When you come across a student who is incredibly relatable and has a solid GPA, you know you’re not wasting your time. But when on top of those things that person is an athlete, you know you have to be talking to a pretty great person. Senior Erynn Modena just happens to be one of those people.

“I started playing t-ball when I was about four, and I’ve been playing every summer since then. Softball came into play around 1st grade and I played in the Morton Grove League until about 6th grade. That’s when I decided to play travel softball. It was a big decision, but definitely a good one. It helped so much with my skills and I loved the extra challenge. I played travel up until I was able to try out freshman year for the school team,” she said.

Modena made JV as a freshman, and has been on varsity since her sophomore year.

“Sure, playing for school is always a blast, but it never seemed to be enough for me. During the off season I continued playing travel softball. This summer, I’ll continue with my last summer season on the Windy City Rage. I’m so far having a blast on this team and we were very successful last summer,” she said.

Not only does she have a love for the game, but she has a love for the strong friendships she’s made because of it.

“I’ve made some of my best friends playing softball. I’ve always been a very shy person but joining the travel team really forced me to make new friends, and I’m really grateful for that,” Modena said.

This year, Modena is looking forward to be the type of leader she used to look up to.

“As a senior, on a serious note, I want to be the best possible leader that I can be for the underclassman who may be pulled up to varsity, or even on the lower level teams. But I also want to make the best of the season. I want to spend time with friends, build character, and end on a good note,” she said.

Modena plays outfield and loves it.

“Honestly, I’m scared to play in the infield. I mean, if I had to I totally would, and I know that I could, but I just prefer the outfield,” Modena said.

Though softball has kept Modena extremely busy, every year she’s played has been a blast.

“Unfortunately, I have decided not to play softball in college, but the past fourteen years have been incredible and I don’t regret a single second of them. I am really grateful for the amazing journey and all of the memories that come with this sport,” she said, “Part of me wishes that softball was going to be a part of my future, but I am also ready to let go of it and find my next passion.”

Not many people can say that they began living their dream at a young age, but Junior Edie Alvarado is a person who could proudly say that she has already started. Last summer, Alvarado joined the Council on International Education and Exchange (CIEE) and proceeded on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic to help out less fortunate children who are in desperate need of support.

“It was easily the best experience of my life. It helped me truly realize what I wanted to do with my life and how much work is still left in helping people who need it,” Alvarado said.

It all started last year when Alvarado’s spanish teacher, Mrs. Karen Liszka, showed a presentation on the mission trip with the CIEE non-profit organization. In addition, Liszka talked to Alvarado after class advising her that this is something she should look into. At the time, Alvarado was almost positive that she wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, so this was a perfect opportunity for her.

“What do you have to do in order to go?” many people would ask in curiosity. The answer is: a ton of paperwork. First, you have to apply in order to receive an application, and if you get one, then you may go on to apply for a scholarship, as Alvarado had done. 

“The essay took me about a month [to write.] But in that month, I had several people read and edit it, and I had about four drafts. My sister compared it with her college essays, so it was pretty hard. But I think it was a good experience for me going into college applications,” Alvarado said.

Alvarado was in the Dominican for three and a half weeks holding a different responsibility each day. Three days out of the week, Alvarado would take part in aiding children who live in a mental facility due to being either cognitively or physically impaired. During the rest of the days of the week, Alvarado worked with children who are living in severe poverty.

Unlike in America where trash is either buried, burned, or recycled, in many 3rd world countries such as the Dominican, trash is piled up on streets outside of the city. Alvarado witnessed these ‘trash mountains’ during her trip. She also witnessed many families that live in homes made out of trash and saw the horrible living conditions that come along with it.

“It made all of my problems seem so obsolete,” Alvarado said.

During the day, the kids would go to a camp that promoted not being sexually active because many of the them would have kids at the early age of twelve. They would also learn to love God and to pursue what they want to do rather than working on a farm.

“We worked with them on English and other subjects that they will need for the future, as well as some computer skills. We also taught them about the American culture,” Alvarado said.

Alvarado is an inspiration to her friends and family serving as a positive role model that anyone could look up to.

“Edie is the type of person who knows what she wants, she doesn’t wait for other people to push her to do something, she does it on her own. That’s one thing I love about her, she’s so mature and driven for her age and I think it’ll bring her far in life,” older sister and alum Salma Alvarado, said.

Alvarado shows compassion to people in need as well as at home with her friends.

“For as long as I’ve known Edie, she’s always been that one compassionate friend that will always be there for you because she’s just a caring person,” junior Larissa Mihulet said.

Ever since she was nine years old, Alvarado had her dreams set on becoming a doctor.

“The reason why I wanted to go into the medical field was to help people who were impoverished. I would go into the Peace Corps or Doctors Without Boarders instead of sitting in an office,” Alvarado said.

Alvarado’s dreams changed once she found herself drawn into her art classes when she recognized her underlying passion for art. Alvarado is now interested in going into interface design which is the design of user interfaces such as computers, mobile devices, and other electronic devices, with the focus on maximizing the user experience.

“If I get enough money doing that [interface design], then I could go on my own volunteer trips,” Alvarado said.

Being involved in your school makes a really big difference. Sophomore Simone Perrin is involved in many extracurricular activities ranging from cross country to W.H.O. (West Helps Others) and FEM club.

“I’m motivated to join clubs because it makes me better involved with the school. I also really enjoy the experience and new opportunities to learn even more about my club,” Perrin said.

W.H.O club is gives students that join the opportunity to do community service and get more involved with the school. Many students who have joined enjoy the club because they take pleasure in helping others. Perrin has been to many of the meetings for the club and truly enjoys what she does.

