HUMANS OF BELLAIRE – Bradley Tom, Valedictorian

“I liked my high school experience. Quarantine was pretty rough, but I think if anything, quarantine has taught me I shouldn’t participate in more things. There’s only so much time you have in high school, so you should make the most of it while you still can. Even though I was really behind, I set high standards for myself. I felt like I still needed to push through. I got into K-pop during quarantine, so I was a little distracted, [but] I had something to be entertained by. I joined [the] K-pop club; that [was] pretty fun. You know, I never imagined myself doing school performances for [the] K-pop club, [but] here I am. It’s amazing that [I became valedictorian]. I’m very grateful for that opportunity because I put it on college applications, but it is a very unexpected honor. Even [out] of the five of us [valedictorians], there are always people who seem more dedicated, so I had a hard time putting myself in the same category as them.

What I wanted out of high school was to have good friends. That was most important for me, to feel like I had solid relationships with people in high school. I tend to be a little bit introverted, a little bit of a guarded person. I think having friends who you are comfortable with helps you get out of your comfort zone; that helped me release my bubble I hold up around myself.

[Looking back], I would have participated in more clubs. I’m going to UT Austin, [and I’m majoring] in mechanical engineering. [I] don’t have any plans as of [right now], [I’m] trying to stay happy. I’ll probably continue doing something music or art-related [after] doing it for a while in high school.

I want to be remembered as someone people liked, someone who [people] cared about, having good relationships with people [and] that I cared about other people. I have no regrets. Do things. Do anything. Do all the things. Join all the clubs. There’s always this feeling, like, ‘Oh, I have to do this because I have to.’ Just do the things you do want to do.”