March didn’t feel like one month. It felt like everything was happening all at once—and somehow, none of it was waiting for me to catch up.

March started off on a high note: The THS Olympics. An event that had been hyped up my entire freshman year. I couldn’t go a day without hearing people say “I can’t wait till the Olympics!” in all of my classes. From the upperclassmen, I learned it was an exhilarating day full of amazing events with amazing people, a day on which class and school spirit is at an all-time high. It’s an event that is a Tenafly staple. As the treasurer of the freshman class, it was my responsibility—along with the other members of the class office—to make rosters and assign people to compete in over 70 events. Finally, the long-awaited March 6 came, and the Olympics began. Around 1,200 students, all competing for the coveted prize of getting first place. Each student was fighting for top spots to earn their class enough points for victory. The whole day was full of fun and cheer, and I was running around with my classmates competing in events like costume run, class office obstacle course, and musical chairs. When the day came to an end and all the bustle died down, I realized that the hours of roster-making and substitution-form-writing were all worth it. When we ended up placing third, something the freshman class hadn’t done in years, it felt much bigger than a placement. 

Three days after the Olympics, my dad had quadruple bypass surgery.

There’s no way to really describe what that feels like until you’re in the situation. One moment you’re thinking about school and everything you have to get done, and the next you’re in a hospital waiting room, just hoping everything goes right. During that period of recovery after my dad’s surgery, life didn’t go back to normal. I was caught between my studies and other commitments rather than spending quality time with my dad. Have you ever tried studying for a test while your father groans in pain beside you? It just doesn’t feel right. But, following my father’s wishes, I never stopped studying.

In the middle of the chaos came the Brain Bee.

The Brain Bee is one of the largest neuroscience competitions in the world. I had been preparing for months using the Brain Facts book, going through it again and again until I started dreaming of the regions of the brain, neurotransmitters, and the long list of treatments for diseases. No matter how prepared I was, I was nervous. I was shivering and wondering if my months of hard work had been worth it. However, others from Tenafly competing in the competition were extremely supportive. They helped instill in me a subtle confidence that I was prepared and helped me to focus, question by question. 

Soon, after the competition, came the day I had been anticipating for a while: the EMR test.

I had been studying and attending six-hour lectures every week for the entire month of March, and finally that knowledge was to be tested. For those who may not know, an EMR is an Emergency Medical Responder who’s role is to assist other technicians in helping to move those who are injured to an ambulance and bringing them to the hospital. Becoming an EMR is a lengthy process, requiring 50 hours of classes and much more in studying. I had to learn many hands-on skills, vocabulary, documentation, procedures, and more. In the days leading up to the certification I was stressed. The process of studying tested me in ways I had never experienced before. As I saw it, it was much more than just getting a license—it was a test to see if I was qualified enough to get inside that ambulance and save lives. The test was four hours, and after all the writing and practicals, I had officially become a licensed EMR. I learned that if you are determined to achieve something and have the passion to pursue it, you can achieve it.

Lastly came the week of tests. You may ask how many tests I had that week, and the answer was a grand total of nine. 

There is no trick or cramming that can help you survive that. It required extreme time management, for otherwise I risked absolutely tanking my GPA. I used my calendar app to create time blocks for studying with no distractions and put in my all during those time blocks. My days before and after school were filled with studying and reviewing with minimal breaks. The process wasn’t fun, but I stayed disciplined and didn’t allow myself to fall behind, even though it was difficult. By the end of the week, I was absolutely exhausted but satisfied. I unlocked a new level of concentration, focus, and understanding that I had never experienced before.

Thanks!