Mukund

This essay can be read in __two__ ways.


 * ONE:** Open up this document. [[file:Mukund!.doc]]


 * TWO:** If, for some reason, you can not open the file, read below.

= =  ** Mukund! **   by Raziq M.

Mukund is a man of many virtues. An 8th grader at Herbert Hoover Middle School, he is mainly an A student. This is because he always completes his homework on time and tries his best. Since he is also a responsible teenager, Mukund helps his parents with chores and cares for his 6-year-old sister, Maulikaa. Mukund even plans on becoming a doctor when he grows up so he can help people live. As you will see, Mukund is a hard worker who always gets the job done while still caring about others.

** Rollercoaster Childhood? ** Mukund’s past has had some ups and downs. He was born on August 5th, 1997, but he and his parents moved to Edison when he was only 4. Life was slow and calm in his neighborhood of Edison Glen. Sometimes, Mukund “enjoyed to go on night walks with (his) parents.” It allowed him to get to know his surroundings a bit. Still, life wasn’t too exciting. It took until 1st grade for things to get a bit more interesting… Mukund was eating lunch in the cafeteria of Lindeneau Elementary, when one of his friends sat next to him. They saw what each other brought for food and noticed that they both had a Go-gurt tube with them. Being only 1st graders, the first thing that came to their minds was obviously, “Fight!” So, they grabbed their yogurt tubes and started swinging them like lightsabers. But unlike lightsabers, their Go-gurt tubes burst after a few hits. The creamy goodness inside the plastic splattered all over their table. Nearly everybody in the cafeteria noticed the explosion, including the lunch aides. When they arrived at the “scene of the action,” they blamed it all on Mukund and sent him to the office! Meanwhile, his friend was totally unscathed; he didn’t even receive a warning! This event will always remain as one of the craziest in Mukund’s life.



**Remember these? Go-gurt tubes used to be the craze back then, but now you probably don’t see any of them //nearly// as often. **   ** An Active Lifestyle ** Mukund enjoys playing a couple of sports. “One of (his) favorite childhood activities was playing soccer. I used to be very interested and practiced it in my house, kicking the ball against the walls.” He’s continued his interest in the sport and now plays in travel soccer. Mukund used to take swimming lessons at the YMCA. He stopped because he felt that he was good enough at swimming. However, Mukund still drops by at YMCA every now and then for a few laps. As well as soccer and swimming, Mukund also fancies shooting hoops at the gym every once in a while. He explains that these exercises helps alleviate stress and are healthy, too!

** Getting Along ** Mukund, being the nice guy he is, has an assortment of friends. However, the one person he decided to give the honor of “Best Friend” goes by the name of Shaurya. Like most childhood friends, they both lived in Edison Glen. Therefore, they could easily visit each other whenever they wanted to. The two were like brothers; they had similar opinions and mindsets. However, they did argue with each other once in a while. One day, Shaurya had to move to East Brunswick, quite a bit farther from Mukund’s house than he used to be. Sadly for Mukund, this meant that they couldn’t go over to each other’s homes as often. But, when they do get the chance to see each other again, the pair catches up on life events. Closer to home, Mukund has to deal with his 6-year-old sister, Maulika Normally, you’d expect intense sibling rivalry between a younger and older sibling, but surprisingly, Mukund and Maulika get along pretty well. They don’t argue with one another, but when they do (which is like once every two blue moons), it’s often for a trivial reason. Since Mukund is the older child, he helps and cares for his sister when his parents are out.

** A True Work Ethic ** Now, what I think is the most prominent characteristic about Mukund is, well, his great character! Now that he’s a teenager, Mukund has to accept more responsibilities around the house. Luckily for his parents, he dutifully completes his chores, though he doesn’t really like to do them. Also, Mukund always strives to complete his homework. He will try his best at school, on the soccer field, or wherever he needs to! Mukund has been able to get an excellent report card because of his good attitude towards his academics. Even his goals for life reflect his great character. He wants to get into an accredited university (Mukund prefers Princeton or Cornell). He will study hard and eventually become a doctor. Mukund states that he is willing to dedicate his time saving lives, Amazing.

Overall, Mukund is a good-hearted man with a brain in his head. His excellent work ethic enables him to get superb grades, and he is friendly and caring to nearly everybody he meets. I don’t see a reason to not befriend him. As he once said, “I am willing to go the extra mile and do everything that (is required) to achieve everything I want to. I’m ready to keep trying and not give up no matter what pulls me down, because I know that only if I try my best can I complete all my goals.”