Skokie Star Student Is Dedicated To Humanitarian Efforts

SKOKIE, IL — Star Students are found in classrooms, on concert and theater stages and at debate lecterns, and out in the community doing good things to make life better for all of us.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize Star Students, and we’re working to tell the stories of these outstanding kids to their neighbors.

This submission comes from Elizabeth Dribin-Khoshaba who nominated Skokie resident Alishba one of her students at Niles West High School.

Star local student’s name
Alishba

How do you know the star local student?
Alishba is a student of mine and is an executive member of a club I sponsor

Why do you believe the star local student should be recognized?
I am writing this recommendation for Alishba. It is my honor to bring attention to her, for her lifeblood is humanitarianism.

Yes, Alishba serves diligently as an academic student, a devoted daughter, and protective sister, but her dedication to humanitarian efforts makes her destined to receive this recognition.

I know Alishba because she is on the executive board of the Niles West club Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). This club’s mission is to create a more inclusive environment in our school building for students that belong to our school’s Life Skills Program. This club creates opportunities for students, from the general education classes and Life Skills special education classes, to be together in order to create friendships, bring awareness, build empathy, and have fun.

Alishba spends her time in school, after school, and outside of school dedicated to the mission of finding ways to include her peers whose needs are often not considered in the planning of many school-related events. During school, Alishba works in the adaptive PE course; before and after school, she spends time planning for CEC meetings and events; and, in the summer, she works for the Maine Niles Association for Special Recreation (MNASR) helping people of various ability levels stay active and connected while away from school.

In addition to her time leading CEC, Alishba also leads Niles West’s WHO (West Help Others) Club, a club devoted to doing volunteer work and fundraising to assist others in need. She also is a leader for Niles West’s Dance Marathon efforts and an intern for Expanding Lives, an organization that works to empower young women in West Africa to be leaders in their community.

As a young person who wants to pursue a career in medicine in order to help sick children, Alishba volunteers at Lutheran General Hospital in their telesurgical unit every week.
To top it all off, Alishba spends voting day, a day that so many minors enjoy home from school, serving her community at the poll booths because she volunteers as a poll worker at my local polling place. As a local resident, I look forward to seeing her every time I cast my ballot.

The time that Alishba spends not being an exceptional student screams her passion for humanitarian work.

If this recognition was fated for anyone it would be for Alishba.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star local student?
She is incredibly modest in her efforts to improve her school and local community. When feeling overwhelmed with school work, I once encouraged her to drop one of her many extracurricular responsibilities. Her response to me was one of great surprise. She responded with, "Those are the things that bring me the greatest joy. I wouldn't want to stop any of them." She is pure heart and soul, and yet her mind never fails to impress everyone she meets.

Congratulations on your achievements, and all of our best wishes to you in the future, Alishba!

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