Abid Ayon

I come from a humble background of immigrant parents who left their families in hopes to create a better life here in the United States. They've done everything they can for me and my sister to have the best education and opportunities possible. At a young age, I began going to the mosque where I would donate every Friday and do my part in helping my local community. During middle school is when I began volunteering after school for any extra help or work my teachers needed and to get the hours I knew I would for college. Once I graduated and became a student at the Bronx High School of Science, the opportunities seemed to broaden and brighten my eyes. I would begin involving myself with several clubs that I enjoyed and as a Junior, will be running for a leadership position next year.

Volunteering at the mosque gave me community building skills by speaking and listening to all kinds of people. Speaking to individuals, whether it was 1-on-1 or through group meetings and conversations gave me a better idea of what was expected of the community and their desires, better helping me understand what was wanted.

-We set up iftar (meals for Ramadan) for the entire month, cost free to anyone who wanted to break their fast at the mosque, which also helped me learn to appreciate the things I have much more

School Clubs

NASHA: A Southeast-Asian based cultural club where we have events filled with cultural dances, food, and games.

MSA (Muslim Student Association): A religious club that teaches you all about Islam and gets you involved in amazing events. It welcomes any culture and religion and ANYONE is welcome to learn about all there is to learn about Islam. There is a yearly city-wide competition called (MIST) where all schools with MSA compete in several competitions.

(Bronx Science placed 1st Overall in NY and moving on to Nationals this summer)

Club STAT (Surgical Technical Anatomical Talks): Gives countless opportunities to connect with others, find internships, meet new and amazing people, and gives you the chance to talk to those who are already involved in the medical field.

I like to resell on the side as a temporary stream of income and help me build money managing and finance skills for the future. It teaches me to be smart with my money and make smart decisions on investments I think are either profitable or costly. I resell very casually and mostly involves shoes, whether it be Yeezys, Jordans, Nike, etc. From a very early age, I fell in love with shoes and they've always been something I hold close to me ever since my mom bought me my first Jordans from then on my collection seemed to grow and grow, while some were cycled out and sold because they got too small for me. During springtime, I always do a sweep of my wardrobe to see what fits and what doesn't and I either sell it on platforms such as Offerup, Poshmark, Grailed, Depop, etc. or I'll donate them. Reselling has helped me grow my skills in financial literacy and budgeting, while also teaching me how to make smart choices and investments and money management. It's also allowed me to save up my own money and allow me to spend it wisely on what I really want.

I am an extremely dedicated and hardworking person who goes above and beyond to complete the task that's in front of me. Through my years of maturing, I've learned that the only way to overcome an obstacle is to go right through and endure. Endurance and resilience are two characteristics that I've built upon trial and error, through obstacles and failures that were necessary for my growth and development as a person overall. Success can't be obtained without failure and enduring through failure is what makes strong will and determination. This opportunity granted to me was one that I could not be more appreciative of and will take advantage of to the fullest extent and do whatever is necessary to be the best version of me I can be for myself and for this team. I am both a leader and a team player and I will do whatever is necessary for the most efficient and effective results. Lastly, thank you for the opportunity and I can't wait to uptake this amazing opportunity.