“I love going to W.H.O. club and learning about the different opportunities I can get myself into to help the community,” Perrin said.

FEM club is revolves around gender equality for men and women, focusing on achieving equal rights and pay. Although women make up half of the workforce, on average they get paid less than men. FEM club supports equal rights for women and men because the inequality gets out of hand.

“I’ve been in FEM for about a month and a half and so far. I’ve been really intrigued and interested in what I can do to make a difference for women all over. It’s a really great club and I enjoy going to it,” Perrin said.

Joining clubs opens up doors to many new opportunities and exciting experiences. Perrin has always been one to step out of her comfort zone and do exciting things.

“I am always excited to be involved and join new clubs. Each club has new experiences and different learning opportunities. I’ve also met many new people that I am now friends with. Clubs are definitely something I recommend people doing and getting involved in,” Perrin said.

Perrin is very involved with the school but she is also able to keep her grades up.

“I have good grades. It’s important that I work hard each and every day to get good grades,” Perrin said.

Perrin has found the balance between keeping her grades up and participating in school activities that make a great impact on who she is and her beliefs.

Walking in the Literacy Center, you may notice some of the art work hanging on the walls. What you probably don’t know is that junior Jenna Moore took those photos. Pictures are worth 1,000 words and you can interpret art in any way that you want, which is why Moore loves what she does.

As a little girl, Moore’s grandfather would always photograph her doing just about anything. Playing the piano or playing outside, whatever she did, her grandfather had a photo for it. Moore’s grandfather passed last summer, and that’s when Moore started to explore more with photography.

“He was always so into photography, so it inspired me to follow in his footsteps and make him proud,” Moore said.

Many artists have different types of styles which is what makes their work so unique. Moore’s style is mainly made up of portraits, of either of herself or of her friend, junior Mackenzie Hoffman. Moore’s portraits have different facial expressions that she uses to try and tell a story with. She has her models try to make expressions that would resemble emotions like: pain, hurt, happiness, sadness, etc.

“Jenna would have me standing in 0 degree or 80 degree weather just for a couple of photos, but I never mind that because I know that photography truly makes her happy,” Hoffman said.

Other than portraits, Moore likes to shoot landscape photos. She shoots photographs from vacations she has been on to Mexico. Sometimes, she does landscape photos from whenever she goes to downtown Chicago, Pilsen, or beaches during the summer time. Throughout most of her work you can find vibrant colors that she purposely uses to catch your eye.

“Jenna’s portraits show the emotion of the subject, and her landscape photos always tell a story about her various adventures. She is a master of color within her photography and will continue to work on her images until they are perfect,” Moore’s photography teacher Ms. Deanna Sortino said.

Over the past three years that Moore has participated in the photography program at Niles West, she has won a Scholastic Silver Key award for one of her dramatic lighting photos, and has had one of her landscape photos be apart of the UNICEF NextGen Art Show at the Bucketfeet Gallery in Chicago, where it sold for $200. She now has her artwork hanging up in the Lit Center as a part of a National Art Honor initiative for the month of February. Moore is also a part of the National Art Society and UNICEF. Moore plans on furthering her art career in college where she plans on minoring in photography.

“Pictures are worth so many words and I feel like everyone has a different interpretation through photography and art, and that is why I love doing what I do,” Moore said.

As soon as freshman Chloe Babcock stepped onto the red, dusty field with her black cleats, she knew softball was her thing. Since then, it has played a major role in her life, and has given her a solid group of friends.

She’s been playing softball for nine years, and played travel softball with a lot of girls that go to West. It made the transition into high school a smoother process for her.

“Playing softball has given me a great group of friends. Often time you’re with your teammates almost everyday, so you just start to bond and become closer with each other. I’ve made some really great friends through softball. Even now, I’m still close to a lot of girls I used to play with. On all of the teams I’ve been on so far, we’ve all grown really close throughout the season. By the end, we were are a tight knit group of friends. I love that because when you play travel softball, and everyone is really close, it makes playing together that much better,” Babcock said.

Playing travel softball has gotten her ready for the commitment’s of being a student athlete at a high school level.

“I feel that having the experience playing competitively and being committed to a team will help me for the high school season. I always thought that when you’re on a team sport in high school, it’s more about getting better as a team, and less about working on yourself,” Babcock said. “I can now kinda see from the other girls that they try to do better as a team, but they also work on improving themselves while helping others.”

She can remember her first memory of the sport she loves, and can see her improvement now.

“One of my first memories of playing softball was when they had just started a house league softball team in third grade and I really wanted to be a pitcher. I remember my dad set up a box in my backyard to pitch into, I’d practice once or twice a week and I was pretty bad. I kept missing the box. I didn’t really like practice but I loved the excitement of when I got to show my improvement when I got put into pitch in the game,” Babcock said.

Although she now loves softball, she was unsure if she wanted to continue sometimes.

“I’ve always enjoyed playing softball, even back when I played t-ball, but there was a time a few years ago when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep playing. I wasn’t doing so well and I felt kinda discouraged. Within that year, I joined a new team and had really good coaching and encouragement from my new teammates. That year I really improved and I just kept going and I ended up playing more and more, “ Babcock said.

Longtime teammates freshman Diana Panoutsos is proud to call Babcock her teammate.

“Chloe is a really great teammate, she really encouraged others to be the best that they could, and she was always that one person you could count on to get us through the inning and get us through that play,” Panoutsos said.

