Ever since she was young, senior Emily Cardona has been passionate about singing.

“At church when I was three or four was my first time singing and my grandma basically bribed me with a dress,” Cardona said. “She said if I wanted it I had to sing in front of everyone, and I finally sang.”

From there, she decided to become more involved in singing.

“I became a back-up singer for the praise band for the Hispanic Congregation at church,” she said.

Last year, Cardona decided to leave orchestra in order to devote more of her time to singing.

“I wanted to be in choir since I started at Niles West, but my mom wanted me to stick with orchestra,” she said. “I asked my mom if I could do choir, and I got into High Fidelity.”

Cardona didn’t have enough space in her schedule to participate in both orchestra and choir.

“Not having a lunch was hard, so I decided to leave orchestra for choir and take private lessons,” she said.

Joining High Fidelity has been one of the highlights of her high school career.

“I love music and making cool music. When everyone hits the right note, it’s so amazing. There’s something great about hitting the right chord,” she said.

Her mother was very supportive of her choice to switch from orchestra to choir.

“She knows how much I love singing,” Cardona said. “She encouraged it and understood that I was in both, but said it was okay and she would still support me.”

Her friends are also supportive of her joining choir.

“I love going to their concerts because each group sings well and I am amazed every time I hear them,” senior Reyvin Reyes said. “I love seeing Emily up on stage singing in High Fidelity, and it makes me happy and proud to see her performing up there.

During the day you can find Mr.  Farrahadoon Durrani upstairs in the Chemistry Wing, but after school you can catch him leading the Cross Country or Track boys to victory.

Durrani started off teaching in 2010, and eventually started coaching in 2012. “I wanted to give back to my community. I honestly had no desire to coach at first because I just wanted to focus on my training.”

While teaching the sciences Durrani loves interacting with kids. “Each student brings something to the classroom and at any given moment there can be a spark that gets the classroom going.”

Besides teaching in a classroom, Durrani coaches boys Cross Country and Track.

“My high school coach was like a father figure to me. I looked up to him and appreciated everything he did to help me become a good person. I want to help mold students into better people like my coach did for me. Once I decided to retire from competitive running I decided to use my knowledge to help others improve their health. I coach cross country and track.”

Whether he is in a classroom, or on the field Durrani wants to help mold his students and athletes into better people. The best part of being someone of authority is inspiring his students or athletes to make positive changes in their life and making them healthier.

At 7:30, while the rest of the school is half awake, junior Isaac Moldofsky and the app development club are hard at work, brainstorming every idea they have for a new game, app, or anything else programmable. Isaac is in the center of the room, taking in all of the suggestions he can hear. In between bites of his free doughnut (courtesy of Moldofsky himself), one student suggests making a clone of the mobile game 2048. Another member throws out an idea for a tower defense game. One student even proposes a better grading system for Niles West.

Matt Fahrenbacher, the computer science teacher and the sponsor for the app club, has to put down a few ideas for various reasons, but overall he approves most. Even for the ideas that don’t work, Moldofsky offers a similar, alternative that is possible. By the end of the discussion, the board is filled with all the different projects and who is working on what. looking at the board, everyone has determination on their face. They are ready to get started, and they are ready to have something that they can call their own.

From learning basic programming to remaking old-school video games, the programming skill level of the members of Moldofsky’s club varies, but they all have one thing in common: they love computer science.

“Everyone in the club wants to make something,” says Fahrenbacher. “A game, an app to help others, etc. We all are interested in using computers and coding to develop something that we can call our own.”

Moldofsky says he created app development club because when he first started with web development, all of the toolsets and languages involved were very overwhelming. He wants the club to be there for any other student who wants to learn web development, and he hopes the club will make it easier for them.

“I hope that by the end of the year everyone can honestly say that they’ve improved their teamwork and programming skills,” he says.

Fueled by good ideas and free doughnuts, Moldofsky and the app development team are probably the hardest-working students in the school before the first period.

