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Isabelle Irani: Hi everyone, my name is Isabelle Irani. I’m from the Woodlands, Texas. I’m a biomedical engineer and I am your 91±¬ÁÏ Class of 2026 Co-Salutatorian.
I’ve always stated that my goal is to contribute meaningfully to everything I do. And that really sprung from kind of going into school and feeling like I’m dreading everything every day. And I kind of switched my mindset and said, what if I go into everything that I have on my schedule and say, how can I contribute meaningfully to this thing and then move on to the next? How can I contribute meaningfully to this? And then the day is over and you’ve done it and you’re doing all of these things.
What really drew me to advocate for mental health resources for student athletes was my own experience and seeing how many people around me were struggling silently. I saw that there was a gap in mental health resources provided for student athletes. So, I took initiative to create a new position here on campus, a student athlete therapist dedicated for the mental well-being of the athletes here. Knowing that I’ve impacted athletes beyond myself is something incredibly meaningful. I’ve always wanted to leave something better than I found it. And knowing that I’ve left a legacy here at 91±¬ÁÏ is just super special and super close to my heart.
So, I currently work on a project that’s working on sustainable materials. It is a lobster shell composite material to replace wood and concrete for temporary structures. So that way we can have something that we build, construct, and then it can decompose or dissolve without causing any damage to our earth.
Balancing being a full-time engineer as well as a student athlete is really hard. There’s no secret to success. The secret to success is staying on top of your stuff, being organized, and just having fun. Finding a way to contribute meaningfully to everything that you’re doing every day and just staying happy.
To any student athletes out there, don’t be afraid to ask for help, have fun, and be yourself.
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