Teammate and friend freshman Grace Bencivenga knows how good of a player Babcock is and appreciates her ability to have her teammates’ back all the time.

“I’m so excited to be back on the field with Chloe this season because she is so supportive and always has my back in games. I know she is going to be an important part of the team this year,” Bencivenga said.

Babcock is forever grateful that she can do something she loves so much.

“I’m so excited to be able to have such a great group of friends to pay with for the next couple of years. I feel really lucky to be close friends with a lot of softball girls, and I’m really excited to play with some of them again, as well as meet other people in the future,” Babcock said.

Nobody expects to be restricted from doing something they love. Sophomore Nikoleta Baxevanakis has been playing soccer ever since she could walk, she started recreational soccer as a five year old. She is a dedicated Varsity Soccer player who experienced something she never thought she would experience. Last year at the start of the season, she was able to complete the first game. Her second game as a freshman on varsity, she tore her ACL.

Although her injury took her ability to play away, Baxevanakis was motivated to get better as soon as possible so she could get back on the field. After her surgery she was out for nine months. She has been going to physical therapy for nine months as well and has only missed about four sessions.

“My ACL was torn in the second game I played last year and it wasn’t a good feeling. Sometimes you just have to go through the motions. I made sure that my number one priority was going to therapy and my return to play,” Baxevanakis said.

Her injury has helped her learn and become a stronger person, because she hasn’t been able to do what she loves for the past nine months. Her life has changed drastically because nothing has been the same for her. Of course, going through an injury such as a torn ACL is  both a positive and negative experience.

“The injury has impacted me positively because now I don’t take soccer for granted. I have learned that it is a privilege to play the game and I will play with a different perspective than I did before my injury. It has impacted me negatively because since I wasn’t playing for a long period of time, I’m not physically where I want to be. I’m not as fit as I should be because they plays a big part in the game,” Baxevanakis said.

Soccer has been a big part of her life because she has been playing ever since she could walk. Soccer motivated Baxevanakis to keep her grades up because she wants to continue playing soccer in the future. Having good grades is Nikoletas motivation to play soccer and she has overall become a better student because of soccer.

“Soccer motivates me to get good grades because I believe that in order to get into a college of my choice, you don’t only need to be ready to play a sport, you always need to perform well in the classroom,” Baxevanakis said.

Not only does Baxevanakis have a positive attitude towards herself on the sidelines, but she builds up the positive attitude for the whole team. Although Baxevanakis cannot participate in the game, she still makes a big difference.

“Even though she isn’t on the field with us, she still pushes us to do our best and give it our all. Also, she is working very hard to get back in the hang of things, which motivates us as well,” Senior and Teammate Nichole Lopatin said.

As we know, Nikoleta was a freshman on Varsity and for most people, this is an amazing accomplishment. There were many reasons as to why Baxevanakis made varsity soccer. Coach Brett Clish was amazed by her skills.

“Niko is a very talented player even though I didn’t get to see her play much last season because she tore her ACL the second game of the season. With that, she has been around and willing to do whatever to help out. Something that popped out were her skills and just her willingness to be coachable. She would always work hard and do her best to improve,” Clish said.

Nikoleta will be back out on the field with her varsity team beginning Feb. 29, 2016. Stay tuned to follow more about her sophomore year experience.

Twirling around and belting out all around the stage, sophomore Alexandra Vraja has come to realize dancing and singing are things she loves.

She started both at a young age because her mom decided to sign her up for a class, but she didn’t necessarily think she’d like it.

“Singing and dancing is something I’ve been doing all my life. I first started when I was four because my mom made me join a dance class and I didn’t know if it’d like it at first, but then I realized I loved it,” Vraja said.

Dancing is the main focus, and is a great way for her to relax and have fun.

Vraja said, “my favorite thing about dancing is that it helps me relieve stress. Whenever I’m having a bad day I know I’ll feel a lot better after practice. I love the feeling I get right before a performance, it’s nerve-racking but I just love it.”

Singing is more of a hobby, but Vraja does it for fun and will post videos of herself singing covers on her Instagram @alex_vraja.

“I don’t really like singing in front of people, that’s why I joined choir in sixth grade. I have a lot of fun singing with a group because nobody will know if I mess up. I occasionally post videos on Instagram of me singing but I tend to delete them after a couple of days,” Vraja said.

Niles West Choir actually started her friendship with good friend sophomore Amanda Isaac.

“My best friend, Amanda, is in choir with me and we actually met in choir freshman year,” Vraja said

“We both became friends because we both have a fun, outgoing personality. It’s really fun to sing with Alex because when we both mess up a song, we just stare at each other and laugh. It’s actually helped our friendship because we both love singing, especially together, if we aren’t singing, something’s wrong,” Isaac said.

Poms teammate, freshman Nirvana Meseljevic is thankful to be on a team with her.

“Alex is a really good teammate and she helps anyone who doesn’t know exactly what to do, and that makes me enjoy her as a teammate because she wants everybody to do their best and dance it all full out. She is a very good leader and I see her being a captain in the future,” Meseljevic said.

Vraja has just finished her Poms season on junior varsity with full intentions to try out for varsity.

Freshman Caleb Throop is definitely not your “typical” high school freshman. With big dreams to accomplish, he started racking up his list of extracurriculars early on in his high school career.

You may know him as the small boy with the big voice, but aside from being a talented singer in the school’s A Capella group, Echo Effect, Throop is also involved in Japanese Anime club, and is on the Boy’s Gymnastics team.

“My favorite thing would have to be Echo Effect. All the guys in the group are like my family. It’s like we’re just a bunch of brothers. I really appreciate them and how they make me feel like I belong,” said Throop.

