Ever since the age of five, senior Amina Makic hasn’t been afraid to pursue her many, varying hobbies. From fashion, baking, and her interest in the medical field, Amina manages to break free from traditional, boxy constraints and express her love through her differing interests.

One of Amina’s longest and most cherished hobbies has always been fashion. She attributes this to being the middle child of three sisters and says that her family has always been fashion-oriented.

“We’ve always been the girly bunch, since it’s three sisters,” Amina said. “We’re very close-knit and tight. Something we all have in common is fashion; we absolutely love it. I remember being in kindergarten, and I loved shopping. What kindergartener picks out their own outfits? Most kids didn’t, but if my mom said she was going out shopping, I would say, ‘Can I come with?’ ”

Most would stop there and admit full love for their one hobby, never ceasing to stray. For Amina, though, hobbies have their own, distinct meanings.

“I think fashion is a great form of self-expression,” Amina said. “Some people say that fashion is too girly, but I don’t think of it like that. I think fashion is an art; it’s something where you can express yourself, and you can be creative with it. I don’t think it should be looked at as a negative thing.”

According to her, fashion can’t be placed into one specific “box.” She makes an especially strong point to put equal effort into all of her pastimes.

“I don’t like to put myself in a box,” Amina said. “[Fashion] is a hobby and a love of mine, but I also have other things that I’m interested in. I guess I’ve always been interested in [the scientific field] and how the human body works. [Science] is such a broad and general topic, so that’s why I joined [HOSA], to get a feel for what I could possibly do in the future.”

HOSA, Health Occupation Students of America, has now been a part of Amina’s life for two years. Last year, she participated in a biomedical debate, and this year her focus is centered on creating a video for the next tobacco-free generation.

“My friends actually created [HOSA]; it was something cool and different,” Amina said. “It’s also something I’m interested in. A lot of my friends were doing it, so I was like ‘Why not?’ And then I really liked it.”

Amina’s attraction to the medical field stems from her motivation to assist others. HOSA can be regarded as a platform for her to pursue her interests now, but college may be a whole different story.

“My favorite part of [the medical field] is the helping aspect,” Amina said. “I feel like with whatever you do, you’re impacting people in some sort of way. But I don’t like the lengthy process of getting to that position. All of the science-related careers have such a long process that I feel like could easily be condensed.”

As of right now, she plans to attend either Michigan State University or Grand Valley State University. While her long-term dreams include traveling to new places, for right now, staying close to her family is paramount.

“Some teenagers would avoid their family, but I’m close with everyone in mine,” Amina said. “I was born and raised here, so I’m really attached to [Grand Rapids]. I want to venture out a little bit, but I still want to stay close because I think that it’s important. In the future, though, I do want to experiment more and travel. But at this point, I still want to stay close to home.”

Amina’s family has allowed her to become who she is today. Her many extracurricular passions can be attributed to the close bonds between her and the people she remains close with in life.

“I think by being comfortable with [my family] I’ve felt so confident,” Amina said. “They’ve gifted me the confidence to be passionate about things and to speak on what I think. I can barely put it into words, but they have given me that comfort to go and do things outside in the real world.”

These “things in the real world” vary. While many may seem erratic and insignificant to some, Amina is able to find joy in even the smallest of activities.

“Really random, small things [bring me joy],” Amina said. “I’m really into baking and cooking. When my friends and I get together, we just bake. I have such a sweet tooth, and it’s a really great way to de-stress. It sounds silly, but it’s really fun.”

Silly things really can be the key to happiness. For Amina, that’s what remains most important. Even through all other avocations that surround her, she still manages to maintain her most valued priorities.

“[The most important thing] is health and happiness,” Amina said. “I think health is wealth. I think being happy and healthy and having my friends and family around me is priority.”