“Coding is for eager learners who enjoy challenges, be the challenge a mobile app, a game, a website, etc.,” he says. “The club is open to anyone who wants to work on projects/improve their skills, regardless of their knowledge of computer science.”

On top of being a great resource for students to learn, app development club is a very welcoming environment.

“My favorite part of the club is the welcoming environment to both experienced and novice computer scientists,” says Dalton Crutchfield, senior and member of the app development club.

Moldofsky is confident that the club is going to get bigger as time goes by, and already has plans for app development’s future.

“We might have a hackathon in the future (have to build an app in 24 straight hours), and are planning some projects at the moment,” he says. “I’d probably like to move the club to after school so we have more time each meeting.”

App development club meets every Thursday before school from 7:30 to 8:10 in room 1235.

Editors Note: This is the First Installment of the NWN’s International Week Series.

Ever since freshman Sam Paloma was a little boy, his Mexican heritage has been a part of him.

“It’s nice because my mom has never once let either me, or my siblings forget where we come from. Usually, at least three nights a week, she’ll make a home cooked meal of traditional Mexican food,” Paloma said.

His mother makes a bunch of different foods to mix it up every week.

“My favorite is when she makes ‘rajas’ which are just spicy peppers,” he said. “She makes so many different dishes though. Like ‘fideo’ which is basically pasta with broth, ‘caldo de res’ which is a steak soup, ‘sopa’ which is just a type of Mexican rice, and of course you can never go wrong with tacos.”

But Mexican food isn’t the only thing that makes his family cultural.

“It’s really nice because every year usually around this time, my Tia (aunt) bakes a type of bread called ‘La Rosca’. My entire family comes over and we cut it up so that everybody gets a piece. Baked into the bread is a mini plastic figure of baby Jesus. The person who gets the piece with the figure in it is known to hold the next party which is Levantada des Nino Dios. This year, my sister got the figure so my family and I will be hosting that party.”

Paloma is proud to talk about his family’s traditions and his Mexican heritage.

“Not to mention more traditions around this time of year but every Christmas my Tia and my mom make almost 300 tamales just for all of us to enjoy. We don’t get tamales often so it’s always something to look forward too.”

Also, Paloma and his family often take summer trips to Mexico.

“This past summer, I went to Mexico with my family and we visited an old Mayan civilization. We learned about how the Mayans created the calendar and figured out how to tell what day of the year it was. It was interesting to learn that time telling came from my cultural background.”

His family strictly follows the rules of the bible and pray periodically.

“Another family thing we do is pray to the rosary. A rosary is a necklace with twelve beads and each bead hold a specific prayer, different from the previous one. It’s something I have been doing for as long as I can remember.”

Paloma and his family also annually celebrate ‘the Day of the Dead.’

“People often misinterpret the Day of the Dead by thinking that it’s gruesome and scary. In reality though, it’s a beautiful ceremony to remember the loved ones who have passed. My grandfather died in 2012 and every year since we have attended a Day of the Dead ritual to honor his life,” Paloma said.

He is very proud to be able to honor his culture the way that he does and wouldn’t consider changing it for anything.

“I love who I am and the cultural background I live with,” he said. “I know that when I have kids I’m going to make sure that their culture stays apart of them just like my mother did to my siblings and me.”

Editors Note: This is the Second Installment of the NWN’s International Week Series.

Roaming the halls of Niles West, invested in the classroom and killing it on the court, this young gentleman carries himself in a certain manner that not many people can relate to. Regardless of what’s going on, family and friends come first.

Embracing his nationality, his family and his Assyrian culture is extremely important to senior basketball captain Odisho Audisho .

“It’s just family, all Assyrians are family. We come in a pact. Everybody knows Assyrians run deep,” Audisho said on how being Assyrian is being a part of something bigger.

Odisho loves being Assyrian, doing Assyrian things, and celebrating his Assyrian heritage with the ones around him. “I can feel a connection with any Assyrian person I meet,” he said.

“I eat Assyrian food, my parents talk to me in Assyrian, I hang out with a lot of other Assyrians, but being Assyrian isn’t any different than being American. It’s like being American while doing Assyrian things,” Audisho shared.