Before he started high school, Throop heard about Echo Effect and knew he wanted to try out. However, in the weeks leading up to auditions, the nerves began piling up. He practiced his tryout song, Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen, over and over again until he thought it was perfect. At callbacks, Throop sang Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars.

“I wanted to join so bad, so in the days right before the final group was posted I was really nervous,” Throop said.

This year, Echo Effect made it to the International Championship of High School A Capella (ICHSA) Quarterfinals in Port Washington, WI. This being the first year in the group for Throop, it was an amazing learning experience.

“Competition was the best time of my life. I loved being there with Echo. The rush after we got off stage was like nothing I have ever experienced before. What made it ten times better was getting to do it with my best friends.”

Other Echo Effect members believe that Throop has been a wonderful addition to the A Capella family, not only with his talent as a singer but also his bubbly personality.

“At competition, Echo circled up in chairs and what was supposed to be a talk about songs we liked, turned into a sob fest once Caleb broke out into tears of joy because he was so happy to be with us. He’s definitely a valuable asset to the group,” Echo Effect member and friend, junior Adrian Micor said. “For a new member, he really understands notes and he hits soprano notes in an A Capella group of basses and tenors. That’s basically a fancy way of saying his voice can go really high.”

Throop’s love for singing has only increased and he wishes to pursue a career in music after high school.

“I love singing for people and making them smile. I definitely would continue singing after high school if I got the chance,” Throop said.

Sixteen year-old Anna Romero came to Niles West on Saturday, March 5 through an exchange program organized by Niles North Spanish teachers to improve her English. She hails from Barcelona, Spain, but her desires are as simple as any sixteen year-old in America.

“Chicago is cool and very funny. The ambiance of the people, it’s very good. I saw the Sears tower, and I loved the ice cream. I like Oreo ice cream. I like all the ice creams. The food is delicious. The fast food is the best fast food in the world,” Romero said.

At her school, Jesús María I Josep, she follows the International Baccalaureate program, where she is on a science track. Her courses are solely science and math, while also taking the required language courses — English, Spanish, and Catalan.

“I want to study medicine or psychology. If I can, I would like to come to America for university. I came on this program to improve my English so if I go to school here, I can understand the professors,” Romero said.

Before science and math filled up her rigorous schedule, she had been a competitive swimmer within her community.

“I’m a swimmer. In my school, no. In my town, I’m in a swimming club. I’ve been swimming since I’ve been born. I swim competitively, but now I don’t compete because I have heart problems,” Romero said.

Romero has been staying with me for the past ten days, and has gotten the true Chicago experience. From street performers to art museums and drive-in hot dogs to cruising down Lake Shore Drive, she has been converted to the suburban lifestyle.

“I see myself here in five years– living here with a house and a garden. And a dog! I love dogs. When I live on my own, I’m going to have dogs,” Romero said.

Most High School Seniors have one worry major worry when it’s finally time to commit to college: future debt. Lucky enough for senior Conor Hermer, that won’t be an issue for him.

“My mom worked at DePaul University for twenty years and because of all of her hard work and dedication to the job, my sister and I have the opportunity to go to college there for not even a penny,” Hermer said.

However, his mother no longer works at DePaul. At first Hermer thought that would impact the free tuition, but that wasn’t the case.

“She quit her job because she got a new boss who decided to change the game completely. She and my mom didn’t get along well, not to mention she didn’t really like my mom. Fortunately for me and my family though, because of the amount of time my mom worked there, it doesn’t effect the free tuition for my sister and I,” he said.

Despite her quitting, his mother had a significant role at the university when she was there.

“I was a program manager which basically means that I was in charge of making sure classes ran properly and answering a ton of emails and phone calls every day,” Conor’s mother Eilish Hermer said.

Due to his mother’s found love in the work field, Conor has decided to study Computer Science/Computer Engineering when beginning his career at DePaul University in August.

“I plan to take all of this to the fullest advantage because I, unlike lots of other students, won’t have any debts to pay once I graduate college thanks to this wonderful opportunity due to the hard work of my mother,” he said. “I hope that I can work hard enough to be able to give back to my parents because of everything that they have done for me, and sacrificed for me.”

Conor isn’t the only one thankful for this opportunity though.

“It means a great deal to me that Conor and his sister can get a free education and not have to suffer the burden of college debts like many other college graduates. I only want what’s best for them and at the end of the day I will always be a proud mother looking forward to what they want to pursue,” Eilish Hermer said.

This wonderful opportunity doesn’t come around for many college students these days and because of that, Conor and the rest of his family couldn’t be happier or anymore grateful.

“At first I kind of wanted to go away to school but after looking at the numbers money wise, I realized how silly it would be,” Hermer said. “I could either go away to school and be thousands of dollars in debt or stay home and be debt free for life. Being debt free clearly seemed to be the better option.”

Although not his original plan, Conor is thrilled to see what’s in store for him during his next four years at DePaul University.

We often go about life without taking notice of all the precious things around us, but for artists, such as junior Hana Comor, the beauty of all the things in life provide an inspiration. Comor is an artist, encouraged by her dad who introduced her to art when she was just five years old.

“He signed me up for a painting class when I was five. I remember we used to body paint, like finger painting, but with your body, and when my dad picked me up, I covered him with paint hugs,” Comor said.

Her art is inspired by the magic of nature she witnesses everyday.

“I see a lot of beautiful scenery and people in my life daily, and they inspire me a ton,” she said. “There is just so many unique things in life and I love trying to capture it in my own way. My latest obsession [is] trees.”

