People Of East Ridge: Zarah

Written by Alexa Jo Schafer

In our school of 2,000 students, we often fail to see just how much there is to each person. There may be some people you see in the hall every day or know from social media, but haven’t had a real conversation with. The purpose of this article is to discover different pieces of your peers and what lies below the surface.

Zarah.

I thought that if I knew anything about Zarah it was that she knew how to make a person laugh, but there had to be more. Zarah was born in Princeton, New Jersey into a Bengali Muslim immigrant family. After a childhood of moving from house to house and state to state, Zarah’s family decided to call Woodbury home. You may have seen a short girl in the halls, carrying her violin, or possibly heard a National Treasure quote from her direction. The truth is, Zarah has a lot more to say than the matters of stealing the Declaration of Independence. She’s currently secretary of the Young Democrats club here at East Ridge and involved in student council. She’s very disappointed with the current political state, but remains optimistic and encouraged by the protest and outrage she has seen. She’s a strong enthusiast for feminism and the issues of the Pay Check Fairness Act and Muslim ban attract a majority of her concern. She also recognizes the urgency to protect our Earth “in case we don't want to become Martians anytime soon.” She once dreamed of becoming president, but her future plans now direct towards the University of Minnesota with a major in physics, although she still plans to be active politically. She’s definitely a meme enthusiast, and knowledgeable on her Disney classics, but ultimately, the most important thing you need to know about Zarah is her love for National Treasure.