For his past four years here at Plainfield East, senior Om Nath has been an exceptional student, with his authenticity and diligence to the community, establishing him as one of the remarkable students Plainfield East has seen. Nath has been through a variety of challenges throughout his high school career, and in the process, completely changed his image from an intimidated and lost freshman to a senior who is understood and accepted by his community.  These past four years, Nath, after a deep self-reflection and mental rewiring, learned the value of embracing his true self, rather than fixating on his image. 

During his freshman year of high school, Nath struggled a little bit because people around him were trying to fit in with these groups, and that took a big mental toll on him. This jarring experience made it difficult for Nath to connect with his peers because everyone else seemed to be slowly drifting away. This also dragged into Oms’ mental space, leading to insecurity and self-doubt when approaching new things.

“When you hit high school, it’s not a joke anymore; all of these academics take time and effort,” said Nath.

His sophomore year also had its fair share of highs and lows, along with its own special experiences.

“Sophomore year was also a rough year because I lost a lot of friends and some people that I deeply cared about,” said Nath.

The highs were stepping out of his comfort zone and picking up two sports that he’s still involved in at East.

Nath’s junior year, however, was a pivotal point in his high school journey.

“ I went out of my own way to make friends with the underclassmen because I, too, know what it’s like to be thrown aside,” said Nath.  

One of Nath’s most crucial goals is ensuring his peers feel involved, and a perfect example of that was 2025 Plainfield East’s spring musical, Mamma Mia. 

“Seeing these cliques happening where the underclassmen aren’t getting the mentorship breaks my heart, because that connection means so much more than being a friend,” said Nath.

He cares deeply about inclusivity and making everyone feel like they have a place, not only on the stage but outside of it. 

During the beginning of his senior year at East Nath said, “It goes downhill for the first semester because of the society and the people around him.” He also noted that, “they never went through the whole book about me, but they just went through the first couple of pages and then they stopped.”

To add on to this academic pressure, Om’s home life was also stressful, but he used that issue to his advantage and let it gracefully shape him into a well-rounded individual.

Throughout his time here at East, Nath gave the community a prime example of what change and hope can look like and how they can begin from any point in your life. So let his story guide you on your next significant experience, no matter how big or scary, there’s always an opportunity for personal growth, and there’s no time like the present to start implementing this change.