Inside the Freshman Homecoming Court: Raha Akhoon

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Akhoon is a Glenbard South freshman on the swimming team. She was on the Homecoming Court representing the freshman class. Source: Raha Akhoon

Shawn Sadorf, Feature Writer

Raha Akhoon is a freshman at Glenbard South who was elected for the 2022  homecoming court. She has shown her hard work and determination by persevering through her challenges being able to accomplish her goals. Besides her place on the homecoming court, she has made a name for herself through her participation in ample clubs and school events.

Although Akhoon was chosen to personify the pride of the class of 2026, she acknowledges that every school has some opportunities for growth. She recommended that to improve South’s learning environment, it is important to consider the students’ mental health and extracurricular activities. 

As stated, she is on the Glenbard South swim team, and with practices on most days, it is often difficult to maintain a balanced schedule that accounts for  a full night’s sleep, an enriching  social life and time for herself. Akhoon thinks that removing homework overall would be better for the learning environment, and stated, “It’s important to think about our mental health although homework is beneficial for us.”

Akhoon attested that South’s flaws go beyond workload. She commented on the fact that there are limited lunch options for Muslim students since the school catering does not serve halal foods. This is a problem Akhoon could relate to. Her solution to this issue was to add more halal foods to the lunch menus.

In the end, however, the upsides of Glenbard South shine through. Most of all, Akoon loves the social environment of high school. 

“Coming into a new school with most of my friends at Glenbard East, I thought it would be hard to make new friends, but almost everyone at Glenbard South is friendly,” she confessed. Akhoon feels that  Glenbard South, at its heart, is a community built on positivity and kindness.

She believes that Glenbard South, the school she is proud to represent, could give many people a chance to grow and develop a community.