Plainfield East takes great pride in fostering a diverse community of well-rounded, driven students. This year, two seniors, Aleena Yousuf and Kyleah Edison, have distinguished themselves as exceptional leaders through their academic achievements and contributions to the school as Science Olympiad captains.
Both Yousuf and Edison have been involved in the Science Olympiad since their freshman year of high school. Through this club, they have discovered a shared passion for engineering, which they plan to pursue at their respective colleges this year. Aleena shared, “I would highly recommend joining the Science Olympiad, because it can be difficult to explore different fields of science with a limited class schedule.
As Science Olympiad captains this year, their goal was to get more underclassmen engagement with the club, as they only had three last year. This year, however, they proudly welcomed many more with some even placing at the state competition thanks to the strong sense of leadership.
“I tried to offer a lot of help to all the underclassmen,” said Edison. “Even with things unrelated to Science Olympiad, and in return, I think everyone opened up and got to know each other.”
Yousuf said this growth in participation has left her happy to leave East knowing the team is in good hands with next year’s captains, Ira Chakraborty, Zoha Mumtaz, Juliana Alicea, and Lyra Nepomuceno.
This fall, Edison and Yousuf will begin their college journey at two of the country’s most elite schools. Edison has committed to MIT for electrical engineering and physics, while Yousuf will attend Stanford to study electrical engineering and math. To be accepted into these renowned institutions is a testament to not only their academic excellence but also their community involvement that has shaped them into versatile, accomplished individuals.
Outside of the Science Olympiad, Yousuf and Edison have been involved in multiple ventures that shaped their identities outside of the classroom.
Last summer, Edison participated in the MITES—MIT Introduction to Technology, Engineering, and Science summer program at MIT, where she got to learn about different STEM fields and gain hands-on experience with engineering.
“I would recommend the program to any juniors from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM,” said Edison.
The future MIT beaver has also been writing since her freshman year and even drafted a story. She has submitted multiple stories to the SPC literary festival since her sophomore year, noting that maintaining this creative outlet is a vital asset to her as a more STEM-focused student.
Yousef has held multiple part-time jobs since her freshman year, which allowed her to develop foundational leadership skills outside of a school setting. Beyond the financial benefit of saving for college, she remarks the personal significance of her work.
“It also exposed me to people from diverse backgrounds, expanding my worldview,” said Yousef.
When asked what their proudest accomplishment is throughout their four years at East, they each called upon significant milestones in their high school career.
Edison explained she is most proud of how she was able to step outside of her comfort zone this year and play young Elsa in the musical. Edison said it was probably the scariest thing she had ever done, but the growth she’s experienced throughout high school made this possible.
Yousef believes that her proudest accomplishment was earning the title of state champion at the Illinois Science Olympiad state event. She admitted that the path to success wasn’t easy.
“It took a lot of effort to juggle the Science Olympiad with work and school, so it was very rewarding to see my efforts culminate in an award,” said Yousef.
As their parting advice to incoming freshmen, they shared their unique input on how to make the most of the next four years.
“I would encourage incoming freshmen to try and challenge themselves past what they think is possible,” said Edison.
She emphasizes that growth comes through difficulties and hard work, not confining yourself to a comfort zone. Yousef highlights that it’s important to keep an open mind toward the diverse opportunities and extracurricular activities the school offers.
I would advise the incoming freshman to get involved at East and pursue what interests them, not what others expect of them,” said Yousef.
