Newsletter Three: My junior year at Interlochen Arts Academy

My junior year of high school has been filled with incredible moments, including sharing the stage with the New York Philharmonic and being one of the main characters in a children's book.

This year, I enjoyed many great academic and music classes and was involved in leadership clubs,  which makes it hard to choose where to start!

Among my academic courses, Sociology and Math stood out as my top two favorite subjects. I loved Sociology because I am passionate about learning about different cultures and how our culture shapes our perspective of the world around us. 

My second favorite subject was Math. If you had asked me about my favorite subject previously, I can assure you that math would have been the last subject on my mind. However, after a lot of practice, erasing, and re-doing the problems to find out that the answer was just a zero, Math has now become one of my favorite subjects. I finished the year by receiving an award for Math!

Music:

This year, I spent a significant portion of my time playing in the Orchestra. In addition to learning and performing orchestral works such as Dvorak Symphony No. 9, Paul Hindemith's ‘Symphonic Metamorphosis,’ and Respighi's 'Pines of Rome,' I had the opportunity to successfully audition to be part of Interlochen's symphony orchestra. This orchestra was traveling to New York City to perform side-by-side with the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall.

In this performance, students from various majors, including Musical Theater, Film and Media, Creative Writing, and Interdisciplinary Studies, came together to raise awareness about the many inequalities people face around the world.

Additionally, I had the privilege of collaborating with students from Film and Media, Creative Writing, and Animation to create a video that shows a glimpse of my experiences growing up in Afghanistan as a young woman, as well as how the world outside might view Afghanistan. This video was presented alongside other stories as part of the Interlochen Arts Academy MUKTI performance. (You can find the video here.)

Extracurricular: 

This year, in addition to being a member of the Asian Affinity group, I joined Michigan Youth in Government. In this club, we learned about writing and debating real-life bills on issues that were important to each individual among us. Furthermore, this year, I served as the Global and Cultural Perspective Officer on the Student Representative Board. I really enjoyed interacting with students from different backgrounds and helping organize community events that raised awareness about the various cultures surrounding us here at Interlochen.

Looking forward: 

Having spent almost two years at Interlochen Arts Academy, my journey has been extraordinary, filled with moments that have shaped the person I am today. I’ve formed friendships with peers from around the world. Despite our diverse backgrounds, the shared love for music and art has brought and united us together, allowing us to support and inspire one another each day. 

Looking ahead, there are three highlights I most look forward to in this academic year: 

Firstly, I am thrilled to share that I will be serving as the President of the Student Representative Board for the 2023-2024 academic year. I look forward to collaborating with the administration, addressing my peers' concerns, and working towards bringing new changes that would help students make the most of their time at Interlochen.

Additionally, I have started a book club for Afghan girls. Within this club, we engage in reading and discussions centered around books such as Anne Frank.  Starting this club was very important to me as I wanted to take advantage of what I am learning here to give back to my community in Afghanistan.

Starting this book club was a big step for me, as I closely relate to the stories shared by these girls. While it can be emotionally challenging to hear about the struggles in a place where I have countless memories, the courage and resilience of these girls inspire me. I cherish and value every moment spent with them, recognizing that even our smallest actions can make a difference in somebody's life.

Lastly, 2024 is my final year of high school, closing the chapter at Interlochen Arts Academy. I'm excited about stepping into the next big phase: college. I remember the first day I arrived at Interlochen Arts Academy as a 14-year-old, unaware of the incredible experiences that awaited me. These extraordinary opportunities have opened up a world for me to discover and evolve, allowing me to grow not only as a musician, but also as an independent woman and an individual. 

I'm excited to start school in two weeks and am extremely grateful and thankful for everything and everyone who has been part of shaping this journey.

Khoda Hafiz until my next newsletter!