As art has become a big part of society, Comor hopes to keep it in her life to inspire her.

“If you asked me freshman or sophomore year, I would have laughed [at the idea of pursuing art long-term]. But now I see that art is a big part of society and there are a lot of opportunities out there for artists. Although I still don’t want to major in art, I definitely want to keep it in my life and let it continue to inspire my choices. I want to minor in art and, hopefully, do something with my life that does incorporate some type of artistic knowledge/skills,” she said.

We all have moments when we don’t want to stop working on what we’re doing. For Comor, that’s her favorite part of art.

“I, like most artists, fall into artistic ruts all the time but by far my favorite moment in art is when I’m working on a piece that inspires me and I don’t want to stop working. I could work on it all night and not get frustrated. Those moments are rare, but precious,” she said.

Comor’s friends definitely notice her dedication to art. Whether she’s constantly sketching or walking in the halls of West with paint covered arms, her dedication shines for all to see.

“I think that Hana is a very talented artist. If you take a look at her notebooks, you can see some of her awesome sketches. She’s also very dedicated to her art, as you could often see the paint or other material on her hands or clothes,” junior, and longtime friend, Weronika Jozwiak said. “She excels in all kinds of art as well: from abstract to animals to human beings. Last week, she carried in one of her art projects-a blue abstract piece-into my APUSH class and many people came to look at it and to ask her questions about it,” Jozwiak said.

Comor’s hard work isn’t just appreciated by her friends, but all of West as well.

“She is insanely hardworking. Like, anyone that knows her knows that she will put in all of her effort towards her art, her grades, even her volunteering work. So she always gets what she wants. Basically she works hard and it pays off really well,” junior Saba Shalwani said.

Her artwork grips people’s attention, inspiring everyone to see the world in a new light.

“Whenever I see Hana’s artwork, it absolutely takes my breath away. You can tell she really works hard on each and every one of her pieces. Seriously, the girl has talent,” junior Juveriya Ali said.

Stress is a part of life, and people have different ways of coping with it. Comor turns to art to help her with whatever life throws at her.

“Life can be really stressful. I use art as an outlet for my stress, and it brings me happiness. I hope my art has that effect on others,” she said.

Art is not only Comor’s way of being happy, but also a way to express herself.

“I think I use art to express myself without even knowing that I’m doing it,” she said. “Come to think of it, my mood is strongly reflected in my art. Especially with colors and intensity.”

Aside from her artistic abilities, her friends also notice how she’s not afraid of voicing her opinion.

“She is never afraid to voice her opinions. Whether on feminism, racism, or politics, she is the most powerful debater [and] doesn’t care what others think, something I think is really brave,” Shalwani said.

Tiara Peralta has lived in the same home since she was born, with the same people, give or take a few; her mother and little brother, her aunt, and both of her grandparents. You can imagine how much of a princess Peralta was made out to be in her home with so many parental figures around. Until her little brother was born, Peralta was the sole child in a family of five–now six–for 10 years. She had been the center of attention in her household for a long time and that doesn’t just go away. So when Peralta started having tell-tale signs of a thyroid problem—an issue her family has history with—like bulging eyes and rapid weight gain, Peralta’s family was the first to tell her to check it out.

The family members on Peralta’s mother’s side that have thyroid problems all have hyperthyroidism, the overproduction of thyroid hormones, whereas Peralta has hypothyroidism, the underproduction of thyroid hormones. When Peralta and her family found out she had thyroid cancer, it came as a shock; just one other family member had cancer and it was also in the thyroid gland.

“I couldn’t process it at first, but after many doctors told me that out of all the types of cancer that exist, thyroid cancer is the simplest one of all. They said that basically everyone who gets diagnosed with it survives. So that definitely calmed my nerves. After that, I was relaxed, which many people found surprising,” Peralta said.

No doubt Peralta’s support system at home was great as her surgery date came closer. Her mother, grandparents, and little brother all showed Peralta how much they loved her in their own way.

“My mom tried to act as normal as possible because I think she thought I was very sensitive, but she was super supportive and we got super close. My grandparents spoiled me even though it was totally unnecessary! But I loved the fact they always had me in mind. Adrian, my little brother, always was by my side and tried to act strong, but he was terrified. We got along extra well and I loved it. My friends were awesome. They always asked how I was feeling, and tried not to talk about it so much, and Im so grateful for that. I didn’t tell many people, but once other started finding out, people came in contact with me and kept my spirit up,” Peralta said.

But Peralta also got major support and strength from her friends who decided she didn’t have to stop having fun just because of it. Close friends and also fellow juniors Andrea Kirincic and Julia Stoia stuck by Peralta’s side since she got the news last semester and stayed there.

“Before she told me and Andrea she has cancer, she told us that her tumor was getting tested. I weirdly wasn’t paranoid or even worried, but instead I went home and prayed for her. While praying, I knew she had the cancer but I was content with it and asked God to do His will. She told us a few days later and it was my confirmation. Even now, seeing her come out of surgery happy and healthy I know whatever happens, she’s in God’s hands. As her friend I try to remind her of that as often as possible,” Stoia said.

Being there for Peralta and taking her out on trips to get donuts from the city and have some adventures are just part of the close friendship she shares with Stoia and Kirincic.

“What has happened has only effected us positively. We’ve grown so much closer and I see Tiara as a sister,” Kirincic said.

The feeling is most definitely mutual, appreciation for the two girls oozing out of Peralta.

