Nearly a year after leaving the fast-paced streets of Chicago for West Chicago Community High School, senior Mohammed Aaqibuddin has found himself slowing down, trying new things, and rethinking what he wants for his future.

When he first transferred, Aaqibuddin just wanted to finish his high school career and jumpstart his life. However, because of the welcoming environment at WEGO, Aaqibuddin now wants to slow down, enjoy his last year, and try things he had never experienced before.

“In my old school, you had a very limited selection of classes,” Aaqibuddin said. He added that WEGO offered “some things that my old school didn’t have…It was shocking that you could take drafting and accounting.”

Those opportunities helped him discover a potential career path in civil engineering.

“I can just express my creativity, and as a bonus, I’m helping out the community while also doing what I love,” Aaqibuddin said about his future career.

AP Literature teacher Leslie Fireman said Aaqibuddin stands out in class for his curiosity and willingness to engage with new material.

“Mohammed asks thoughtful questions and really tries to understand what we’re doing, not just get the assignment done,” Fireman said. “He’s reading the entire ‘Harry Potter’ series for the first time – even though some of his classmates have given him a hard time about not reading it sooner – and he’s completely leaned into it. That willingness to jump into something new, even when it’s unfamiliar, says a lot about who he is as a student.”

Aaqibuddin attended an Islamic private school during his pre-teen years and then transitioned to a fast-paced Chicago high school.

“I miss the noise: there were a lot of buses and so many people. I was always surrounded,” Aaqibuddin said.

Even though his new environment is quieter, the contrast still makes him reflect on his previous life.

“I miss my friends, and it’s annoying that I probably won’t see them again,” Aaqibuddin said.

Starting over again, especially as a junior in high school, can be daunting, but that did not stop Aaqibuddin from building new connections. He has made many friends since he first arrived in West Chicago.

“I feel like over here it’s easier to talk to people. I had to start from scratch, and it was chill,” Aaqibuddin said.

Mohammed’s growing love for math and high expectations for himself push him to succeed academically. Outside of school, some of Aaqibuddin’s favorite hobbies include working out and painting.

“I like creating stuff,” Aaqibuddin said. “It’s not painting specifically, it’s drawing too…I can just express my creativity.”

He also pushed himself to try something entirely new this year: wrestling. Aaqibuddin decided to join the team after being influenced by friends he met at the high school.

“I just wanted to learn the sport, how it works,” Aaqibuddin said. “I wanted to challenge myself, and I want to learn the basics of how it goes.”

That decision may not have happened without encouragement from senior Leo Rosas.

“He said, ‘Your other activities, like working out, you can do anytime, but this is the final year you can wrestle in high school, and you don’t really get a chance like that, and you should just go for it, try something new,’” Aaqibuddin said.

Rosas is someone Aaqibuddin still considers a very good friend and someone he can always rely on for wrestling advice.

“Mohammed is a hard-working person who is always finding ways to improve. He is always asking for help and looking for ways to get better,” Rosas said.

Mohammed has also had an impact on his new friends, including Rosas.

“He has definitely had an effect on my life; he has taught me not to judge a book by its cover,” Rosas said.