By NICHOLAS BRAMANTE
In every class of graduating seniors, there are always those who prize learning and education as an important value in life. Ricky He is no exception, as he has truly made the most with his time at Malden High School, pushing himself to his greatest potential and furthering his education to the best possible extent. He explained, “I felt that engaging in new subjects and experiencing variety was what drove me throughout school.” It is this work ethic that has pushed He into the top ten of his graduating class.
He plans on attending Boston University for a college education. “My cousin went to [Boston University], and she enjoyed it very much.” He plans on majoring in electrical engineering as He has always taken a special interest in electronics. He explained that “electronics have always fascinated me since my childhood.” As a child, He enjoyed taking apart and reconstructing old computers and electronics.
As with any student, however, He’s MHS career required bounding over many obstacles. One such obstacle would be going out of one’s comfort zone. High school is an erratic change from life when you first meet it, and delving out of one’s comfort zone is a critical part in the acclimation process. He explained that “[he is] not a very social person, so when [he] did the science night in eleventh grade, [he] was a little nervous.” He faced this challenge head-on, however, and eventually stepped outside his comfort zone in order to do what had to be done. “After the first hour, my nerves started to ease. [In the end] I was enjoying it and regretted having to leave.”
A memorable portion of He’s senior year was “sitting in AP study or directed study reading and listening to music; [this] consisted of at least half my senior year.” A simple pleasure in the hustle and bustle of a busy senior’s life, no doubt. He also recalls the most difficult and frustrating parts of his time attending MHS: AP exams. “The worst time of any year is when AP exams come around. If you weren’t studying throughout the year, the exam [would] eat you alive.” Again, AP exams are not exactly something commonly found within most student’s comfort zones, so overcoming them was an important feat achieved during He’s time at Malden High.
He has met various different figures while at MHS, but one person who stands out among the rest is Martin Berryman, a chemisty teacher here at the high school. Berryman was an important influence to He as he prepared for leaping the hurdle that is college applications; “[Berryman pushed] me to start the college process. I still remember when I was sitting in his direct study with nothing to do, and he urged me to go to my guidance counselor. I’m always a slow starting person, so he was the catalyst I really needed to start.” He also gives a shoutout to Wayne Ameen, “the best engineering teacher” at MHS.
In his time at MHS, He has learned many lessons regarding education and preparation. Learning from his own experiences, He also puts great emphasis on early preparation for college applications and decision making. As one last piece of wisdom to hand down to upcoming seniors, as well as underclassmen, He implores students to “Get started on college applications early. Don’t wait until senior year to start. It will add a lot of undue stress in addition to any other classes.”
