Maharishi

Name: Budhil Thijm

Parents: Ian Thijm & Radha Thijm

GPA: 3.8

Class Rank: N/A

Co-curricular activities: Tennis Team, Student Council, Scouts of America.

Community activities: Interact Club

Future plans and goals: I plan to explore my interests in college and seek to improve my skills in areas such as grit, expression, and time management.

How will your high school experiences help you in coming years?

In 10th and 11th grade, I traveled to Suriname, experiencing a culture and environment which would propel me to the future. Through it, I found value in scientific exploration by step-by-step analysis, in critical thinking to avoid incorrect assumptions, and in exploring values and beliefs of other people and cultures. In 12th grade, through Psychology and Statistics, I learned about human cognition, the scientific process, and the importance of healthy habits. Through literature, I learned how important it is to seek knowledge from those who came before us, and how we can send messages to the future through literature.

Which teachers have had the biggest impact on your education and why?

Every single teacher I have met has taught me at least one important lesson in life. Though, if I had to narrow it down, I would have to narrow it to the principals of the two schools I went to. One mainly taught me the importance of hard work, and grit, the perseverance and passion for a long-term goal. The other mainly taught me how to become a better leader through his classes and talks. Both were passionate teachers who are leading the next generation of students.

Who is your role model and how did they influence you?

I have many role models, and only one sole ideal. That ideal character is a mixture of the ideals of every individual (and fictional character) I have met thus far and every individual I have yet to meet. Through their actions and words, their perspectives imprint me and influence me to do what matters most, and through that, I form a character of what I want to become in the future, and a path to get there.

What is special about your high school?

In my current school, teachers emphasize critical thinking, the school emphasizes a strong student-teacher connection and bond, and my peers emphasize application and integration of the things we learn in class and in the environment here. I am truly grateful to be back here for my 12th grade, as it was uncertain whether or not I would return from Suriname due to COVID and other circumstances. Thanks to my parents’ support, I am here.

If you could go back to when you were a freshman, what advice would you give yourself?

Though I could say many things, if I gave advice to my past self, would I be the same person I am today? Perhaps because I didn’t have that guidance, I’m the way I am today. If I must, the advice I would give myself is very similar to the advice I had received from the adults and upperclassmen then: get consistent and quality rest, learn to plan and manage time, explore yourself by trying new things, and challenge yourself. To be aware of these, either I learn it from conversations with people I look up to, or through experience.