Sports have always been a huge part of freshman Shebin Chacko’s life, but it wasn’t until middle school whenhe found his passion for volleyball.

“I played on the volleyball team for Lincoln Hall for all three years of middle school and I plan on playing volleyball for Niles West for all four years as well,” Chacko said.

“I thought it was going to be easy. Hitting the ball over the net? It seemed simple enough, but I was so wrong,” Chacko said.

Volleyball requires a lot of strength all over the body. So coordination, strategy, and aggressiveness goes a long way in the sport and Chacko has all of those attributes in his favor.

Volleyball isn’t the only thing that keeps Chacko busy. He’s also part of Mock Trial, a club dedicated to law and fighting for justice in court.

“It’s a lot of fun, but requires a lot of hard work. I joined because I think that understanding the law and how a legal court case works is really important,” Chacko said,

Mock Trial is mostly made up of experienced sophomores and upperclassmen according to Chacko.

“There’s only three freshmen on the entire team. I’m the only freshman and guy on the prosecution side which is made up of all sophomore girls. It can be a little overwhelming at times, but they’re hilarious and make Mock something I look forward to,” Chacko said.

The girls on the team say Chacko is one of their favorite freshmen and team members.

“Shebin is an amazing freshman. He’s an awesome addition to the team,” sophomore Mock Trial member Stephanie Schmidt said.

He may be new, but Chacko keeps the team in line and acts like a leader during meetings.

“We tend to get distracted so he keeps us on track,” sophomore Janki Patel said.

Chacko says his high school experience had been great so far with the help of his family and friends.

“My family has always had my back and there have been many teachers and peers that have encouraged me and given me advice throughout this high school experience. I’m really enjoying my freshman year so far,” Chacko said.