Meet Ruhan Syed: President of DECA

By Prabhvir Lakhan |Reporter


What extracurriculars are you a part of?

I am a part of DECA, HOSA, Model U.N., Econ Club, and [Ultimate Challenge Club].

How are you able to create time for all of of these clubs?

Many of my clubs do not require too much of a time commitment, but when we do come around competition and conference season I just make a list of what I need to do and work through it.

What has been your favorite moment when it comes to these clubs?

One of my favorite moments of being a part of these clubs is probably from DECA State last year. I worked really hard on my DECA project and was really nervous about whether or not I would place in the top three to advance to Internationals, but after I did all of my friends in DECA jumped up with me. It really shows you how deep the connections are that you form in DECA.

How did you get involved in all of your extracurriculars?

I joined DECA because my sister was in it and I wanted one more chance to embarrass her. I joined HOSA because I want to study medicine and a large number of my friends are in it. I joined M.U.N because I’ve always been interested in geopolitics and my friends Humza and Brad were in it. I joined UCC and Econ Club because my friend Brad Hancock is the president of both. Then I got involved with student government and Project SEED due to a lot of peer pressure from Rushi Patel, Jay Sangani, Humza Syed, and Micah Prickett. They all said that both programs would be a good fit and opportunity for me to pursue.

What is Project SEED?

Project SEED is a summer internship program for high school students interested in pursuing degrees and careers in STEM. So if you are accepted to the program you get paired with one of the many mentors and spend the summer working full work weeks in the lab learning about lab science, scientific papers and presentations, along with the topic your mentor’s lab is working on.

Do you have enough time to work on homework outside of club activities?

Oh yeah, [with] the clubs I am a part of you have a lot of control on when you spend your time working on them. So whenever I have light [homework] weeks I spend more time on clubs and the other way around.

What advice would you give to people thinking about joining the activities you’re involved in?

Get involved, if you really want the full experience and to have a lot of fun, show up to every meeting, volunteer, compete, and get your friends to join. You only get as much out as you put in.

Would you recommend these clubs to others?

Definitely. Being a part of these clubs has allowed me to pursue so many passions you can’t pursue in the classroom and has taught me many life skills that have opened many doors for me.

What are some of your favorite moments from clubs other than DECA?

One of my favorite moments from Model United Nations is when we went to the University of Chicago conference, being around so many kids that had similar interests as [me] and were as passionate makes for some interesting debates and conversations.

 

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