ORIGIN ARC • Part 2

Part 2: School Rhythm And Discipline

Long read • Before 2020

TAKEAWAY

  • I spent most of my school years at one place: Holm English Medium School.
  • The people there, especially Ms. Lila Kheir and Ms. Maha Kheir, shaped me in ways that went far beyond academics.
  • The environment around me, at home and among peers, normalized high standards and long-term ambition.

One School, The Full Chapter

I spent most of my schooling, from childhood through high school graduation, at Holm English Medium School. That consistency shaped things in ways a rotating set of schools could not. The place became a full environment, not just a place you attend.

Two people from that school deserve more than a brief mention. Ms. Lila Kheir and Ms. Maha Kheir. In Arabic there is a word for this — مربية (murabbiya) — a role that goes beyond teacher or principal, someone who shaped and raised you in a broader sense, whose presence ran through your development from early on. There isn't a clean English equivalent. Ms. Lila Kheir was that figure from childhood. She passed in July 2018. Her daughter Ms. Maha Kheir carried that same role through graduation and beyond. She passed in February 2026. This part of my story is not complete without naming them properly.

Discipline, Consistency, And What Actually Mattered

I finished near the top of my year at Holm, consistently. The rank itself was less important than the habit behind it: steady preparation, focused revision, reliable output rather than last-minute bursts.

My strongest interests were biology and history. Biology connected directly into my BME path later. History became a persistent reading habit that survived even the most demanding technical coursework. You can find my reading notes and reflections in History & Thought.

The Environment Around Me Set The Standard

The academic bar in my household was high by default. In my immediate family there are four PhDs and three MSc holders across generations. Higher education was not treated as exceptional, it was the expected path. My elder brother was the most direct reference point: P.Eng, MSc, PhD from the University of Ottawa, mechanical engineering and graduate research. That model was concrete and close.

My friend circle reinforced it from a different direction. People I grew up with went on to UBC, Stanford, MIT, NJIT, the University of Manchester, and other strong programs while building serious work in parallel. Being around that level of ambition, without hype or performance, made real effort feel standard.