As a society, we deem being “different” as a phobia. Senior Aarav Mathur ‘26 stated his final message: “Don’t be afraid to be yourself,” he said, “but don’t spend so much energy on it. Just make it natural for yourself and your lifestyle.”
In addition to his time on KO News, Aarav has contributed to the KO community through his passion: gaming. Whether he is sitting on a gaming chair, aggressively clicking away in the esports room, or writing about animation and video games, or connecting with people who have the same interests as him, he is not afraid to share his talents with our community.
Aarav shared that his favorite article written for the KO News was one of his first ones. “It was about animation and video games and how underappreciated and much value it holds,” he explained. “It took up like an entire page. I worked so hard on that because I was so passionate about it.”
His KO News journey started in his sophomore year, when he took journalism and quickly advanced to an associate editor. Writing for the KO News never seemed like it would be a major interest of his until after lots of persuasion from his mother, it happened to work out. After serving as an associate editor, Aarav stepped into the role of Head Editor of Opinions this past year.
Connecting with others and getting to understand their “whys” is another passion of Aarav’s, which is exactly why he wants to study psychology. He has already shown this through his contributions to KO News, such as the suggestions he gives to other writers under him, and spreading awareness to all grades through editorials and comics.
Aarav doesn’t just write for the credits; he writes to convey the stories that are heard around campus, share his opinions, and craft reviews. “Having that voice is really important,” he said, “Also, to give the paper and the school, by extension, a little bit more life into it.”
Before we wish Aarav a final goodbye, we want to acknowledge all that he has accomplished throughout his career. When asked what his best year was in high school, Aarav said that it was his freshman year because of the new experiences. “But I’d say I’m enjoying senior year right now,” he added. “I feel that I have improved myself so much. I have a new appreciation for the school now that it’s my last year.” From trying out journalism just for the fun of it, to ending in a head editor role, I think it is fair to say that Aarav has made his mark here at KO.
