Authored by Chris Belleton
Taking those first steps inside, a crowd of voices suddenly grew louder. Laughter and screaming rang throughout the atmosphere; looking around, he grew shocked. Music blasted overhead, filling the entire stadium. This vibrant melody from the overbearingly loud music gave a new sense of feel to the environment. It did not scare or frighten this seven year old boy, instead this significant melody had made him feel at home.
Growing up, Oliver Ames Band Member Henry Simone, took on a lifestyle that made him feel at home. As a kid he played basketball and baseball, and what compelled his interests in these sports had been watching them through television. Now an 8 year band member, Henry Simone recollects his past accomplishments that got him to his 4.0 GPA leading him to apply to top prioritized schools around Massachusetts.
“Ever since I discovered band in fourth grade I stuck with it. I was always interested in music and how musicians are able to create the sound and follow sheet music. I continued it throughout high school and how interesting different instruments can blend together to make one single sound,” Henry recollected.
Henry used his interests in this art to centralize his focus on his school ethic too. He participates in show choir and concert choir, allowing his knowledge of music to be expanded further. Ideally Henry’s former role model is “Alexander Hamilton, I have listen to his soundtracks/musicals, way he took a different path than everyone else and changed history for the better. He took an unorthodox approach and made himself famous by putting in the work.” He also truly showing his deep interest in historical figures that portrayed a positive role in society.
Although all of this seems that Henry’s involvement is ideally inside of school, it expands outside as well. Rushing through things has never been apart of his aspects, by taking quality and perfecting it rather than having quantity allowed new paths to open in his life.
Improving his grades drastically from freshman year to senior year, every problem that has ever come across Henry finds enjoyment in it. It is something he looks at positively rather than it being suppressing and challenging, tending to “read things the old fashioned way by this I mean I like to read through things slowly in order to truly understand what is being said, while still enjoying the story or problem itself”.
At times feeling the most pressure from high school occurrences, Henry did not let those negative effects take a single toll on his persona. Always looking to the future, there is not a single moment that the thought of this strays from his mentality.
Henry lives by one of the most impactful mottos and that being “Take what you are dealt with.” Initially portraying how you can not have control over everything and sometimes life can hit you at your worst, but to never let it change the person you are or trying to be.
“Strive through everything and do not let the situation take control of you take control of the situation before it gets out of hand,” he explains.
Planning for the future Henry sets his mind on attending “WPI and Tufts,” being his, “ two of my top choices, with UMASS Lowell and Northeastern being next”. Looking to study, “Something in the field of engineering, most likely narcolepsy. So its a sleeping condition, the idea is going into biomedical engineering and studying the disease and condition to try and find a cure because there are none right now.”. He feels that narcolepsy is something like cancer that needs to be reformed and cured, however “in regards to narcolepsy and trying to find a cure for the sleep condition – but if not there then maybe with buildings and working in construction.”.
Henry wants to use his wits to at least be a strategist or scientist in some sort of field, if not engineering for narcolepsy then his final aim is to be enveloped in construction.
“My lack of preparation is one of my flaws that I have not been able to fix since beginning high school”, keeping this in his everyday thoughts Henry strives to be the best version of himself. Something I think we should all aspire to do.