conclusion of his resulting research paper.
A lover of interactive games, Podowitz was also an active member of the Dungeons and Dragons Club at Chamblee where he was an active leader. Max also volunteered to run “Intro to D&D” games at game stores and at gaming conventions to help new players have a great experience learning to play, participated in D&D Extra Life fundraising events to benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and frequently ran D&D “home games” for his contemporaries at CHS and at NYU.
Podowitz was also an accomplished classical guitarist. While Max ultimately elected to attend NYU, he also had been considering Oberlin given their conservatory and strong music program. His successful audition secured his place in the conservatory program had he elected to attend Oberlin instead.
In his memory, a Dungeons and Dragons event and a classical guitar concert raising money will be hosted for The Trevor Project, a mental health hotline for LGBTQ+ youth, and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, two organizations he was very passionate about.
Podowitz was known to have actively participated in his community and fought to make change in people’s lives.
“I remember sometimes coming back on weekends and [Max] would’ve attended a protest,” Ms. Jennifer Tinnell said. “[It] really speaks volumes because he didn’t just know about [politics]. He didn’t just talk about it. He acted on it.”
Max Podowitz is remembered as a passionate student, an active member of society, and a strong advocate for those around him. His work both around campus and throughout the state of Georgia made an impact on many people, and will leave a lasting imprint at Chamblee.
“Max’s presence made our work feel meaningful, and his loss is felt across our community,” wrote a GAHSD ambassador. “He will be remembered for his dedication, his spirit, and the light he brought into our shared spaces.”
Shortly before his passing, Max wrote and published an opinion piece for the Young Democratic Socialists of America, written as a call to action for his generation. He concludes with the following words: “the sunrise we seek only surfaces if we bring it forth, and so I ask of you only this: volunteer, organize, make calls or knock on doors. Write or speak your thoughts to people and power. The new dawn only blooms if we all play our part in the day at hand. Your voice – and your power – are the greatest asset we have to create a true land of the free.”