He celebrates Assyrian holiday’s, he practices Assyrian costumes, but his everyday life is as ‘Americanized’ as it gets.

“I do have my own ‘holiday’s’, if you will, but I feel as normal as any other person of a different nationality would as in being Assyrian makes you feel no different, it just gives off a vibe of family first instincts,” Audisho said.

Though Odisho believes in strict family-first customs, sometimes the ‘togetherness’ that Assyrians give off can be perceived the wrong way.

“I believe there are many stereotypes and wrong perceptions of Assyrians these days. I’m a good kid and I’m Assyrian, just because someone is Assyrian does not make them ‘bad’,” Audisho said.

“Just being Assyrian makes me proud. Meeting a new Assyrian, speaking of my cousins or close Assyrian friends, we always outnumber all other nationalities. Everyone’s always so proud of being Assyrian and it’s a great feeling to know you have so many people supporting you,” stated Audisho.

As many nationality come with their own excitement, a proud Assyrian knows the true meaning of family. Audisho feels as American as any one of his friends while he meanwhile enjoys a few minor differences in his way of hife. He loves being Assyrian, though it doesn’t change him in any major way. He lives his life as a normal teenage kid always knowing he has many ‘family members’ to always have his back.

Walking down the hallway, you might see sophomore Bruce Lee Blumenthal, and might not be able to tell he’s from multiple places around the world.

“Usually people guess that I’m either Chinese or Korean. When I tell them I’m Thai, they’re a little surprised. When I tell them I’m also German and Jewish, they don’t even believe me!” said Blumenthal.

His mom’s side is Thai, and his dad’s side is German and Jewish. “I think it’s a cool mix of cultures because I get to eat different food, and am exposed to different culture. Plus who doesn’t think being German and Jewish is cool?”

“My favorite holiday is Hanukkah because my family gathers around from New York, California, and Michigan and we eat a big dinner and catch up. I get to see them once or twice a year, so it’s really special to me. Usually when I tell people i’m Jewish they don’t believe me because of my outer appearance. It’s  hurtful because [being] Jewish is a part of me, and my culture. Why would I lie about something that made me who I am today? Or sometimes I’ll get the “jokes”, such as when people call me “cheap” and such things. Remarks like that are pretty childish to me. In order to stop these stereotypes we need to stop generalizing and making assumptions based on how someone looks,”Blumenthal said.

“Another challenge I face with my mixed race are standardized exams. It’s sometimes difficult and my answers always vary, depending on my mood, some days I’ll put European some days Asian, some days I’ll put other. Once I filled in two bubbles. You can’t limit my options, I am proud of both my ethnicities,” he added, “so why do I only have to choose one?”

“At the end of the day, I’m very proud of my unique mix. Especially because there’s so much history to it,” he said. “How many people do you know can say they’re not only Thai, and not only German, but Jewish too?”

Family comes first.

This is a concept many of us were taught as we were growing up, but to a Chinese person, those three words have a deeper meaning.

“Family is very important in the Chinese culture. Almost all Chinese kids are told they have to look after their parents as they grow older. And it’s not just immediate family. We refer to our cousins as brothers and sisters. It’s all very close united,” sophomore Andy Lieu said.

One of the most important celebrations in his heritage is Chinese New Year’s and obviously, it involves family.

“We decorate the house with paper cut outs and paintings. On New Year’s Eve, we have a giant dinner called a reunion dinner. It’s very important and everyone tries their hardest to attend,” Lieu said.

An array of authentic Chinese dishes are served. Ranging from dumplings and sweet rice balls to glutinous rice balls and spring rolls, each food is eaten for its symbolism of prosperity and good fortune.

Afterwards, kids receive red envelopes filled with money. Red is believed to have be a lucky colour and money is believed to bring good luck. This is often called lucky money.

“On the third day of the New Year we go and visit the graves of our loved ones,” Lieu said.

