Many people can multitask, but not many enjoy what they do while their doing it. Life gives us a journey to discover the great things we can do for our world. For many students at Warren Township, reality can hit at any moment and for Zaid Barkat, his Impulse was to find a way to do what he loves and enjoys.

Most teenagers think their day-by-days are too short to do anything, but it only takes a motivated and positively dedicated mind set. As a high school student, finding what is right for you can be a long and difficult ride. Sometimes you need the stress and emotions to understand the right and wrong in your life. Like Zaid Barkat, Warren Township High School drags the best out of students and allows them to learn and develop their full potential for life.

Following a passion and doing what makes you happy can guide you down the path to a successful life and a positive lifestyle. It’s not about the end goal in the dream you have. It’s about living it and never giving up for what is right. Zaid Barkat does all that and above. Zaid Barkat is a Senior at Warren Township High School with many great talents and has a wonderful personality. He is a great inspiration to students and has achieved many goals through-out his high school years.

Zaid is a positive influence who is in multiple clubs inside and outside of school such as: Robotics, Hack-Club, MECS, S.O.S, and Y.M.  I asked Zaid if he thought of himself of a leader or a follower in high school. He declined both and said, “I wouldn’t classify myself as a leader or a follower until I experience more of what it means to be a leader.” He was humble and understands that there is a lot to being a leader, but personally, I look up to him for his dedication and inspiration and show great gratitude for that.

While asking Zaid about these clubs, he continues talking about Y.M. “It’s not a School Club,” he said, “It’s a club for Young Muslims.” Zaid works hard to keep himself busy almost everyday by being in these clubs so that he would not fall under the tag, lazy generation.  He goes most Fridays to play games, hang out, and talk about Muslim Religion. He said, “I have been in this club for about two years” Dedication is “ the quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose.” It takes not only a strong mind set, but a future that they see within what they do. Zaid has also been in the Robotics club since Sophomore year. He said, “I am apart of the Software Sub-Team. We build Robots, and I’m one of the people who program them to do the tasks.” He became dedicated to Robotics and has enjoyed it since the first year of joining. Not only does he enjoy robotics, he is also apart of MECS which he volunteers to help pick up trash at the Des Plaines River and Volunteers at Food and clothing Drives. He said, “I have been in MECS for three years.

Also, Zaid is the Co-Creator and Co-President of the Warren Hack-Club. Him and his friends were thinking about making this club since Junior year. The club is “basically a computer science club,” he said, “we make projects and teach how to create games and websites.” Zaid enjoys these clubs and also promotes you to join them. He has lots of fun and continues to show his dedication and motivation through High School. As students, we sometimes forget to understand dreams and follow happiness. We close our eyes to the opening of perfection and happiness because we can become stressed easily. But the goal is to keep moving and push forward and find a great guidance.  “I also work with my dad,” he said, “ a summer internship” His father works in network engineering and Zaid become an intern for his company to help out.

Zaid is an inspiration to all his fellow classmates and younger students at Warren Township High School. He wants to follow a path in computer science. He said, “I’m applying for an early decision to Northwestern for Computer science.” He chose Northwestern because of the distance away from his family and because it is close to Chicago. Zaid Barkat would rather do something productive for his high school rather than being bored and watching YouTube all day. He wanted to do more than be lazy and play video games all day. He joined these clubs for a good experience in life and it guided him to the passion for computer science.  “Zaid Barkat in Robotics” The most important thing that he accomplished was winning Regional for  Robotics Club at Warren. Including this, he said “I also volunteer to teach little kids to do programming at the Library for Robotics.”   Zaid said, “I sometimes get home from school around 6:00  to 8:00 Pm and then finish homework.” For his very little free time, he talks to his friends and sometimes plays video games. His goal is to work for either a major company or open his own business after college.

Ultimately, Zaid is a hard working Warren student that constantly challenges himself. He said, “You don’t have to be lazy. It’s almost like a stigma in our generation because we are teenagers.” Zaid continues putting in hard work and dedication for Warren and always stays busy. He says that clubs will keep him busy and positively moving forward in life to a greater outcome.