Senior Kike Raheem has participated in a wide range of extracurriculars; however, she finds STEM-based activities such as robotics to be the most interesting. She has developed this passion since middle school and hopes to apply the problem-solving skills she has learned in her future endeavors.
Raheem has found herself intrigued in a multitude of subjects but finds science to be the most appealing. At Niles West, she is involved in D219’s Basic Nurse Assistant Training (BNAT) and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), where she will be competing at state for medical terminology and nursing assisting on March 20. BNAT Teacher Angela Mell notes Raheem’s skills and passion in the medical field.
“Kike has emotional intelligence and self-awareness. She demonstrates strong decision-making and communication skills which are necessary for success in any health care field. She has embraced clinicals with enthusiasm and is willing and able to demonstrate the skills she has learned throughout the year while taking care of actual patients,” Mell said.
Along with keeping up with her AP classes and science activities, Raheem is also Vice President of the Korean Club, a Literacy Center tutor, and a member of the Niles West orchestra, Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Robotics. Last year her team competed at the VEX Robotics World Championship and they hope to do the same this upcoming April.
“I’ve been doing robotics for seven years now since middle school and it’s always been fun. My teammates and I focus on building and then programming the robot for the competition part where the robot has to [work] by itself. State is coming up soon so we hope to get a high skill score and also go to world’s again,” Raheem said.
Raheem is able to participate in numerous activities by managing her time on schoolwork. This allows her to prioritize her academic needs.
“Since I do a lot of activities after school I have to find time to complete my assignments since there might not be time for me to finish homework. I try to focus on school while I’m in school and focus on my clubs after… It’s really important whenever I have downtime to get [work] done,” Raheem said.
Raheem’s success in extracurricular activities has passed over to her school performance, as she has become a recipient of the National African American Recognition Award and the National Merit Scholarship Award. Her dedication to academics reflects a commitment to excellence and a positive influence within her school community.
“Kike is one of the most driven, dynamic, resilient, thoughtful, creative and compassionate young people I have ever worked with. She is a straight-up inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know her. Kike is the true embodiment of leadership in my eyes… she is incredibly talented in so many ways and has achieved a staggering amount of exceptional things during her time at Niles West,” Social Studies Teacher Daniel Kosiba said.
While her achievements and kind character do the talking, it wasn’t always easy for Raheem. At age 12, she and her family immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, facing the challenges of adapting to a new society and culture. She credits the diversity and inclusiveness of Skokie to making her feel welcome.
“I moved here from Lagos with my family in sixth grade, but at school, I never felt like I was the odd one out because there were so many people like me. It’s like everyone is so different and that difference is what makes us similar and I just love it,” Raheem said.
As for her post-high school plans, Raheem hopes to continue her nursing studies and has applied to colleges in the Chicago and Georgia area. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for Kike’s future!
