The Multicultural Student Achievement Network (MSAN) is an organization that Niles West and Niles North have dedicated to addressing and narrowing the education gap between students of color and white students. This is indicated by the underrepresentation of Black and Hispanic students in advanced courses.
MSAN works to encourage, inform and empower students of color to pursue higher-level classes by directly speaking with school boards to ensure that this issue is recognized and addressed rather than overlooked. MSAN works with middle schools and attends events like extracurricular fairs and curriculum nights.
Junior Jade Alao is a part of the MSAN organization and hopes to make school and advanced classes a more welcoming environment for students at West, as well as future students.
“I decided to join MSAN because, as a black student myself, I noticed how few Black and Hispanic students were present in my advanced classes. In fact, the highest number of black students, including myself, that I’ve had in a single class was only about three, except for AP African American History. The lack of representation can feel isolating and discourage students from wanting to enroll in these classes,” Alao said.
Paraprofessional and MSAN sponsor, Mohammed Vohra, started helping with MSAN this year after having similar experiences throughout his time in school. What they do is important and he hopes to change other people’s lives.
“I grew up going to Chicago Public Schools (CPS), and there’s this segregation—not by law, but a kind of reactive segregation—where students, based on the color of their skin or their backgrounds, are separated and not really included in honors and IB-level classes. I don’t think it’s intentional, but it just ends up that way. When I found out about MSAN, I thought it was the perfect way to continue my lifelong grudge with CPS,” Vohra said.
When students start their high school journey, they meet with their counselors to set their classes for the year. Counselor Ben Grais explains how it is important for students to feel like they can take advanced classes before they start picking their schedule.
“I think student learning, especially students who are currently enrolled in this building and who have had opportunities to know about our programs, our AP level courses, our clubs and anything they can share with newer students so they feel comfortable before coming in, can have a positive effect. I know as a counselor we meet with our eighth-grade students and have opportunities to have conversations with them and their parents about them challenging themselves to take those higher-level courses,” Grais said.
Alao also reflects on the benefits of participating in MSAN.
“One of the biggest benefits for me personally is knowing that I’m actively contributing to a cause I care deeply about and increasing equity in education. It’s more than just an extracurricular activity; it’s meaningful work that allows me to raise awareness and make a real difference,” Alao said.