Family isn’t the only important thing. Education is also made a main priority in the Chinese culture. In every Chinese family, education is strongly stressed to make sure the children are set for their future.

“Education is very important to not just my family, but to a majority of Chinese families. Back in China, education is very strict and there’s this big test that essentially determines your future. My parents both took it before they moved here and even though education is different in America, they still want me to succeed,” Lieu said.

This is what usually leads to the stereotypes that Asians are good at math.

“I’m always getting asked if I know a certain math problem or something like and they usually start off with ‘you’re Asian, do you know what this mean?’ I honestly don’t take offense to that. I take it as a compliment,” Lieu said, laughing.

Lieu, who has visited China twice, says it’s very different from the United States.

“My family is from Shandong and it’s a very populated city compared to any city in the United States. The streets are almost always crowded and during the nighttime, the entire city is light up and it’s really cool,” Lieu said.

“I love being Chinese and American because I get to experience two different cultures. It’s like being part of a whole new world because my family has adapted to American culture,” Lieu said, “but still stayed true to their Chinese roots.”

You see her around the hallways everyday, on and off the soccer field. Odds are when you don’t see her, she is somewhere around church or with family– two of the biggest factors in her life.

Senior Sophia Agos is a proud representative of the Greek Orthodox faith here at Niles West.

“We’re just proud of our religion. We talk about these things all the times in our youth group, with our family and how much we can all relate,” Agos said.

Some of Agos’ involvement with her heritage and church involve playing on the high school girls basketball team for St. Demetrios, attending her church youth group and being a Sunday school teacher for pre-k.

“We always are told to do certain things like fasting, that just helps with our religion but sometimes affects me in a good way,” she said. “Holidays like Easter are always celebrated with family and going to church. Easter is definitely one of the most important. Everyone comes together and just enjoys being with each other.”

Luckily, with Niles West’s diverse community and welcoming of all faiths and ethnic groups, Agos has discovered kids don’t stereotype her for her nationality or religion, but embrace it and are always fascinated.

“People are more welcome to it. It’s more of a new discovery and cool thing when you tell them about it,” Agos said, “like Catholics always have different times and days they can go to church but for us it’s always the same time, same day. When we tell people these things they just find it weird because it’s so different than theirs.”

While Agos is one to always have something to share, it is hard for her to come up with words on how to describe how prideful of her faith she is.

“I’m proud because you just see so many people you grow up with, and you learn so much about each other. You realize how proud you are of your religion and we are so prideful to talk about how loving we are to God and each other,” Agos said.

Agos has the full understanding of how much her faith of Greek Orthodoxy consumes of her life. It is something that has been apart of her forever and she would never change that. She knows that there will always be a place for her in life, and she will have people who relate to her in ways others cannot.

If you know senior Kasia Ciesielska, you know she is undoubtedly proud of her Polish culture. Having been born and raised there for nine years of her life, her traditions and culture have become the foundation of her everyday life.

“I can’t imagine the Polish culture not being a part of my everyday life. I speak Polish at home, eat Polish food for dinner, listen to Polish music, and more,” she explained. “I honestly could not be more proud of my country.”

One of her favorite traditions and hobbies is her folklore dancing group.

“We perform most of the traditional dances all over the world. Just last weekend we went to Florida,” Ciesielska said.

Her dancing group has had the opportunity to travel all over the globe to dance in multiple cultural events and festivals.

“Being able to perform traditional Polish dances and sing traditional songs makes me feel connected to my country, even living on the other part of the globe.”

Ciesielska has embraced her nationality to the fullest extent and takes great pride in it.

“Even though Poland, in my opinion, is kind of underrated, we have a rich and beautiful history known for our resilience. The country is beautiful too, filled with countless castles, national parks, mountains, and the Baltic Sea. I could honestly keep going because the list in my head is endless,” she added.

Junior Alex Gruezo has always been proud of his Filipino heritage; ever since middle school, he has prided himself on his ethnicity, and family is a huge part of that.

“My ethnicity impacts my life greatly. I typically eat Filipino cuisine weekly. My grandmother will call us over when she makes it, and my family will get together, eat Filipino food, and practice Filipino mannerisms,” he said.

