Hi! My name is Eeman Saud, and I am currently 16 years old and a junior at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science. I live in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts with my little brother, my parents, and grandparents. I was born right outside of New York City and grew up there for the first two years of my life. I then moved to Worcester for a year before settling in Shrewsbury, where I still live today.
music
If I am doing anything in my free time, it is probably listening to music. I find it fascinating how music can evoke such powerful emotions by stringing together different melodies, harmonies and keys. I love how there is so much different music out there that anyone can find their niche.
One of my favorite artists is Taylor Swift. While this may seem basic, I promise I do have a lot of thought behind my answer. She is a master of storytelling. I love her lyricism and the way she adds small details to create a whole narrative in the span of a few minutes. I love how poetic her writing style is and how everything she writes can have a double meaning and can be interpreted in many different ways.
In addition to consuming music, I also enjoy playing it. Since 5th grade I have played the Violin in my school orchestra and in private lessons. I think learning to play an instrument has really furthered my appreciation for music because I notice the production and can pinpoint why I like certain songs.
I primarily use Spotify to listen to music. I really like how user friendly it is and I like its organizational methods. I am also cheap, so I appreciate that all songs can be accessed using a free version.
speech and debate
I have been partaking in my school’s speech team since 6th grade. I attribute my confidence with public speaking to this experience. I recall that going into 6th grade I was very shy and anxious about presenting but gradually I got better and better at it. During middle school I would compete in the events Children’s Literature, Declamation, and Original Oratory.
Children’s Literature involves reading children’s literature with good expression and vocal tone. Declamation involves reading a speech that someone has officially given in the past. Original Oratory involves writing your own speech-typically about a relevant issue-and performing it.
In 10th grade I joined my high school’s speech and debate team. Last year I competed in Public Forum debate. PF involves debating a resolution and preparing the pro and the con side for it. Resolutions change every 1-2 months. In each round, sides are usually assigned with a coin flip. Due to the pandemic, I wasn’t able to compete in person, so we competed online. Regardless, I still really enjoyed it. This year I am still competing through my sending school. My school competes through the National Speech and Debate Association.
baking
From a very young age I have had a love of baking. My mom also enjoys baking, and I think she cultivated this love by getting me involved in the process early on. I am a fairly good baker, if I do say so myself. I am proud to say that in my close friend group I am usually the designated baker for anyone’s birthday. I usually stick to simpler sweets like brownies, cupcakes, and cookies because they’re quick and easy to make but I love trying new recipes.
Interestingly enough, most of the pictures I want to share are of baked goods I have made. I think it is because I love to take pictures of the foods I make. Hopefully it doesn’t make you too hungry looking at them.
Though I should mention that I am not a good cook. I find that baking is more straightforward because the measurements and steps are exact- there is little room for intuition. On the other hand, cooking is the exact opposite. Recipes are just loose guidelines and intuition must be heavily relied on.
travel
I love to travel to new places and learn new cultures. I am a second-generation immigrant because my parents were born and raised in Pakistan. Because of this we try to visit our extended family as often as we can. We were planning on doing so again in the summer of 2020 but due to the pandemic we didn’t. I have also travelled to a few other countries in Europe and Asia and some states.
