When most of us are getting around in the morning and driving into work or school, the band has been up for a while and are on the field practicing when everyone else is arriving for first hour. Aiden Radu of Jenks High School is no stranger to putting in a lot of hours in practice. He is currently a member of the Jenks High School marching band and plays the marching bass drum on drumline.

“For competition we do around 15 hours per week as a group for five months excluding individual practice hours,” said Radu.

Being a member of the band means you are dedicated to your craft and to the group. For Radu, it also means making good friends and creating memories that will last a lifetime.

“My favorite part of band has to be all of the memories and friends I’ve made along the way. I loved participating in the Rose Bowl Parade, the performance was a huge shock when the band turned the corner and saw the crowd of people cheering us on,” said Radu.

In the classroom, Radu takes the same approach. His hard work is paying off and with the help of Huntington Learning Center, Radu is pushing himself to make his goal of becoming a student at Oklahoma State University a reality.

“My favorite subject is human anatomy, and my favorite teacher is Amy Sunday, she made me love school my freshman year and change myself,” Radu said. “I’m currently taking the ACT prep course at Huntington Learning Center. I love how kind all of the teachers are and how willing they are to help.”

Radu said he wants to study Biology and eventually go into the medical field. As for the best advice he’s been given?

“The No.1 thing people forget to do when approaching things is to have confidence.”