Humza Hussain (’20)

I still remember telling myself in eighth grade that highschool was “gonna be a breeze.” Feeling at the top of my educational career, I thought I could continue this streak of success at East. Man was I wrong. It turns out there were many dips I had to face … many, many dips, before I could reap the joys of success. Despite the struggles I faced, East offered a competitive and enjoyable atmosphere that motivated me to keep going and strive for more.

Freshman year was a social learning curve. Coming from Carusi, I left most of my friends from the West side to go to East. As an unsuspecting freshman, I had a memorable welcome into East’s friendly environment. I played with a succesful 17-3 freshman basketball team (after accidentally being placed on JV) making countless memories with my teammates. I ventured into D-wing and joined the orchestra where I learned that I wasn’t well suited to be a violinist.

Sophomore year was quite an interesting year. This year, for me, embodied the words of T.H. White in The Once and Future King, that “education is experience.” From brewing a secret concoction of random chemicals in Chemistry (which actually dissolved a staple at one point) to participating in school wide walkouts, I learned lessons of self reliance as well as unity. East encouraged me to be ambitious, so I took AP Physics which taught me how to break through walls, literally and figuratively, that tried to impede my educational journey.

Junior year was a serious year. With the stress of the SATs and the heavy load of classes I needed to become diligent, organized and plan out my everyday schedule. In a perfect world that would’ve happened. Junior year became part of the foundation I needed to apply for college. My advice to future Juniors is to make sure to find time to destress and have fun. East has provided many opportunities and clubs that cater to the interests of everyone. Take advantage of them.

Senior year, the culmination of highschool. Although we don’t have the ideal ending, it’s important to look at the great times we’ve had prior to these unprecedented times. Graduation may be upon us, but we will all continue to grow and stay connected through our memories and friendships made at East. One can even say that there are still many more memories to be made. As Winston Churchill said, this is perhaps “the end of a beginning.”