“Andrea always comes over and brings food and always makes sure I’m okay. Julia is the best with advice and always invites me to church events which I appreciate so much. I spend every single day w them and our car rides are unforgettable,” she said.

Peralta had her operation, a total thyroidectomy, last week. Doctors removed the entire thyroid gland that had the cancer on it. Friends have visited her constantly and Peralta is now resting in her familiar bed at home with her family watching out for her.

Sophomore Sandra Nahhas has been playing basketball ever since second grade, but finding out that she couldn’t play basketball anymore was the most heartbreaking news she had heard. Due to heart conditions, Nahhas can no longer participate in many physical activities. In substitution of playing sports, she has dedicated her time to being a student trainer to keep herself involved in athletics.

Nahhas decided to become a student trainer at the beginning of her freshman year in order to stay involved in athletics during her off seasons. As a student trainer, you become involved with many of the sports teams and you also travel with certain teams in case any injuries occur on the road. Student trainers also help set up for any games, help students recover from injuries, and hand out uniforms.

Being a student trainer is a huge commitment, as you are required to go at least three days a week past 4:30 p.m.. Although the requirement is three days a week, Nahhas goes to the trainers every day after school and helps until at least 4:30pm because she enjoys it so much.

“I’m thinking about going into athletic training as a career and being a student trainer will really help me make this career choice work out,” Nahhas said.

Nahhas not only helps out with the sports teams but she also helps people individually get better if they are injured. Nahhas helps athletes who have had long term injuries or even injuries that have just occurred recover by doing rehab with them after school.

“Sandra follows up with me in and out of school and she always makes sure I continue working on getting my ankle better,” freshman Lidia Fakhoury said.

Nahhas has always loved sports, and she has been playing basketball and volleyball since middle school. Additionally, being a student trainer can really help to escape from personal issues going on. Nahhas says that being with the trainers truly does make her a better person, and she has grown relationships with people she never thought she would otherwise associate with. She truly feels as if the training staff is her second family, and they make her feel comfortable.

“Being a student trainer makes you feel like you belong because the staff is so welcoming. It’s a safe spot, I can get away from any problems and I am able to talk to them about anything,” Nahhas said.

Overall, being a student trainer has really changed Nahhas for the better. She is more open to conversation because she helps people she rarely ever speaks to. She has stepped out of her comfort zone and realized that this is what she loves to do.

How many seniors does it take to parallel park a car? According to senior Sydryl Denila, three: one to shout “TURN THE WHEEL” several times, one unlicensed driver to make sure that the car doesn’t hit anything, and one tired driver that eventually lets the first one park for her. To many others, this may seem like a major inconvenience; for Denila, it is just another story that she can add to her collection of adventures with friends.

As an amateur film maker and photographer, Denila spends her time shooting photos and creating videos that she displays on her YouTube channel, TheStartSed. This creativity manifests itself in every aspect of her life: her keen eye and ambition toward making art allows her to find beauty where most wouldn’t look.

“I have this weird fascination about old things. You can see– everything in my room is pretty much hand-me-downs. That clock? I found it in a trash can, I dried it off, and I fixed it with my dad. People think that throwing away stuff– perfectly good stuff; if there’s a scratch, you can just paint over it– is just fine. I also find happiness thrift shopping. At first, when I moved here, I thought that thrift stores were for people with low income, and then I started realizing that when you go thrift shopping, you can find something awesome: something unique that people take for granted and just throw away,” Denila said.

Though she transferred to Niles West from a high school in Chicago (and previously, Ilo Ilo National High School for the Arts in the Philippines), she has been able to branch out in her two years here and find a community of people who understand and encourage her passion for making films.

“What makes me happy is anything related to art and music. I realized that I have a love for photography, videography, and film making. The first time I moved to the U.S., I said that I wanted to keep making films. One of the reasons I keep going is because of my parents believing in me, my sister, my friends always telling me to never stop making films. I love having that supportive group of people,” Denila said.

Denila behind-the-scenes of a music video pre-production.

Finding encouragement as an amateur artist can be daunting, especially when coming to high school without the connections made in middle school. However, Denila has found a strong circle of friends that not only appreciates her talent but wants to be a part of her projects.

“I met Sydryl in my algebra II class. She’s so nice and easy to talk to. Also, she’s extremely creative and is constantly creating new things and working on new projects. She is also extremely ambitious and has lots of plans and ideas and creations that she wants to make. She’s also very funny and loves to have fun and is always up for an adventure. She helped us film our APES project videos, and it’s always really enjoyable to be a part of her ideas,” senior Lily Matteson said.

Denila’s ambition and creativity have also inspired her sister, who also has her own YouTube channel.

“One thing about her that people don’t know when they see her is that she’s a deep thinker. She always analyzes things before she gives out her opinion, and she inspires me by the way she always proves the people around her wrong. She knows what she’s capable of, and she’s not afraid of showing people that. She also inspires me by the way she just doesn’t care about what people think. She just does her own thing without caring what people think, which I love about her,” sophomore Gian Denila said.

On Denila’s desk are two plastic jars of money: one labeled “equipment” and another labeled “adventures.” Though the next year brings with it the uncertainty of a future without high school’s safety net, Denila is ready for all of the exploring she has to do.

“What’s kept me going is the love for film making. Even if people tell me they’re not that great, I look at myself in the mirror every morning and ask, ‘Is it worth it to keep going? Is it worth it to keep making films for nothing?’ I’m not getting paid, not getting popular for it — you see this 18 year old kid the same age as me making it big with 35,000 followers or 1 million followers… it’s not about the followers. It’s about showing people your creative side. You have to accept that everybody is learning something. One year from now, all I can tell you is that I’ll keep making films, and I’ll never stop making films,” Denila said.

