A Smoggy Situation
While visiting one of the world’s most populated regions, I became intrigued by a situation that once felt normal, because I spent the first 9 years of my life in Lahore. Air pollution was always a byproduct of the summer simmering into cooler temperatures, however, it was never as bad as I had just witnessed…
Sky High with Nana
Cover: Early 1980s, Nana in a Cessna 182, with the right passenger door removed. Bundled up and buckled by a safety strap for his photography. Location: Air Sailing Gliderport, Reno, NV. The photograph he cherished most was not of his family, but of a Nimbus III. A slender, white glider hangs suspended against the Sierras, its…
Testing iFly
A few months ago, for the sake of conversation, I mixed up Newton’s 3rd Law with the Impulse-Momentum Theorem. I thought that if I ever went skydiving, which I plan to do when I’m eighteen, the rushing air would “hit” me with an impact, and that impact would push back with an equal force, keeping…
Jet Engine Part 2
Picking up where I left off from Part 1, after finishing building the engine, it was ready for testing. I placed an aluminum sheet underneath where the engine would be seated for heat shielding against the wooden table. I strapped the engine to the table using heavy-duty zip ties to ensure the engine would not…
Driving..I mean, Drawing through Summer
This summer, I had to find a way to relax and enjoy myself beyond what has been a very hectic, yet productive summer. I have retaken a Biology course online to bring my grade up to an A, SAT preparation for next month, swim practice, driving tests, and many enjoyable flying lessons towards a Private…
Jet Engine Part 1
It’s always fascinated me with the idea of propelling objects with a force that isn’t completely visible, yet so powerful. After months of studying and researching propulsion, I started experimenting with home-made turbo-fan engines. I chose to begin building turbofan engines because they are rather simple and teach the basics of gas turbines. In the summer of 2024, I built my prototype turbofan…
Varsity Swim
Upon completing 3 seasons of fortunately swimming with Gainesville high school, I can finally say with much perseverance I made progress around every corner. Whether it’s been through sprint events or distance, I am proud of my recent achievements as a varsity swimmer. The best events I have excelled in the most are my 50…
My Robotics Journey
A highlight of my junior year has been how I am able to express my passion for engineering through after-school clubs such as engineering club and my favorite, most exciting – robotics club. I enjoy robotics club because of its positive environment and work ethic. Unfortunately, I was unable to try-out for the school robotics team my sophomore…
Little Crystalline Creations
As a car enthusiast who also loves aerospace, or just anything and everything that speaks the shared principles of fluid dynamics to aerodynamics, I found a new fun to work with carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a lightweight intricate weaved cloth constructed of many polymers into a stunning pattern. This material is used as an…
My SpaceX
This one-week rocketry flew by so quickly that I wanted to do it again. Every year, NOVA’s (Northern Virginia Community College) SySTEMic program holds a one week rocketry summer camp for middle school and high school students. I had been looking forward to this camp all summer and it did not disappoint. Even so, we…
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Discovering with Raza 