When he was growing up, manners and traditional Filipino customs were a part of daily life.

“Although I’m American, I still have a Filipino flag to honor my ‘mother country,'” he said. “We also abide by Filipino manners, so being respectful of out elders is a huge part of the way we’re raised.”

Even though Niles West is incredibly diverse, Gruezo has encountered many stereotypes.

“Filipino stereotypes usually consist of us being ‘fresh of the boat’ and not being able to pronounce the letter ‘f,'” he said. “Others include all parents being nurses, we all play a sport, and we have to be smart because we’re Asian.”

Being Filipino has always made him proud because of the morals he was raised with.

“I find great joy to be in a culture where family and respect are number one priorities,” Gruezo said.

Although her and her parents were born here in America, junior Selma Sabovic is proud of her cultural background. Her dad’s side of the family is from Montenegro, where as her mom’s is from Bosnia. Sabovic’s parents wanted to carry out many traditions from both of their cultures here in America, so when she was was younger, she enrolled in Bosnian and Montenegrin language and dance classes. There she learned how to better portray her cultures, and learned many new things about them. For example, how close her two cultures are in similarity, aside from being two different countries.

Aside from the language and dances, Sabovic has also become exposed to different types of Bosnian foods. One of her personal favorites is called Palacinke, which resembles a French crepe. It has become a tradition for her mother to make this dish for her every year on the morning of her birthday.

Another very important aspect of her culture is weddings. In the Bosnian/Montenegrin culture, traditional weddings are always very grand, with many family members and friends. After the wedding, the husband’s family usually goes to the wife’s home to pick her up, and she moves her in with her new husband.

“Weddings are so important to the culture. There are always big parties before, and the wedding reception is even greater. Attending Bosnian weddings are one of my favorite things about the culture because of how big the celebrations are,” Sabovic said.

Because Sabovic has many family members who live out of the country, her and her family went to Montenegro to visit some of her distant family. On the trip, Sabovic was able to see the type of lifestyle they live there, and how their culture plays a role in their everyday lives. Sight seeing and lounging on beaches seemed to be the most popular, which proves how peaceful their environment is.

“Being intact with your culture, I think, is very important because it allows you to always have something to be proud of and want to express,” said Sabovic. “I loved being able to see my culture first hand and experience for myself the lifestyle they live.”

If you know junior basketball star Evan Hines, you know he’s proud to be African American. Having dreams that are greater than becoming a professional athlete, being African American influences this young man on and off the court. With roots back in southern America and western Europe, sharing both Haitian and Polish nationalities in his household, Hines embraces both in his everyday life to be the person he is today.

“I feel like I’m targeted for being black. I feel as though I was born lesser than all other people just because I’m black. But that’s okay, I love being black. I love who I am,” he said.

With many stereotypes, judgments, and generalizations, Hines always finds a way to channel that into positive energy.

“I know there are many stereotypes, many ignorant people, but I don’t care. I’m bigger than someone who judges for the color of my skin,” Hines shared. “Yeah, I embrace being black. My everyday life is different, being black is much different than being another race. My family customs, athletics, my appetite, and my dialect [are different]. But just because I’m different doesn’t make that bad.”

As different as he is, Hines absolutely loves the perks that come with his nationalities.

“I love the food my mom cooks. I love the traditions we have, the customs we practice. I love being Haitian and Polish,” he said.

When it all boils down, Hines feels that though his culture is very different from his friends, they have quite a bit in common.

“Me and my friends aren’t much different, me and my teammates aren’t much different either. We share hobbies and interests just like any other friend group. I feel like being black makes things even better. It makes our friend group more diverse,” Hines said.

As a young African American, Hines believes his race and nationality make him who he is as a basketball player, a friend, a student, and a citizen. His love for the game, his passion for music, and his love for his family can all be traced back to his unique nationality.

A couple of years ago you would find modern world history teacher Jason Stanford driving around in a Evanston police car.

