We were visiting the parents of one of Aadi Arya’s closest friends this evening. When we were there, they recounted AAK’s influence on their son. It was gratifying to hear that even though AAK is not here anymore, his influence is still being remembered beyond his immediate family.
In seventh grade, their son moved from Chicago to Atlanta. He was not happy to have left all his friends and was not able to get into the advanced classes because of timing of the move with respect to the school year. That was causing him to go into a shell.
Aadi Arya, who was in the same grade in middle school befriended him. According to his parents AAK supported him and pulled him into his social circle. AAK also spotted the musical talent in him and encouraged him to practice so he can get to join the select part of the band that was going to play at Carnegie hall the next year. According to the parents, that encouragement helped the natural talent in his to blossom; he made rapid progress to make the part of the band program that played at Carnegie Hall the next year which was an awesome and important experience. That seems to have helped him come out of the shell and thrive in middle school and high school.
The same year AAK, seeing the potential in him, encouraged him to try out for Academic Bowl quiz team and once selected to work hard and shine. He joined Aadi in helping the Lambert Academic Team win its first ever STATE CHAMPIONSHIP in 2019, finishing with an undefeated record at the GATA Junior Varsity State Championship. That success in Academic Bowl in middle and high school teams also ended up as another meaningful step for him in finding his place in the new city of Suwanee.
AAK and he did a lot of things together outside school. He came home earlier this year and recounted his interactions with AAK and mention AAK’s influence on him. Good to hear that both from him and his parents.
Wishing him the best in his life and hoping he continues to carry Aadi Arya Karthik’s memory with him as he navigates his own life and does great things in his life.
