College: This seven letter word creates an uprising of emotions within the typical highschool senior’s brain. The thought of broadening their horizon may cause excitement, but for others it is absolutely nauseating. Moving away for college can be difficult, but Dulaney Senior Noor Saiedy is prepared for a painless move to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). UCLA holds an acceptance rate of only 14.3%, but brilliant Saiedy was fortunate enough to get accepted. Additionally, she is majoring in bioengineering, and hoping to take off her career in an engineering business pathway. 

Saiedy was able to prepare herself for this course by taking many PLTW and STEM classes at Dulaney. The 4.0 GPA student was a member of the soccer team, took part in the National Honors Society, was the Vice President of UNICEF, and President of the Society of Women engineers. She also partook in an internship program through Scigblob building sensors for NASA. These opportunities led her to getting accepted into University of Maryland and Virginia Tech as well.

Although Saiedy had options to stay close to home, in the end it still wasn’t something she chose. “I think when it comes to the worth of the university and how much I’ll be paying, UCLA is a little more because of the distance, but I think the value of the education and the opportunities for my future would exceed from colleges similar to here.”

Being 2,671.1 miles away does not frighten Saiedy in the slightest.  “I’m not fearful of change. I like to learn new things. It might be a little more stressful but I mean every opportunity I get to learn more and adventure is exciting for me.”

Because Saiedy is the first in her family to move away, this was a decision her family wrestled with. “ I’ve always been more of the kid that wants to move out and adventure, so for me moving away was something I really wanted to do,” said Saiedy. 

There are many aspects that contribute to new beginnings, and meeting new people is essential towards that. Saiedy is hoping to continue playing soccer for a club team in California, while she is on the roommate hunt! 

“I’ve been trying to contact some people on like Instagram and Snapchat… but it’s pretty hard because UCLA has a quota for how many California residents they accept compared to out-of-state…A lot of these kids have known each other and have had similar experiences where I have not,” said Saidey. 

Nevertheless,  though the journey comes with struggles, Saiedy will have plenty to do along with her studies and athletics. She will continue being a part of the Society of Women engineers, hoping to meet lots of new peers.

Although visits home will not be as frequent, college is a time for students to learn how to become self-reliant and financially independent. The plane rides may be a hassle, but Saiedy is eager to explore a new stage of her life. Nevertheless Saiedy will break her extra large suitcase out and prepare her wardrobe for the fantastic California weather she will be enjoying soon!

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