Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?
Omar Steyteyieh: To make a long story short and refrain from having my answer become a novel, the outlet for passion has been the largest contributor towards myself wanting to continuously compete in various athletics over the duration of my life. In a newly implemented education system where students are becoming more rank-and-file due to standardized grading, outlets for them to be able to let their individual passions and talents take the main stage have been very limited, and from my perspective, it is athletics that allows students like myself to cement their own unique identity.
D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?
Steyteyieh: After long thought, I've decided to attend a college of the several I have applied to along the West Coast. This decision came to me entirely by way of personal interest and once again, passion. This may not seem so significant, but in our contemporary society where going to college is yet another normal conformity that students have been led to believe is the only way to be "successful", making the decision to go in order to feed my curiosity and not for the sake of following suit with society is something that I consider important.
D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?
Steyteyieh: The major I've chosen to pursue in my post-secondary academics is that of business administration. My upbringings as the son of a business owner have done nothing but intrigue me more and more into the fields of business, which I continually research and build personal experience in. There are intangible values associated with taking charge of a group to accomplish certain goals that I cannot begin to express my drive for.
D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Vintage High?
Steyteyieh: While I am able to build interest in most my classes, the few that have truly made an impact in who I am as a person are unimpeachably my history classes. History has definitely been a subject of great intrigue in my life; the notion that history repeats itself, yet as humans we will never truly be able to accurately predict what the future holds for us is a provocative notion to say the least. From drawing similarities between past leaders and current ones, and frightening myself doing so, to studying existentialism and staying up hours after I should have been asleep for countless nights trying to wrap my head around this world, I can easily say no other class has sparked the same curiosity within me.
D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?
Steyteyieh: Within my family alone, my mother and my grandfather have undoubtedly been the most influential people in my life. The miracle that is my mother's life, and the nearly unbelievable story that is my grandfather's life, I have been influenced in ways unimaginable by these two individuals. My mother, who will work tirelessly, racking up a solid six hours of sleep in a week-no exaggeration necessary-to make sure the job is executed to the absolute best of her ability is the inspiration for my work ethic. My grandfather, a "man of a million smiles" as his friends and family would call him, was as unique a leader as he was a loving individual who carried himself with an heir of pride and humbleness, and so described is the artist of the clay that is my character.
D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.
Steyteyieh: A figure of idiosyncrasy, confidence and above all, a role model for not only athletes but any young muslim like myself, the great Muhammad Ali is someone that I would sacrifice a lung for the opportunity to meet. As previously mentioned, being raised as a devout muslim in an environment that's perspective of Islam is increasingly being tainted in a negative light because of the actions of radicals and opposers of the religion, it is no easy task to live with confidence when most of what you see around you is negative. It was Ali that reinforced me to admire the beauty of my religion and appreciate the discipline and love within it. More so, not simply to admire and appreciate it, but to own and be confident of it, to advocate its message and spread the love of its practitioners.
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