Senior Nadia Ahmed was awarded the winner of the student life category for Homecoming Court on Friday, Oct. 20. She was one of four Homecoming Court winners. 

This year, West’s homecoming court selection process introduced a fresh approach. Students were given the opportunity to either apply or nominate their peers in four distinct categories: activities, arts, athletics, academics or general student life. After nominations, the entire student body cast their votes to choose a finalist from each category.

“Instead of having it be a straight-up popularity contest, I felt strongly that we were able to honor more students for amazing work in all parts of our pack,” Student Activities Director Caitlin Lucci said. 

For Nadia, running for homecoming court was a dream she’d held onto since her upperclassman years. While there wasn’t one specific reason for her decision, she simply enjoyed connecting with underclassmen.

“My favorite part of the whole experience and being able to walk around with my sash and make my posters. It felt like a fever dream or something out of a movie,” Ahmed said. 

Although she never even expected to win, she felt really good about it because it felt like she was really pushing her campaign. 

Nadia is not only an engaged member of the school community but also actively contributes to the Black Student Union [BSU], where she paves the way for underclassmen. She even played a role in selecting Principal Jeremy Christian, when she served on the principal selection committee.

“When applying for the court, students had to answer what they would bring to the court that we would miss without them on it, and Nadia’s answer centered around Black excellence. I couldn’t agree more – she exudes Black excellence! When asked what advice she would give to her freshman self, she said, ‘Open Up. People care about you and your voice. Participate, make an impact, and leave your mark.’ I believe she has done that beautifully so far this year,” Lucci said.  

Beyond her involvement in BSU, she is very involved in her Early Childhood class and AVID program, where she successfully recruited over 50 new members this year.

“Nadia is an upstander and she gets along with a variety of people.  She is an engaging presence and uses her voice to improve the experience at West for all students by advocating for policies and decisions that are inclusive for everyone. She has been invited to represent both AVID and Niles West as a leader,” AVID teacher Suzanne VanKersen said. 

In the ‘student life’ category, Nadia is the perfect match as a mentor and respected leader among her peers. She improves the school with her sense of humor and consistently contributes ideas for school improvement.

“Nadia embodies what it means to represent ‘Our House’ in a positive way. I’m not only proud of who she is but how she represents our school,” Principal Jeremy Christian said.

A big congratulations to Nadia Ahmed for all of her accomplishments at West so far, and we look forward to witnessing her future accomplishments!