Thirteen years. That’s how long I’ve lived in Glenview. For all of those thirteen years, I hated living here. I am part of the few Muslim and Black people living here, which came with constant discrimination and isolation.  I blamed Glenview for its lack of diversity, thus degrading my self-worth. 

In regard of my time at South, starting school on a computer screen was already hard as it was. However Black students like myself , we were starting school amid  a crucial time for Black Americans everywhere. At just fourteen my peers’ responses to this troubling time on social media were devastating, as I would them neglect and dismiss the stories of Black Americans throughout history.

As I continued at South, I continued to feel miserable.  South’s lack of diversity in staff, made it  increasingly difficult to express my feelings to someone in the South community who might understand.

My experiences at South are not rare to any other student of color in the United States. However, as I have reflected amongst my past four years,  my fourteen-year-old self would be surprised that I am now confident in saying that I will miss Glenview. 

And no, I obviously not miss the years of decreasing self-worth I have encountered. I will miss the oppurtunity I had to try to create authentic changroughout my time at South, 

Deticating my time in South’s Muslim Student Association, where other Muslim students including myself have  created events and opportunities to create a sense of a Muslim community at South. With annual banquets that push our community to be proud of our identity, I truly believe the Muslim community has become stronger than ever at South.

So if you are a  South student who is struggling with your identity in this community – please know that you are not alone. I will always remember the oppurnity South gives to create change if you see a spot in the community where it needs to be place, and I strongly reccomend to grasp it.