Artistic senior Siddik Tok has a hidden talent few are aware of: the art of calligraphy. The gentle swooping of his markers to form beautifully handwritten letters is a talent few have, but Tok has seemingly mastered the difficult skill so early in life.

“In eighth grade, there was an after school introductory course in calligraphy. A professional calligrapher came in and taught us just the basic shapes, but my fascination with the art grew and I continued to practice my skills on my own time,” Tok said.

Lacking the tools needed to perfect this talent, Tok saved enough money to buy his own set of special tip markers and a small pad of notebook paper. Once these tools were acquired, Tok’s love for calligraphy grew with every practice session.

“The creativity of this form of art is my absolute favorite. I never realized how many ways there were to simply shape letters. Combining all the basic shapes to each drawing makes them all unique. There is never one drawing the same as the other in calligraphy,” Tok said. “It’s all about having the knowledge of how to make different shapes with the marker or pen.”

Tok’s artwork can be seen above.

Stepping away from the arts, Tok plans to switch up his interests in college by majoring in psychology. 

“The study of how humans act and work is so fascinating because it makes me think about how my own brain functions. We’re all such different people, but our brains work in similar ways,” Tok said. “I’m drawn to psychology because humans are always on the path to learning new knowledge, and learning about the driving force behind knowledge motivates me to study psychology.”

While Tok is undecided on where to continue his career in psychology, he has already prepared for his future.

“I took AP Psychology my junior year of high school, and this really pushed my interest in the subject. Scoring a four on the exam helped a lot too; It really confirmed that I truly had a passion for this topic,” Tok said. “I also took a sociology course over the summer at Northampton Community College. Since sociology is the science of how people interact, it was the aspect of group psychology that drew me in.”

 As Tok works to become a clinical psychologist and work in the real world, he ensures that he will not forget the prominent Turkish culture that he was brought up with. Tok and his family moved to America from Turkey about 14 years ago, but the culture is still kept very alive.

“We all speak Turkish at home. My mom makes traditional Turkish foods, such as börek (a dish made of layered phyllo dough filled with cheeses, meats, vegetables, etc.), koftahs (Turkish meatballs), and baklava (a dessert made of layers of phyllo dough on top of a paste made of walnuts or pistachios, glazed over with a sugary syrup),” Tok said. “We also live in a community where there are other Turkish families, and being able to spend time with them creates a sense of home.”

Even though Tok was just four years old when he moved to the States, his family has since visited their homeland and the culture fascinates Tok with each visit. 

“There’s always a sense of familiarity going back to Turkey because I’ve grown up practicing the lifestyle that is lived there. But there’s still the feeling of traveling to a new place since there’s culture I still don’t experience daily since I didn’t grow up there,” Tok said. “There are always new experiences every time I visit Turkey.”

Tok misses his family that he left behind in Turkey from time to time, but has assimilated into American culture and does not regret the huge transition at such a young age.

“My dad’s job brought us here, but I definitely do not regret the decision. I’ve basically grown up here, so it’s just as much a home to me as Turkey,” Tok said. “It’s like my home away from home.”

As Tok prepares to begin his journey after high school, he is sure to share his plethora of skills and continue to impress us all.