“Becoming a police officer was always a dream of mine.Growing up my dad and uncle were police officers and from seeing them as I grew up I knew that one day I would want to do the same and become a police officer,” Stanford said.

After finding a job working for the police force and experiencing what police officers have to go through every day he knew that it wasn’t for him.

“The quality of life isn’t that good, you work long hours throughout the week and then have to work weekends,” Stanford said.

He wanted to have some sort of impact in the world and working as a police officer did not fulfill that hole so he left the police force to become a teacher.

Students praised Stanford for his ability to connect and inspire.

“Mr.Stanford is a very inspiring teacher not just in the classroom but outside as well. He has taught me a lot this school year and has really helped shape this school year to be a good one. He has also showed me that it’s never too late for a change,” freshman Sam Aljupoor said.

“Mr.Stanford has taught me a lot this year and I hope to continue to see him and have great teachers just like him in the future,” freshman Nicole Cardona said.

Stanford plans to continue teaching here at Niles West and keep making an impact on students. Besides teaching, Stanford is also the sponsor for Mock Trial and a sports enthusiast hoping that he can see the Chicago Bulls take home the championship this year.

Anxious, scared, excited, curious were the whirlwind of emotions that rushed through senior Charanya Nair’s mind, as she felt the jolt of the Malaysian airlines airplane land onto the platform of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. It was July 27, 2012, when Nair and her family arrived in Chicago from Seremban, Malaysia. There was nothing she could do, but to face the challenges that was awaiting for her in a country, where everything was foreign.

Facing challenges of moving to the U.S. from the very beginning, Nair describes it was a lot of work, from selling the house to packing everything was a hassle. After arriving in the U.S., it was even more difficult to adjust to the unfamiliar environment and language.

“We didn’t know anyone here,” she said. “We didn’t know the shops. We didn’t know where to get food. Certain things that you all called here was different from what we called it in Malaysia. We had to learn the vocabulary that was used here.”

Nair faced some challenges in becoming familiar with the language, while Americans had difficulty in pronouncing her name which was of Indian origin.

“People couldn’t pronounce my name, so I kept repeating it to them like ten times,” she said. “Some people would ask for a nickname like a shorter version of my name or an English name. So from Charanya they wanted to make it into Sharon or something like that, but I did not want to. I wanted to be myself. I didn’t want to become an American.”

Nair said she believes it is important to keep your identity as a foreigner and to remember your origin rather than blending in and establishing a new identity as an American. Remembering her origin, Charanya describes how she felt when leaving her friends in Malaysia.

“I was sad because I knew my friends for 16 years of my life and moving away from them was very difficult,” she said.

Leaving friends behind and making new ones is natural when moving. Nair describes how she made her first friend on her first day of attending Niles West.

“On the first day of school, I knew no one,” she said. “My brother was in eighth grade so he went to another school. At that time, even the people in my homeroom were so awkward. There was one girl that I met and her name was Janvi Patel. She was my first friend in the U.S.”

That same year, Nair made two really good friends. They describe how long they have known Nair for and how their friendship began.

“I have known Charanya for about three years, since sophomore year. I remember I met her in homeroom. We became friends on the first day,” senior Freyzl Ghandhi said.

“Well, it was sophomore year during lunch, I was drawing and she saw me drawing and then we just kind of started talking,” senior Riya Kamat said.

Even though Nair made friends during the course of her attending Niles West, she said it was difficult while adjusting to the school system here.

“In Malaysia we all had the same group of friends because all the classes were the same with the same people and then here we keep moving from class to class so you don’t see the same people in each class so it was hard,” she said.

Talking about the school system, Nair describes how the school system here is different from the school system in Malaysia.

“The school was very different,” she said. “In Malaysia we had to wear uniforms, here it’s just casual, so all of that was different. Culturally, there it was more conservative. For example after school you go home, study, and go for extra classes. Here it is more open. After school you have time to hang out with your friends and go out.”

