When it comes to his quest for knowledge, Matt Farag doesn’t let much slow him down.
After school, the senior from St. Charles East High will hit the books but not to do homework.
Instead he will browse the encyclopedia and history books in his St. Charles home, memorizing notable facts and dates on history, dinosaurs and insects. Matt also can name each of the presidents and vice presidents in order and their middle names.
“He has an unusual ability to memorize things,” his father, Talek Farag, said.
But sometimes, those interests divert him from regular class work.
Farag said his son often can forget about class work as a result of autism, with which he was diagnosed at age 6. The learning disability is a developmental disorder that can impair learning.
“The impact was severe on him,” Farag said. “It was difficult for us to follow him or help him or eliminate or reduce the effect of autistic behavior on his future.”
Matt hasn’t let the learning disability deter him.
His parents enrolled him in a special District 303 program that set a special curriculum agenda and monitored his academic progress.
He has posted a B average each semester and plans to study pre-medicine in college. He also is an active member of St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Burr Ridge, and attends many East athletic events.
“He is a very inquisitive young man who knows about a range of subjects,” said St. Charles East guidance counselor Geri Shouba. “You can talk to him about politics and literature and he is very well read and informed in all those areas.”
Matt said his interest in science and history came from stories from his father, a former nuclear engineer and military officer in Egypt. Farag said he began telling stories about the political unrest in his home country when Matt was 5, spurring his interest in social studies.
“I like reading about science and social studies,” Matt said.
Matt recently completed his Eagle Scout project and participated in the Geography Bee while attending Wredling Middle School.
“Matt is a very outgoing young man who has really blossomed over the last four years,” Shouba said.
St. Charles, IL —
