Aryan Patel (AP)

Scarlet Gitelson (SG)

What motivates you?

My grandparents. They’re both really old, and their dream has been seeing their kids and their grandkids do well.

What does that motivate you to do?

Do everything. Try hard in everything. I’ve been known to be trying hard at everything, enthusiastic about everything. Also just getting into a good college, [doing] well in adulthood, just so that way they know they don’t have to worry about me. That’s kind of where I want to be—just to the point where they don’t have to worry about me.

What’s the biggest thing you’re working hard on right now?

Probably the biggest thing is volunteering. I went to an old school—my old school Child’s Voice out west at Wood Dale. I’m volunteering for them quite a bit, and we have a pretty big event coming up in late February.

Why is that meaningful to you?

Child’s Voice is basically a school for the deaf to teach kids to listen and speak English and help them go to schools like Latin. So Child’s Voice was just really great in terms of helping me get to here, get to Latin, do well at Latin. Without them, I probably wouldn’t be here. I probably would be signing ASL.

What was the most meaningful moment for you, coming to Latin?

When I came here for an interview, before the second grade when I came to school. They weren’t really sure what to do about me, and then after, they were just really amazed. Kids like me, we have these stereotypes against us, but [what] I really like about being here at Latin, almost more than anything else, is that I can slightly disprove some of those stereotypes. Because I’m the first kid with hearing aids at Latin, since I think the ‘80s. And back then they didn’t even have cochlear implants.

What’s one moment where you’ve disproved a stereotype and felt really proud?

Back in Lower School, I was treated a little bit differently by students, and then that just went away because that was just getting rid of their doubts, getting rid of their fears. Back then I used to get stared at all the time. Now I don’t really even get stared at all the time.

For the rest of the school year, what’s one goal you have?

Just get straight A’s. Don’t procrastinate too much. Just do the work and try to sleep more. Because that’s something I need to do, especially since I’m on the swimming team and things are going to start getting more and more brutal.

Why swimming?

I just chose swimming mainly to get stronger, and stronger for golf, which is my main sport. Because swimming has all these different muscles that really help out, and they strengthen those muscles that really help out for golf. So I joined that last year and then this year I am staying because I like the team. I like the guys on the team and also just swimming in the pool is kind of relaxing. I can’t hear at all, when I’m in the pool, so I also don’t think about anything. So it’s literally just swimming for two hours, which is really great because I don’t think I’ve had any other thing that makes me do that, where I don’t think about anything else.

Why did you pick golf?

My dad introduced me to sport when I was 4, along with my brother. From there, I played it casually until the pandemic. During the pandemic, the only camp that was available over the summer was golf camp, and so I just did that for two months, two-and-a-half months, and that was really great. I just fell more in love with the game and became really committed to the game. I still am, but I also have other commitments now.

What was your favorite event of Winter Carnival?

I was on chess during the Wednesday assembly. That was a lot of fun. I got to play some guys and girls from the other grades. And that was really fun. And then the other thing was probably seeing everybody dress up weirdly on Monday.

What’s the best dress-up day that Latin does?

I would say either Pajama Day, because you have an excuse to wear really casual clothes, or probably Dress Up as a Teacher Day.