Samir Rathore can look very serious even when he’s not. Truth be told, the Huntington High School senior really has a great sense of humor and while he certainly is a deep thinker, he likes to laugh and flash the smile that has made him popular with his classmates.
The teenager has been considering his college options for many weeks and now that he’s decided to attend the University of Maryland, College Park, Mr. Rathore couldn’t be any happier.
Huntington High School senior Samir Rathore
“I choose Maryland for several reasons,” Mr. Rathore said. “It is a big school with a large campus and amazing sports. They have an amazing school of engineering in which I’m planning on studying aerospace engineering on the honors track. Maryland has one of the best places to study aerospace due to its ties with NASA and its close proximity to Washington, DC. My career interests lie all over the place, after I get my bachelor’s degree in aerospace, I plan on getting my MBA. After that it just depends on what I want to do, I do want to stay in the space field though.”
Mr. Rathore is a very strong student with an exceptional transcript, displaying superior grades in a wide array of highly courses. He will graduate near the top of the Class of 2021.
“Huntington has prepared me for college,” Mr. Rathore said. “With all the Advanced Placement classes I’ve taken, I feel I’m ready for anything that will be thrown at me. Juggling academics, sports and extracurriculars, I know that I will be able to manage my time well at Maryland. I am excited for what’s to come, but there is so much unknown about what lies ahead.”
The teenager considered several colleges before finalizing his decision. “Maryland has a lot of clubs and research opportunities,” Mr. Rathore said. “Some of the professors I’ve spoken to have amazing ongoing research and I plan on getting involved in any way I can. I also plan on continuing my martial arts career at Maryland and will pursue my master’s degree in Taekwondo and my black belt in Jiu-Jitsu. There are also some sports clubs/intramurals that I think would be really fun so I might do some of those as well.”
After successfully navigating through the high school’s curriculum offerings during the past four years and mastering all of his classes, Mr. Rathore offered some valuable advice to underclassmen.
“If you are planning on going into the STEM field I really do recommend taking AP Physics,” Mr. Rathore said. “It changes the way you approach problems and requires you to learn in a way that isn’t just memorizing content. If not, I recommend taking AP Micro and Macro Economics. They are interesting classes that I feel everyone should take to get some sort of base level understanding of the way economies work. Both classes are tough, but there is no better way to prepare for college than to challenge yourself in high school.”
The senior is very well liked by faculty members and classmates alike. He has a great personality with a wonderful sense of humor. Mr. Rathore has used his time wisely and developed productive relationships with his teachers who all hold him in high esteem.
“Mrs. [Stacey] Byrnes and Mrs. [Paige] Furman are both amazing teachers who have had a big impact on me,” Mr. Rathore said. “Mrs. Furman is always checking up on me and has helped me countless times whether it be for job interviews or advice. Mrs. Byrnes is a great teacher that not only taught me my favorite subject, but also cares about each student and how they are doing.”
The teenager has quite an adventure planned for himself at the University of Maryland, College Park, but it’s safe to say that he will always remember his soon-to-be alma mater.
“Huntington High School is a place to find your passion while making friends and enjoying sports,” Mr. Rathore said. “The community here is a family and for that I am grateful.”