AYAAN KHAN

Sophomore

“Someone I will always and forever look up to is Kobe Bryant. I really admire his work ethic and mentality, as he always thought differently than everyone else. He was extremely persistent and hardworking and determined to reach his goal through hard work no matter the odds, and I think because of the way no one else had his mentality, that is why I will always look up to him. 

Especially in the sports I play, like basketball and badminton, I think his mentality really projects onto me, and helps me become a better athlete and person overall. Furthermore, I admire the legacy he left, which encourages not only athletes, but also people of color like me to strive every day to achieve our dreams and goals no matter the odds. 

Kobe also reminds me of my dad, the person who is and always [will] be the most important in my life. He really helped me throughout everything. One instance was when we just moved to the states. Everyone knows moving to a new country and making new friends is hard, but he was always by my side to help me throughout the whole process. After one of my closest friends unfortunately lost his dad recently, it really opened my eyes and made me feel more blessed to be able to spend time with my father and be under his guidance.”