Although many freshmen will boast they can tackle anything that comes their way, only one will tell you the truth. Despite being halfway done with his first year at Niles West, freshman Kenan Ozer admits that he is still trying to adapt to high school and the changes that come along with it.

“Being a freshmen honestly feels the same as starting preschool. It feels like having a clean slate, and being able to create your future from scratch. Not knowing what to expect is a scary feeling, but it just takes time to adapt. I’m still not completely comfortable with the concept, but I know I’ll eventually figure it out,” Ozer said.

At first Ozer was nervous coming into high school. He assumed it would be like it is in the movies, freshmen forced to be in the background of all clubs and activities.

“I honestly expected being a freshmen to be a terrible thing. I was just scared of the thought of coming into this huge building, and having to go there for the next four years. I didn’t know if I’d make any friends, get good teachers or have good grades. But I’ve learned that all of these things are just cliches used in the movies. High school is just like any other school year, but better. It provides new opportunities, and helps people learn what they want to do in their lives,” Ozer said.

Despite the nervousness, Ozeer stepped into Niles West and was surprised to be welcomed with open arms. He embraced the hard work that came with a new school and slowly, began to enjoy his freshman year.

“Niles West has been completely different than I initially expected. It’s definitely more work than I expected, but it has way more positive things than negative. I’ve already met so many new people, have made new friends and get to stay in touch with my old ones. The whole new experience of high school has really changed how I feel towards school in general, and I have a sense of freedom that I didn’t feel in middle school,” Ozer said.

When Ozer was in fourth grade, he joined his school’s musical and was overwhelmed when he discovered how much he enjoyed singing.

“I first started singing in the 4th grade, in our school musical. I never really thought I would ever enjoy singing, but I just felt like I needed to find something that I was good at. Music was something that never crossed my mind, but I still decided to give it a shot. I kept on doing the musicals and concerts at school every year, and it made me enjoy them more and more. After that, music just became part of my lifestyle,” Ozer said.

Ozer soon discovered the magic of an a capella group and he was amazed by the talent the people had and how they seemed to be comfortable with themselves and their voices.

“I remember coming to my older sister’s choir concert when I was a little kid. I saw this group of guys walk up on stage singing, dancing, and just having fun. The coolest part was that there were no instruments, and it was all done by themselves. I was in complete awe, and knew that I wanted to do that when I got to high school,” Ozer said.

Ozer, awed by the talent of a capella groups, joined one himself at his middle school, Lincoln Jr. High and as he entered Niles West, he immediately joined the all boys a capella group Echo Effect.

“Echo Effect has really become a second family to me, after only a few months. All of the guys are so supportive and helpful in their own individual ways. There is never a time when I don’t want to see them, or I don’t want to go to practice. It’s such a great feeling when you finally meet a group of people who you have so much in common with, and just love doing what you do,” Ozer said.

Music and singing has slowly developed as an escape for Ozer and his way of getting through anything that life throws at him.

“Singing has helped me through almost any tough time. Whenever I just had a rough day, or just wasn’t feeling well, I just start singing a song. It always gets my mind off of any worries, and calms me down in any situation,” Ozer said.

Singing isn’t the only musical talent Ozer has. He plays several instruments, ranging from guitar and piano to even beatboxing, which self learned.

“In addition to singing, I also beatbox, play piano, and I play the guitar. I started playing instruments when I was about 8 or 9 years old, and I started to beatbox when I was in 6th and 7th grade. These have expanded my knowledge of music in general. I can read and create music with something other than my voice, which is an incredible thing that I am grateful to have,” Ozer said.

Music is not just a past time for Ozer. it has become a significant part of his life an he plans on pursing a career in music in the near future.

“Being a singer is definitely a passion that I would love to pursue, maybe as a teacher or a professional musician. Even if that doesn’t happen, I will always keep on creating music in my life, either as a job or as a hobby. Music is what gets me through my day, it’s what cheers me up, it’s what helps me meet new people and most importantly it’s what makes me myself. Music will never stop changing my life for the better, it will just keep my passion growing and growing,” Ozer said.