After moving to the United States from Pakistan midway into her sophomore year, Hajra Saeed pushed herself to excel in school and maintain a 4.0 grade point average.
“Living in Pakistan taught me who I am and what I aspire to be. It has also taught me how privileged I am to be studying in the U.S., but it never forgets to reminds me to never forget my roots, to never forget what I am and who I represent,” Saeed said.
Despite the difficulties of beginning a new school, in a new country, halfway through the school year, Saeed managed to stay on top of her academics and get involved in activities. She participated in the Math Club, Spanish Club, Key Club, National Honor Society, Spanish Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta, Science Olympiad and the First Robotics Competition.
Saeed enjoyed her extracurricular activities, but she considered winning the AP Chemistry and Pre-Calculus Student of the Year her biggest achievement, and good end to her junior year.
“I have always wanted to do my best, no matter what the circumstances or consequences. [Having a 4.0] was just one of those things that just happened,” Saeed said.
While she possessed high skill levels in all categories regarding her academics, she faced cultural struggles in her transition from Pakistan, where she attended an all-girls school, to the United States.
“School, in general, is really different here than what it is back in Pakistan. Everyone’s really tech-savvy here. The rigor of the courses I was taking wasn’t an issue, but wrapping my head around AP’s, onors and regular was a bit of a struggle,” Saeed said.
After experiencing and learning how to handling the high school workload, Saeed expressed her advice for incoming freshman.
“Get involved with all the activities going on around the school. Enjoy yourself, but make your education your number one priority,” Saeed said.
After high school, Saeed plans to attend the University of Florida and major in psychology.