It is common for people to embellish a person’s attributes after they pass away- we want to remember them at their best. With Yassine, there really is no need to. Yassine was our modern Renaissance man: entrepreneur, entertainer, son, husband and a true friend. He came to CAS in fourth grade, and never really left. We believe his raps and high fives still echo the Randolph building halls. Yassine was never one to conform, which made him a particularly outspoken teenager. He was incredibly intelligent, and used his powers of observation like a sword: it was difficult to get Yassine to do anything, as he’d be the first to ask ‘why?’  It is not coincidental that Yassine was a huge fan of the Matrix, and he was easily someone who would have gladly swallowed the red pill: unafraid of the cold hard truths of life. Yassine— even as a teenager—  had a tenacity for pursuing the truth at all cost. He led the rest of his life in that manner, by challenging the status quo— whether it be through a joke, an entrepreneurial project, or in the own personal decisions he took, Yassine had a knack for pushing back against the wildly held beliefs most people never thought to challenge.

After leaving CAS, Yassine lived in New York and London before moving back to Morocco. In New York, Yassine met his match in terms of energy. The frenzied city, full of opportunity, thrill, and ambition was able to give him a channel for his energy. Those of us who knew Yassine in New York knew him gallivanting up and down the streets of Wall Street, making connections left and right, always bringing a light heart and a laugh to every night out. Never one to settle too long in one place, he became a man on the road; traveling tirelessly, pursuing his next passion and his next laugh with equal tenacity and ambition.

He moved to London, another metropolitan city that matched his spirit, before finally returning back home. Once he settled back home, Yassine decided — when most of his generation was still thinking about the next night out — to tackle a new industry in Morocco: organic farming. He made the cover of Jeune D’Afrique in an article that already predicted the bright path that awaited him. Yassine’s achievements were successive and varied, from organic farming, to car rallies, to pandemic relief. However, he was most proud of his media agency, MediaGuru, created in 2018 -and goodness, how well this profession represented him. In addition to creating them, he captured fleeting moments and the highs of life. Yassine had that kind of eye which is difficult to describe. Unpretentious, sharp, able to glamourize a Jeep the same way he was able to glamourize Morocco’s wildlife— he brought his vibrancy to every photo he took.

There is no shortage of achievements for which Yassine will be remembered, but we mostly want you to remember the wide smile, the loyal friend and the simple kindness behind the ambition. If you ask anyone from the Class of 2011 about Yassine’s legacy, they would tell you about how proud they are of him, his name, and his extended resume. But when asked what they felt was most important to focus on in this article, it was very clear that Yassine’s real legacy was his heart. There are stories of Yassine traveling countless of miles to help a friend in need. There are stories of Yassine putting himself on a limb to protect a friend: loyalty, for Yassine, was not an abstract concept. It was something you are. Yassine was witty and incredibly sharp. He had that power, to make a group of people come alive, through his energy. He was a restless and unapologetic man, taking risks with confidence and conviction. Yassine was proud, tough and stubborn, in the best way one can be.

Today, friends, acquaintances and strangers remember Yassine’s smile, which could genuinely light up a room. There is something to be said about his laugh, which resonated in every situation. To be close to Yassine was to be close to the source of life itself: it was to make light of everything that was heavy despite still having a deep understanding of all things complex, all things heavy, all things that make us human. We will miss him dearly. We have not even began to comprehend his loss. It is a comprehension that will take us our whole lifetime, as we progress through our own lives and realize the moments that we could have shared with him. We are up to the task. We will remember him fiercely.

We would like to end with a short poem by Jaafar Berraho:

Red pill glide

red pill slide

red pill ready

Scoop is always steady

Yassine’s genius was in his ability to adapt, his art was in wasting no time, big champ was always ready.

His superpower was finding flow and rhythm in anything life, Yassine truly was the music of life - now many moments of it are silent but I thank him for the light.

His smile is missed day and night and my prayers for him are with me until the end of the fight.

We would like to devote a portion of this article to discuss two important topics that have been primary causes of such tragedies in Morocco: alcohol abuse and reckless driving -which often come hand in hand-. Sadly, these accidents are caused by seemingly trivial actions, such as the search of a temporary adrenaline rush or a lack of self-awareness and consideration while being behind the wheel. Neither a justification to such devastation. Education on responsible driving should be communicated, especially to the youth, through multiple outlets, starting with -and not limited to- parents. Yassine was stripped from a life full of aspirations as well as from his family and friends. His departure was too early, but will never be in vain. This tragedy has created waves of sadness across Morocco. Let this start a serious conversation on one’s duty to consider who they are affecting through their actions. 

Driving is a privilege and a responsibility; as you become a moving actor in the safe transit of a whole community. Please use it accordingly, as the privilege it is; to reach loved ones rather than lose them. 

A BIG THANK YOU to our PTC moms for many hours of thinking, prepping and running in all directions to ensure a FUN day per cohort group! Thank you to our staff and student volunteers for multiple days of shifts under the sun! It has truly been a challenge to overcome all the hoops that Covid put in place for the creation of this event. YET, WE DID IT!

These kinds of events not only bring fun and joy to the children, the teachers and parents involved. But above all, these events are what brings us together and make CAS  such a vibrant and unique community!

Thanks to each parent's contribution and with the help of a couple sponsors, the PTC was able to organize an event that helped us ALL finish the year on a positive note that brought back a sense of normalcy! For 3 days, each cohort group got to "forget" about covid and enjoy being together under the sun, music and games like old times!! 

The ONLY profit that the PTC made through this event were the grins and the smiles on your children's faces! Seeing the joy on your children's faces was a priceless ticket indeed!  So...THANK YOU to all of you for supporting the PTC!

Special Thank YOU to some of our sponsors: 

• Oliveri for providing us with ice cream

• Coca Cola company for providing the drinks