Soon Nair will be leaving the U.S. and headed off to Scotland to attend University of Aberdeen where she will be majoring in Genetics. She is going to experience the challenges of fitting in culturally and socially all over again; however, she said with some confidence she will gradually overcome those challenges while being proud to establish her identity as a foreigner once again.

Do you remember being in one of those elementary school musicals? Senior Julia Nejman certainly does. In sixth and seventh grade she participated in the drama club, but it was until the end of her sophomore year of high school when she returned to acting and realized it was what she wanted to do.

It started when it was her freshman year of high school, when the cheer season ended she was working on costumes for the spring musical. She had loads of fun and decided to audition next year and was a part of the cast. She loved everything that theatre offered. She quit cheer and devoted the rest of her high school career to theatre.

“By the end of the process I had felt a sense of belonging I never felt before,” Nejman said.

Throughout her Niles West Theatre experience she felt as when the bell hit 3:23, there was a family waiting for her. A family that wanted her to do well and build relationships on and off the stage.

“There’s something very fun about taking yourself and extending your personality just a little more to create a character,” Nejman said.

It wasn’t until next year when she was cast as Rachel in “The Dream of the Burning Boy,” she knew there and then that acting was her passion and that she wanted to pursue acting for the rest of her life. The Niles West Theatre program is what she committed her time to, she hopes it will benefit her in the long run.

Cousin and senior Errol Pasia said he enjoys seeing Julia and his other cousin, Sharon, also senior, in the plays together.

“Coming from such a big family, it’s kind of cool to see my two cousins act together and see how much they enjoy themselves out there, our entire family gets together to see the show and they enjoy it as much as my cousins enjoy acting. I now also have an incoming freshman cousin who is also in the theatre program. I guess you can say it runs in the family,” he said.

Nejman plans to attend the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles to obtain a BFA in acting for film. She also hopes be able to get into other programs after receiving her BFA and study other branches of acting, such as stage acting, musical theatre, etc. She hopes to get hired and can make a living out of it. For now she says, “I’m just kind of going wherever the wind takes me.”

Friend on and off the stage and senior Andre Eramia talks about his experience being able to see two sides of Nejman.  

“Julia onstage and off is a completely different person,” he said. “Offstage she’s never afraid to share how she feels with anyone. Without Julia in my life I would honestly be a different person. I would still care about the smallest things and wouldn’t know how to move past it. I can’t thank Julia enough for entering my life and having a huge impact with who I am today. She’s going to become very successful in the future as she is planning on going to the New York Film Academy. Whoever interacts with Julia in the future will be quick to learn that she is something special.”

Aren’t you really happy your parents didn’t put you in learning programs when you were six or seven years old? Yeah, people actually go to those. “People” as in junior Hope Cherian. Before Kindergarten even started, Cherian was sitting down at a desk doing her take home worksheets for Kumon, a tutoring program that specializes in mathematics.

“It’s the perfect way to make your kids hate you,” Cherian said. “But I wouldn’t be where I am today without Kumon.”

Well where is Cherian now, you ask? She is in the most crucial year of high school: junior year. She’s taking Great American Writers, A.P. U.S history, A.P. physics, A.P. calculus, Honors Spanish 4, and Math Modeling.  She also plays softball as competitively as she is in class.

“I’m not an Indian dancer; I’m an Indian athlete,” Cherian said.

You’ll see her playing for our Niles West varsity softball team this year. Maybe you already have – she’s been a starter since her sophomore year.

So how do teenagers like Cherian – with a challenging school schedule and high expectations on the field – do it? Cherian gives lots of the credit to her parents. They gave her the head start at Kumon but they also didn’t just focus on academics, they put her in a sport early on. But what about her social life?

“In middle school, we used to FaceTime for hours on end on our new iPods until our parents yelled at us and made us hang up. Cherian has been there with me for everything,” longtime friend Allison Fair said.

Cherian is a girl on the move, always doing something productive. It’s been drilled into her since she was young and it has payed off. She’s found her balance while still being a great friend.

“She’s always looking to help others in need even if it doesn’t benefit her in any way, “ Fair said.