Senior Spotlight

Hey Dragons! As many of you may or may not know, Senior Spotlight is a segment our Deadline team created so that MCHS students can get to know our seniors well. In this issue’s Senior Spotlight, we interviewed Jena Tufail.

We asked Jena what her hobbies are, her likes/dislikes, and what she is passionate about. Jena loves to read novels, listen to many genres of music, spend time with her birds, and more. During quarantine, Jena has caught up with her reading and found a new hobby of sewing. Some of her favorite artists are The Neighborhood, Juice Wrld, Chase Atlantic, The 1975, Giveon, and Summer Walker (just to name a few). If you need song suggestions, go to Jena because her music taste is immaculate. Some of her dislikes would be impatience and country music. She is passionate about civil rights and helping the wrongly convicted and detained. She has a goal of saving many people who face oppression in our world and wants to make our society become a better place for future generations.

“My goal is to one day take a stand and help aid in gaining minorities civil rights here in America and locally. I want to help those who are placed on death row for crimes they did not commit, and have been charged based on false, unreliable evidence. I dream to be a part of changing our corrupt justice system one day, and making our country and communities better for everyone.”

Jena’s plans after graduation are to attend university, graduate with her bachelor’s degree, and transfer to law school to pursue becoming a lawyer. The major she is applying to is Anthropology, which is the science behind the study of people and society. It took her a while to figure out what she wanted to study and major in. As of now, she is still deciding between the cultural or biological practice of Anthropology. But, it seems that she has found her true passion.

“Science has always interested me, studying society as well, and aiding people has always been one of my goals. I believe that this major and career plan is perfect for me!”

We asked her what she expects and hopes to accomplish during her senior year, and Jena wishes to accomplish many things during her last year. She hopes she will be able to graduate with her associate’s degrees, get into the colleges she dreams of attending, graduate high school, and to be happy. She has many expectations of how senior year would go. She expected it to be more stressful, but so far, things have been going well for her. A lot of people, such as herself, thought that school would be held on campus, but that has changed due to unfortunate circumstances. Nonetheless, she misses seeing everyone and interacting with her peers and teachers.

We asked her how she has evolved over the years as a student attending MCHS, starting from her freshman to senior year. Her time management and independent study skills have improved over the years. She has become slightly more introverted, but it's been beneficial for her since she is happier and more content with who she is right now. She says she has grown a lot as a person and academically. Attending MCHS helped her discover the field she is passionate about, and she wouldn’t have learned about this field if she didn’t go to MCHS.

“To be honest, I never knew I would be able to make it as far as I did and be able to make many new experiences I gained here at MCHS. Now, I am confident in who I am and becoming, I am excited about the future and my future endeavors.”

Lastly, we wanted to know if Jena had advice for the underclassmen, and she provided a lot of insight. She says to not be afraid to try new things. There are many opportunities in school and outside of school, so don’t be afraid to seek new challenges alone. Another thing she has learned from her experience is to focus on making everlasting friendships and relationships. Surround yourself with people who can help improve you as a person and give you positive vibes. Be yourself, know your worth as an individual, and don’t compare yourself to others. There’s no need for competition because everyone goes at their own pace and has different goals, so don't be discouraged. Don't be afraid or hesitate to ask questions or advice from upperclassmen and teachers. We are here to help you out if you need or are concerned with anything!

“Work on appreciating yourself more in high school, knowing your worth, and be happy with who you are becoming.”

Thank you, Jena, for letting us know more about you, and we can’t wait to see you achieve your ambitions and dreams. We wish that you will flourish in your senior year and to be the best version of yourself. Make sure to tune in for our next Senior Spotlight!