18-year-old Aidan Babosci, a member of the class of 2024, has significant plans for his future. Babosci wants to become a High School band director through attending UNC Charlotte and majoring in music education.
Babosci attributes his high school success to pacing himself in his earlier years of high school.
“With the classes I took, some were harder than others, and I had to balance the work I put into each class. I had to focus on subjects that were more of a struggle for me than ones that were easier for me to grasp, with that I was able to balance my workload and not get overwhelmed by my other classes,” said Babosci about his experience starting high school.
Seniors at Athens Drive are often gone before the bell rings for dismissal at 2:18, but not Aidan Babosci. Babosci usually spends long days at school, whether he is rehearsing in his instrumental music group, the Saxatonix, which includes Ian Som, Jack Hasse, Aden Do, and Amira Gahouachi, helping the band director out, organizing music, or working on his schoolwork.
Everyone has different high school experiences, some enjoy the four years while others cannot wait to escape it. Aidan Babosci, however, was fully present during all four years. Students are often at a loss for words when it comes to fitting their high school experience all into one word.
Everyone has a role model someone they look up to, someone who helps mold them into the person they wish to be.
“Dr. Markoch inspired me the most. He helped me grow into the musician I am today,” said Babosci.
Aidan Babosci chose adventurous as the word he would use to describe his high school experience.
“…because I got to experience a lot of new things that I won’t get to experience anywhere else,” said Babosci.
While most high school students often spend their high school careers following things others have already done, like joining clubs others have started, Aidan Babosci came up with the idea to start his instrumental musical group, the Saxatonix in his sophomore year.
Everyone has different moments in high school that they are the proudest of. These moments come at various times for everyone.
“I am most proud of the Saxotonix and the role I played in the marching band,” said Babosci when asked about his proudest moment in high school.
Aidan has also participated in Stem Academy, and extracurriculars like Marching Band, and Saxatonix. Babosci can also be seen as a role model for many aspiring seniors, musicians, or anyone in Wake County.
As graduation approaches, seniors often reminisce about their time at Athens Drive and the memories made here. Every senior has specific things they will miss about Athens.
“The thing that I will miss the most about Athens is the community. Everyone is friendly and everyone has a special bond to this school,” said Babosci.
Emma Stoltz, Babosci’s economics teacher said, “Aidan is a very courteous and respectful student. Aidan is a quiet student who can exude his impressive intellectual skills. Being one of the first students to partake in Athens’ new Economics & Personal Financial Literacy course, Aidan was successful in navigating unfamiliar content, especially for a high school student. It was clear that Aidan’s comprehension would serve him well in the future, due to his ability to successfully apply his creativity into creating his very own Shark Tank product that would be proposed to our class sharks.”
Stoltz has seen Babosci grow tremendously during his time at Athens Drive from entering high school as a Freshman to exiting as a Senior.
“What makes Aidan a good student is his ability to ask thought-provoking questions that can carry on a discussion. Aidan was one of the students I was able to consistently rely on when it came to ask questions that would get other students involved in the discussion,” said Stoltz. “Whilst Aidan’s questions were for his own comprehension, I fear he wasn’t fully aware of how much he helped other students when it came to expanding their own knowledge and understanding of the course material.”
One of the qualities that Stoltz admires the most about Babosci is his ability to constantly persevere. Babosci shows remarkable character that will likely carry him through a successful college career at UNCC.
“Aidan’s perseverance in my class isn’t what most teachers typically experience… Aidan’s perseverance was related to his ability, to remain patient as we navigate a new curriculum—not only for the students, but for the teachers as well,” said Stoltz.
