Her heart trembles as the lights hit the stage. She looks out into the eyes of many strangers and her group prepares to give the best performance of their lives. As she is about to perform, she starts to think about her childhood and how hard she has worked to get to where she is.

Junior Faith Farooq and her family left Pakistan and moved to America in January to start a new life. After a few months of living in America, Farooq says that she loves it.

“[America] gives freedom to everyone and you can do whatever you want,” Farooq said. “You can become whatever you want. Everyone appreciates each other.”

Farooq said that she and her family adjusted to America more easily compared to other people and that although her life in Pakistan was not the easiest, she still misses living there.

“My childhood was there,” Farooq said. “I lived there for nineteen years so everything about the country, I love.”

Along with going to school, Farooq is a part of the Key Leader Club, a club outside of school that teaches students about how to become good leaders for their future. Farooq can also play several instruments, the piano, guitar, and the mouth organ. Farooq has been playing the piano for six months and said that she enjoys its versatility.

“You can play loud music on it and you can play soft music as well,” Farooq said. “That’s the best part.”

Farooq has also played the mouth organ since her childhood, because of her father and she has put on several performances for multiple events. She attended the Mika Singh Concert in August with her group consisting of six other people.

“We just played and made a melody,” Farooq said.

Farooq said that she encourages other people to try the mouth organ because it is fun to play.

“I just want to say that [the mouth organ] is really simple to play and you don’t need much lessons to learn it,” Farooq said. “It’s a kind of different instrument and not many people know it.”