All About Samir! by Samir Rana

Hello! My name is Samir Rana and I am a rising senior at Garnet Valley High School located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. I am involved in a variety of leadership, athletic and social clubs which keep me on the go and happily busy. I have represented the Class of 2022 as a Class Officer since starting high school. This has been by far my broadest growth experience as a student and leader as it squarely pegs responsibility for taking the opinion of over 400 students to crystalize a unified voice and create a memorable yet impactful high school experience. I am also a lead chair for the MiniTHON Operations Committee as part of the leadership team through the Student Council. During COVID, we learned to adapt as we raised money to fight childhood cancer--- virtually. While the event was ‘virtually successful’, we learned many invaluable lessons on how to be engaging and keep an audience engaged through social platforms. I also spend a significant amount of my time,  practicing and playing a variety of sports at the varsity level, including golf, tennis, and most recently: ultimate frisbee! My passion sport, basketball, threw me in a “foul” mood when I sustained a MCL injury this year and shut my game down, just when COVID restrictions started easing. It was a big set-back but I came back stronger mid-season into another sport - Tennis and ended with a personal undefeated season.

Outside of the school environment, I contribute my time and efforts to volunteer, work and develop personal interests. I have supported individuals with disabilities, particularly adults for autism for several years. I look forward to going back to in-person activities where I can play board games with them during game night. I love seeing their faces light up when they beat me! I work at a golf course in their operations department which means I am the lucky guy that picks up all the balls at the driving range and washes the golf carts. I chose to do this job - because I get a discount when I play there, but also because the work is not easy - it is true labor.  

My parents have always challenged me and my brothers to not take the easy road to what they call a fact of life - you don’t build character without hard work. 

It is something that I am constantly working towards. Another thing that I am very proud of is the work I’ve done with the Concord Council members to hold our first ever Township Diversity Day. We brought over 100 people together in the community for a Tai Chi and Bollywood dancing lesson. Our area has become very diverse in culture in a short time and it was nice to see the pride and interest come together. I have been quite fascinated with Tai Chi and hope to continue to build my practice of it. ​​

What I love most about all of the different clubs, sports, and non-school activities is the essential life qualities they provide like public speaking, teamwork, and compassion. I believe these qualities will serve me well in life and particularly as I strive to pursue my goal of becoming a physician - possibly under the umbrella of sports medicine. I heard about TRIP because my brother participated in it a few years back. I remember coming to his presentation and thinking “Wow!” - and now I can’t believe that I get to top that!