On my first day in The Sidekick my goal was to sit as far away from my brother as I could.
However, whether intentionally or unintentionally, I have always been close to him, senior sports editor Namir Awan.
Where do I even start?
Over the last 15 years of my life, Namir has been my best friend and a person who I truly look up to not only as my brother but as sports editor.
Yes, having a class with your sibling does not sound ideal. But with my brother? It was hilarious. Namir is, to put it simply, chaotic. Anyone in our class could testify how he is loud, always laughing or pretending to be a pro basketball player. With someone like him in your life, silence does not stand a chance.
However, Namir has always been a person whom I have wanted to be like. I still remember us as little kids playing kickball in our backyard and how most of my hobbies started from him. He has influenced me my whole life, and still does.
Secretly, I have always envied how effortlessly social he is, how he is able to walk into a room and make everyone feel comfortable. At sporting events, he talks to players and coaches who grow to know him and respect him — people who would not usually tolerate other students like that.
Being in The Sidekick together this year was the most fun I have had in a class. I will always remember covering the girls basketball playoffs and boys soccer matches together – him writing, me photographing. I will never forget the boys soccer playoff match delayed by two hours, went into overtime and penalties all while we were trying to capture a picture of the lightning. In that moment, I realized how talented he really is, yes, as sports editor, but as a person as well.
He cares about people. That is something I undoubtedly know. In his own goofy way, he really cares about everyone around him. I have watched him go out of his way for his friends, and there has never been a problem he has had that he cannot solve. His friends go to him because he is the kind of person people can talk to. More than that, he gets through anything and makes me believe that I can as well.
A very real fear I have had for years is him leaving for college.
What am I going to do without my big brother, right?
I have been beyond lucky to grow up with someone like Namir. Every person should have someone like him in their life. Having someone you know you can always count on makes everything so much less scary and so much more fun.
Even though I will never tell him, I’m so grateful for all the years we’ve spent together as best friends.
To Namir, I’m so excited for the next chapters of our lives.
Thanks for being the best big brother I could ask for.
Follow Raima (@RaimaAAwan) and @CHSCampusNews on X.