Video originally found on Denila’s Youtube channel TheStartofSed.

In America, we are, at times, forced to assimilate into American culture, but many people, including junior Weronika Jozwiak, continue to incorporate their cultural beliefs and rituals into their daily lives. For Jozwiak, her Polish culture is very important to her; their compliance to keep going in the face of adversity is something that she respects.

“One thing I really love about Polish culture is our willingness to fight for what is important to us. There is a belief among Polish people that you should be willing to give up your life for three things: Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna, which means ‘God, Honor, Fatherland.’ Throughout Polish history, you can see this belief be really played out by Polish people. The countries neighboring Poland have tried many times to take over Poland, and on certain occasions, they have succeeded. They often time[s] targeted the Polish belief, and many Polish people died defending this belief. However, Polish people never stopped fighting for their freedom, whether it was through battles, civil disobedience, literature, you name it! Almost the whole Polish civilization could get together and show their resistance to their enemies. Their belief and their unity is something I admire,” she said. 

Having gone to Polish school, Jozwiak has learned a lot about her culture. It has taught her how to properly speak, write, and think in Polish. She’s also learned things like Roman numerals.

“I went to Polish school from first grade to my freshman year of high school. My Polish school has taught me a lot of things.  Most importantly, they taught me to really be proud to be Polish through Poland’s rich history and literature. The Roman Catholic faith is extremely important to me since it really impacts my life and give[s] me a lot of hope and optimism. How can you be sad if your God is love?  The church I go to, Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church, is a very Polish church– everything there is Polish, from the masses that are in Polish, to the priests and nuns, who are from Poland, to the paintings, which some are from Poland. A good chunk of Poland’s culture and traditions [are] tied with Roman Catholicism. Today, 92% of Poland is Roman Catholic, which is about 37 million people,” she said. 

Due to economic reasons, Jozwiak’s parents decided to immigrate to the U.S.

“My parents came here for economic reasons. When they left, Poland was under communist rule and the economy was in a terrible state. To just show how bad it was, my mom was the head of a laboratory that studied pollution, and she did not make enough money to live independently. That’s pretty much why she came to the U.S. She wanted to make some money to buy her own apartment. My dad also wanted to make some more money since the economy was so bad. Also, [he] wanted to escape being in the military. Actually, the day he emigrated from Poland, the military came to take my dad. My grandma (his mom) told them that he left, and if they wanted to go look for him, they could, but he’s in another country,” she said. 

Jozwiak’s friends value her dedication to her culture and religion.

“We live in a culture where the norm is to abandon your culture. To move out, to not go to Church, to party. It’s so nice to see someone who takes pride in their religion, is family bounded, and has classic values that reflect her sense of morality and character. Weronika is super hardworking, funny, and can make anyone’s day with a bright personality,” junior Saba Shalwani said.

Jozwiak is a hardworking student who doesn’t fear failure, which is something that keeps her going.

“I guess something that keeps me motivated or inspires me in school is the fact that I still can play around with different subjects and see what I really like. Also, I won’t deny that I’m ambitious (sometimes a bit too much more than I can handle). In addition, I like learning new things, and I can do that in school. As to what keeps me going, I also like proving to myself that I can do a lot more than I even thought I could do. And if I fail?  Well, that is a humbling experience,” she said. 

Jozwiak is the type of person who keeps her friends going, no matter what.

“I remember meeting Weronika [for] the first time in sixth grade, when we were partnered up to do a mini-experiment about rocks. One specific thing we did was smell rocks. It was hilarious. We even contemplated to taste the rocks, as a joke of course! Since then, we became very good friends. I know her to be the person who works hard, staying [up] almost half the night studying or doing homework, and the person who is super awesome, who will always cheer me up when I’m not feeling my best,” junior Juveriya Ali said.

For Jozwiak, her parents have been instrumental in her growing as a person.

“My parents have taught me a lot and have really impacted me.  First of all, they ‘passed down’ the Polish belief of ‘Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna’ (God, Honor, Fatherland), which is a belief that I really value. Also, my parents, being immigrants, faced many challenges when they came to the U.S. For example, they had a language barrier. However, they pushed themselves to provide a better life for my brother and me. I find this drive truly inspirational for me to push myself through my life,” she said. 

Most students find that they will fall a little behind in school if they miss a couple of days, but imagine how junior Courtney Rosell felt, who missed nearly two months of school. Rosell suffered from Cytomegalovirus, and spending nights in the hospital and days at home really took a toll on her social and academic life.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is one of the most common viruses and can infect anyone. Most people don’t even know that they have CMV because the signs and symptoms rarely occur. Symptoms commonly occur in pregnant women, or people with a weak immune system. Once you are infected with CMV you carry it for the rest of your life, making it easier for you to become severely sick again and again. Symptoms of CMV include: fever, Pneumonia, diarrhea, ulcers in the digestive tract, hepatitis, inflammation of the brain, behavioral changes, seizures, coma, and visual impairment.

“Most kids would love to take two months off of school and not have to worry about anything other than laying in bed, but I missed going to school everyday and seeing my friends. Being that sick I would’ve been happy to even able to get up for at least five minutes without feeling exhausted. Being basically quarantined in my bedroom made me feel really alone and helpless.” Rosell said.

Missing that many days of school and not even being able to catch up on school work on the days she took off really put a hole in her first semester grades. All she was able to focus on was being able to feel better. On some days when Rosell felt strong enough, she would have a tutor come to her house and catch her up on missing work so she wouldn’t fall even further behind.

