NEDERLAND — Nederland High School senior Asim Momin is doing more than just planning for the future — he’s making his every decision a step closer to his goals.
Momin, who’s currently ranked seventh in his class of 363, is student body vice-president, member of the National Honor Society, French National Honor Society, Youth Leadership of Southeast Texas, Terrific Nederland Teens, played on the NHS basketball team for three years and is founder of the spirit group “Bulldog Barkers” to name a few of his accomplishments.
Chi Tran, senior class counselor, called Momin a very well rounded student.
“If you ask him to do something, he takes charge,” Tran said. “He’s very curious and wants to do well.”
Tran, whose parents immigrated from Vietnam when she was two, relates to Momin, whose parents are immigrants from India. For children of immigrants, she said, the bar of success is held very high.
Momin strives to do his best in everything he tackles.
“My parents are immigrants from India. They came over with the clothes on their back and $50 in their pocket. Now, they own several businesses,” Momin said. “It’s the least I can do to get into the best colleges and go toward my ultimate goal. From early on my parents pushed me. Then when I was in middle school, I decided I wanted to be the best I can be and set myself up for the best amount of success for the future.”
But first comes college.
Momin was recently faced with a challenge — choose between Texas A&M, University of Texas, University of California-Los Angeles or University of California-Berkley. He and his family toured all four campuses and he found a little something to like in all of them. Eventually he chose Texas A&M.
“A&M sets a really high standard and everyone I know who goes there is glad to be there,” he said.
Another major factor that helped in his decision was the fact that several cousins who are studying in colleges across the U.S. are having a difficult time getting a job back home in Texas.
Momin’s goal is to obtain an engineering degree in either chemical engineering or computer science, from A&M, then go on to an Ivy League school or Stanford and earn a masters in business.
“The ultimate goal is to run my own company,” he said. “Hopefully an engineering based company, then after, come home and give back to the community.”
Momin’s already leaving  behind a legacy at the high school as the founder of the Bulldog Barkers. The soon-to-graduate senior’s charismatic personality likely helped the group continue to grow.
“At the first pep rally (in my junior year) I noticed the lack of spirit and thought we needed to do something about this,” he said. So Momin brought the issue to student council, then a sponsor, then student body president then to the principal. “School spirit is contagious. We had between 100 to 200 people within the first few weeks.”
School spirit is evident especially during Mid-County Madness — the annual football game between the NHS Bulldogs and rivals Port Neches-Groves Indians. Indians fans showed spirit with colored “smoke” while the Bulldog Barkers used streamers, he added.
Momin is always on the lookout for a networking opportunity — something that will likely help in his future. He has established friendships with students in other schools as well as through the Youth Leadership of Southeast Texas group, among others.
“You can go to any busy city and find a couple of friends for networking,” he said.
Senior counselor Tran has noticed Momin’s ability to network and take charge.
“He’s very dependable, very goal oriented,” she said. “And he’s proven every step of the way he can move towards his goals.”
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