Adrian Huq, Metropolitan Business Academy, New Haven
Derby resident Adrian Huq earned a 4.662 GPA at the Metropolitan Business Academy, an interdistrict magnet high school part of New Haven Public Schools. Arts and the environment have been a focus of theirs, making it unsurprising they plan to pursue a degree in environmental studies at Tufts University. Huq co- founded the New Haven Climate Movement, was a youth coordinator for the Elm Energy Efficiency Project and was a summer apprentice at Artspace. They are also president of the school’s Gender- Sexuality Alliance.
Q: What life lessons stand out most to you over the past few months?
A: Life lessons that stand out recently are to always savor the moment and appreciate where you are in life. Even if some days are tough, you may just look back and miss it when it’s over! Nothing is permanent, and you should always acknowledge and be grateful for the experiences you’re living now.
Q: What’s something that people get wrong about you and your classmates based on your age?
A: Something I believe that others get wrong about young people is that we are a generation that’s obsessed with our phones and technology and not really making useful contributions to society. I totally disagree with this thought.
Even though we are using our phones a lot, I really do find that young people are using the easy access of technology and information to their benefits and becoming more socially and politically aware and sharing these resources with each other and driving change. Even if we’re looking at recent movements, like the climate movement or March for Our Lives, youth are at the forefront of leading these and inciting change in our society. I totally have faith that we are changing and will change the directory of our society and our world.
Even if adults may not acknowledge it or recognize it too much, there’s youth that are working part time and doing school or taking college classes or volunteering or working for non- profits. There’s so many amazing things that youth are working on outside of just using social media going to school and seeing friends.
I really do believe that we are a very politically and socially aware generation and that we are going to make change and that youth are really setting themselves up for success and for a better world for us all.
Q: What will you miss most about your hometown and Connecticut? And what are you most looking forward to?
A: I will definitely miss downtown New Haven and being able to go there after school nearly every day. I’d visit the library, attend meetings or my college class, go out to eat, see friends, or take myself out on a mini- adventure. I’ll miss the convenience of getting around New Haven on the city bus as well traveling there from my hometown, Derby, and vice versa.