“Seeing Courtney go through this horrible experience really made me sad because she was constantly stressed out about school work and also she didn’t even look like her usual self. Not seeing her bubbly personality really made me feel like she turned into a different person,” boyfriend and Niles North senior Anthony Achim said.

After taking nearly two months off of school, and having maximum bed rest, Rosell was able to come back to school. Her first days back were rough because her body wasn’t use to being up and active for that long, but that motivated her to try to work harder with everything she did.

It is never too late to try something new. Freshman Rita Ismayl wasn’t sure if she was going to tryout for cheerleading as an eighth grader, she feared getting cut from the team. She then realized she had nothing to lose so she tried out. Making the eighth grade team was exciting, but not as exciting as it was for Ismayl to find out she made the high school cheerleading team.

Since Ismayl never had the thought of being a cheerleader in her head until she had the opportunity to, she didn’t obtain as much skill as she could have if she was thinking about cheerleading at a younger age.

“I wasn’t very good at tumbling and wasn’t that flexible so I thought I wouldn’t be good enough. I don’t really seem like the stereotypical cheerleader,” Ismayl said.

She believed that since she didn’t acquire one of many skills you need as a cheerleader, she wouldn’t be as good as others who did acquire that skill. It takes a lot of time and dedication, but Ismayl was willing to give it her all to become the cheerleader she believed was successful. Being a cheerleader changed Rita as a person, she has become more confident in her skin.

“After having two amazing seasons with a team I grew fond of, I really like being a cheerleader. There’s been downs where things seemed tough at practice but it’s fun and it makes me happy. When I’m in a cheer uniform I actually feel more confident which can sound cheesy but I guess I feel prettier in a way,” Ismayl said.

Society has a way of shifting people’s opinions and it is a lot harder to be comfortable in your own skin because many people have one idea of “perfection” and if you don’t fit in that category you shouldn’t love yourself. Society has a really big effect on people and what they believe a woman should look like. Ismayl believes that she is more confident in herself when she’s in her uniform. No matter what, as long as you feel confident in yourself, you shouldn’t allow others opinions dictate how you view yourself. Not only does Ismayl help herself become better, she is always willing to help her teammates as well.

“Rita always tells us how much we can improve for competition; she also is very motivating when we get tired and stop working as hard as we usually do, she’s the first one to try to get us moving again,” freshman and teammate Natalie Guzman said.

Overall, Ismayl really loves what she does and that’s what keeps her going. If you love something, you’ll continue to grow with it and become better, that’s why Ismayl does what she does.

Freshman Leah Nano has loved singing since she was five years old, and this hobby has brought her much enjoyment and success.

Singing is the one thing that makes Nano feel accomplished and helps her deal with whatever problems she has going on. 

“I started singing because I’ve always liked it. I liked Alicia Keys, and I always used to listen to her and Beyonce, and I fell in love. It’s kind of like the only thing I’m actually really good at, so it makes me really happy,” Nano said.

Her love for music led her to Niles West’s all girls acapella group High Fidelity. 

“Everybody in the group is really supportive and they’re all really nice to just be around and sing around,” Nano said.

Freshman and High Fidelity member, Loredana Lohan enjoys bonding with Nano over singing.

“Leah is very talented; she definitely is a competitor in the group when it comes to solos. High Fidelity is very lucky to have her,” Lohan said.

Some people have stage fright, but it’s the complete opposite with Nano.

“My favorite part about singing is singing in front of people because I usually get positive feedback; it’s like getting a good review. It makes me happy that people enjoy what I do,” Nano said.

Her friends have always motivated her when it comes to her singing career.

“My friends love that I sing; they think it’s cool, and they’re supportive. They encourage me to try out for solos and try out for the group I’m in right now,” Nano said.

Freshman Susie Giffen is really proud of how far Nano has come in achieving her goals.

“Ever since I met Leah, I knew she was going to make it far in singing because she always pushes herself to get better,” Giffen said.

Coming into Niles West, sophomore Audrey Choi didn’t plan on following her sister, alum Nadia Choi‘s foot steps by joining Orchesis and the Poms team. From the beginning, Audrey had loved soccer and played all throughout middle school at Parkview. She had hoped to continue to play in high school, but when it came to it, her mom pushed Audrey to try out for both dance teams.

“At first I did not want to try out, because I had never danced in my life. It had always been my sister’s thing and I had no interest in it at all,” Choi said.

By surprise, Choi ended up making both teams and decided to follow through with the commitment she had set herself up for. Heading into practices, Choi had no desire to be there and learn the dances or be apart of the team. As time went on, she began to grow a bond with both teams that turned into a second family for her.

“It amazes me that she started dancing in high school, her technique is beyond amazing and her constant effort during practice motivates me, as well as her free spirit and bubbly character,” junior Kara Pomer said.

After freshman year was over and she had finished both seasons, Choi was happy that her mother pushed her to try something new. At the start of her sophomore year, Choi came back to both teams and gave it her all. She became captain of the JV Poms team along side sophomore Brianna Diclementi.

“It’s amazing how fast I fell in love with dancing because at first I couldn’t even imagine myself enjoying it. Looking back I’m so happy that I made both teams and continued them through sophomore year. Being on JV was amazing and being able to be captain made it even better, but I’m excited to be apart of the Varsity team next year and facing new challenging dance routines,” Choi said.

In the next school year, Choi will be a part of the Varsity Poms team and Orchesis for her third year of high school. She plans on staying on both teams throughout high school and continuing to dance in college.