Why I Chose MICDS

Aiyla Ahmad ’26 addressed prospective families at our annual Curriculum Night on Wednesday, January 21, 2026. Here are her remarks.

Hello everyone! My name is Aiyla Ahmad and I’m a current senior at MICDS. I wanted to begin by talking a bit about why I chose MICDS. I came to MICDS in seventh grade. During sixth grade, I was looking at quite a few schools in the St. Louis area to figure out what I liked. The biggest reason I chose MICDS was because of the community. MICDS was the only school I visited where I felt a sense of belonging. The students around me were actually interested in getting to know me and talking to me about school. And I think that remains true today. Most of the students at this school are very friendly and approachable.

Having been at MICDS for six years now, I’ve really come to appreciate the academics. My classes are hard, but in a way that pushes me to grow as a learner and sets me up for long-term success. For example, even though I’ve never really thought of myself as a math person, I’ve been in accelerated math throughout my time here. These courses, while challenging, made me a more well-rounded learner and I can now say with pride that I adore AP Calculus. I also like that there are classes for everyone. Not only are there different levels of difficulty in math and science for example, but there is such a wide variety of courses that you can take in order to explore personal interests. I’m very interested in political science and international affairs, so I’ve taken courses like AP Comparative Government, Presidential Politics (which is super cool because it runs every four years with the election), and The Modern Middle East. But I have friends who are taking classes like Architecture, and Botany, and Neuroscience.

Another way students can explore things that excite them are through Winter Term classes in Middle and High School. Winter Term is super cool because it is a two week period where you can take elective courses of your choosing. And these are not typical electives, they’re sort of like teacher passion projects. I’ve learned about neuroscience through the writings of Oliver Sachs and connected with members of nearby nursing homes to make Sesame Balls. This year, I interned with a professor at St. Louis University and conducted historical research. I particularly enjoy these opportunities because they’re a chance for me to take risks and dive into things that I’m passionate about.

As you can see MICDS has connected me with many learning opportunities outside of the classroom as well. My Sophomore year, I attended the National Student Diversity Leadership Conference, where I was able to connect with students from across the country in order to discuss advocacy and forge new relationships. Because of this opportunity, I’m now co-head of iDentity here at MICDS and have planned an annual conference for students from across St. Louis for the past three years. That same year, I was also a member of the inaugural class of the Supreme Court and My Hometown Program at the nearby district courthouse, an opportunity that was introduced to me by my Mock Trial coaches at the time Dr. Roth and Mr. Asher. This program is what led me to decide to study political science, but it was the trip to France I took that sparked my interest in international studies. Not too long ago, I was selected for the Pete Wilson Fellowship for Normandy Academy here at MICDS. Through this opportunity, I was able to travel to the WWII museum in New Orleans and then go to France for ten days as a part of their Normandy Academy program. This is an experience that you cannot find anywhere else in St. Louis and it was life changing. Not only did I get to practice my French, but I was able to visit the beaches of Normandy and learn about the stories of soldiers and civilians during D-Day. Lastly, MICDS has some great art opportunities as well. My sophomore year, I was able to prepare and audition for the St. Louis Metro District choir alongside several other singers from the upper school choir. It was here that I began to grow my confidence as a choral singer. I sing in a choir outside of school as well, but it had been quite some time since I was able to do so in a competitive setting. District Choir made me realize that I could really hold my own and singing with DSelf was so much fun that I vowed to take AP Music Theory this year. All of these programs have shaped me into the person I am today and provided frameworks for approaching social, historical, legal, and even musical issues. I’ll use the knowledge I’ve gained from them for quite some time to come.

Another thing that I love about this school is the supportive environment. During my sophomore and junior years, my home situation was difficult and I struggled with staying on top of assignments as I dealt with the emotional toll of that. When I told my Dean about what was going on, I was met with immense support not only from him, but the school counselor and teachers as well. Because of their help, this experience became one of growth, not failure. Teachers would be kind when I turned things in late, but they also set a standard of timeliness and organization that made me succeed in the long run and learn to withstand challenging situations. For example, during my junior year I found that the best way to succeed in classes and feel secure in my knowledge was to meet with teachers before school. I would meet with teachers so much, I’m sure that some of them were sick of me, although they didn’t say it. It was my AP Comparative Government teacher, Mr. Rolnick, who helped me to begin to let go of some of my perfectionism. Whenever we had a big test or assignment due, I would meet with him before school and ask so many questions. Soon, these questions became a sort of safety net and I realized, with a bit of a nudge from Mr. Rolnick, that I didn’t need to be meeting with teachers every morning at 7:30 AM. I became more confident in my abilities as a thinker and a learner. The level of support and guidance that I experienced as I transitioned out of difficult times is something that I don’t think I would’ve found anywhere else, but more than that I know that it is a resource that would’ve been provided to me regardless of my home situation.

Whether you’re looking at first grade, fifth grade, seventh grade, or ninth grade, MICDS has the educational opportunities, extracurriculars, and most importantly the community to help every child thrive and I’m a testament to that. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Go Rams!