Right Choice - Wrong Choice

“Show me a person who doesn’t make mistakes, and I’ll show you a person who doesn’t do anything.” This quote from Leonard Rubino is as true as steel and my high school life is concrete proof.

Nobody’s Starts Perfect

I came to the US in 2019, with barely any knowledge of the system, whether it be the school, job or economy, of the country. Now that I think of it, I couldn’t even speak the language back then. I finished the last semester of junior high and was accepted to Hillcrest High School. That…was the beginning. No friends, no connection, academically challenged, socially challenged with no vision in mind.

We make mistakes

I started as a Global Citizen student in my freshmen year, during the pandemic, 6 months after I came to the U.S. and much like everyone else, I didn’t know what or who my director, counselor, or Assistant Principal was. I didn't know who to talk to about my schedule, classes, or who to ask for help for classwork, so I didn't. That…was the first mistake I made in my High School career. If I could start over, I´d ask questions, and ask more questions, and more questions, until my thirst for asking questions was quenched. Communication is another skill I'd have worked on from as early as my freshmen year.     

We say and do wrong things

As far as my concern for what I´d do after high school, I was thinking of choosing Computer Science since I landed on this ‘plane of dreamers.’ But most of my classes were writing based classes. I made another blunder choosing classes like AP Language and Composition and AP US History over APs that aligned with my future major like AP Calculus and AP Computer Science etc. I also took less APs which did not help me boost my GPA much. 

We fall. We get up

It's not like the pandemic was all bad. I made it my mission to better myself then. I had a dream, a dream where I saw two potential future “me.” One was alone, couldn't speak English, had no smile on his face, no confidence, no life, no one to turn to, and a totally basic bland person with no skill whatsoever. The other me was strong. He had people to care for him, he had honest people to turn to, was happy, confident, and skillful. I chose the latter. Started taking initiatives, initiatives towards a better high school life. Learned English, practiced different languages, singing, acting, calligraphy, public speaking, and everything I could think of that´d matter in high school. Even mastered the art of faking accents. All that was left was for school to start in person, and I´d see how far I am from meeting the “me” from my dream. 

We learn. We grow

The first success in my high school was passing the ESL test and getting placed in Humanities Honors Academy. There I took many honors classes which boosted my average GPA. I used to ask myself, “Who do I talk to if I need help?” The answer became clearer than daylight when I met teachers like Ms. Ramjan, Mr. Meichsner, and Mr. Pulgar and many more who’ve shaped my character like a sculptor shapes a statue. I learned the reality of high school, college education and all the ways an average student like me could become an exemplary one. 

We move on. We live

Four years…may sound like a long time, but it passes like a New York minute. Today I’m Ahmad Aman, the salutatorian of Humanities Honors Academy, committed to go to City college of New York with Macaulay Honors…But I’m still not anywhere close to the “me” I dreamed that day. One may say, “The end of a journey means the start of another.” On the day of my graduation, I’ll leave with a smile on my face and let Hillcrest have a special place in my heart forever. The only advice I’ll give to the young ones is, “Dreams are made in heaven and built on earth. Trust in God and hold your dreams until it becomes a reality.” Thank you Hillcrest for EVERYTHING!