Addison Trail names September recipient of 88's Best recognition
Left: Pictured is Addison Trail senior Huda Siddiqui, who has been named as the school's September recipient of 88’s Best recognition for her outstanding academic accomplishments. Right: Siddiqui (pictured second from right in the second row from the bottom, with her parents) is recognized as Addison Trail's September recipient of 88’s Best recognition during the District 88 Board of Education meeting on Sept. 21.
Huda Siddiqui has been named as Addison Trail’s September recipient of 88’s Best recognition for her outstanding academic accomplishments. Siddiqui, a senior, was recognized during the Sept. 21 District 88 Board of Education meeting. To listen to her 88’s Best presentation, click the audio file above.
During her four years at Addison Trail, Siddiqui has taken 10 honors courses and 16 Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level courses, earning an A grade in each class. Siddiqui is at the top of her class and is an AP Scholar with Distinction.
“Siddiqui has been a member of Science Club for all her years at Addison Trail, and it was in this setting that I first met her,” said Carolyn Erwin, Addison Trail science teacher and Science Club co-sponsor. “Last year, she took AP Biology and was an absolute rock star! This young scholar embodies all the attributes of an avid learner: curiosity, self-motivation, leadership and empathy for others. She has an incredibly bright future and truly is one of 88's best.”
Not only is Siddiqui a full-time student at Addison Trail, but she also has attended Islamic School since fifth grade and is part of the Islamic Scholar program, where she has ranked No. 1 in her class for six years. She studies Islamic history and the Quran extensively, and she can read, speak and write in Classical Arabic, Urdu and Persian.
While Siddiqui doesn’t consider herself gifted, she emphasizes her dedication to her religion and the value of education. She also recognizes the struggles her parents have experienced with immigrating to the U.S. to give her and her siblings a better life, and she aims every day to make them proud.
Siddiqui has been an integral part of Addison Trail’s Youth Equity Stewardship (YES!) series, a program focused on preparing students to recognize and learn from the diversity around them. She is a leader in providing insight into how to make the school a safer and more welcoming environment for all. Siddiqui’s appreciation for minority students inspired an idea to expand the school’s celebrations of diversity to include an Islamic Awareness Week to recognize the Muslim culture and to educate her fellow students. Siddiqui also has participated in the Muslim Student Association, Key Club, National Honor Society, Student Council, UNICEF, Science Club, Psychology Club, Blazer Ambassadors and the girls track, tennis and badminton teams.
Siddiqui’s leadership connects directly to one of her most notable accomplishments – becoming a Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America (LEDA) Scholar. According to https://ledascholars.org, “Each year, (LEDA) recruit(s) a new cohort of LEDA Scholars – 100 qualified high school juniors who show leadership potential, but lack the exposure and support they need to attend highly selective colleges. LEDA Scholars receive leadership training, writing instruction, standardized test preparation and a year of highly personalized guidance as they navigate the application and admissions process at the most competitive colleges. Throughout college and beyond, Scholars are offered ongoing advising, career counseling, postgraduate planning and community-building support to help them succeed and lead.”
While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic prohibited Siddiqui from visiting Princeton this past summer, she was still able to participate in a seven-week summer program online, where she gained confidence about her future. Through that program, one of her assignments was to create a community impact project for her school. Siddiqui’s passion for mental health, particularly in the Muslim community, led her to create “Grateful Guidance,” a project dedicated to providing more resources and empowering students to improve their mental health. Her project seeks to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health and emphasize the importance of self-care and mental health education. Her plan even includes how to do this in a remote environment and how to help students develop their own set of resources and personal spaces to stay mentally healthy.
“Siddiqui’s brilliance in the area of social awareness wows you from the moment you meet her,” said Sofia Daly, Addison Trail Guidance Counselor. “I was able to see Siddiqui present a data-based research proposal through LEDA about mental health at Addison Trail, and I had to believe she was a fellow colleague and not an actual student – her work in promoting awareness of mental health needs and her strive to connect her peers to counseling resources was college-level social work! With all of the rigor in her coursework that Siddiqui engages in, it is inspiring to see a student equally carry herself in the area of leadership.”
Siddiqui’s passion for mental health started in one of her favorite classes, AP Psychology. She wants to become a psychiatrist and plans to begin a premed program, as well as minor in economics. She also plans to incorporate her other interests – she would like to focus her efforts to the Muslim community, dig deeper into the neuroscience involved in mental health and learn Arabic to connect more with her family. Siddiqui is applying to many colleges and universities throughout the U.S., and her top four are Northwestern University, Yale University, Washington University and Georgetown University.
- District 88 values the hard work and achievements of students and wants to make sure students are honored and recognized for their accomplishments. The District 88 Board of Education and administration created the 88’s Best award to highlight students’ success. That award recognizes nine Addison Trail and nine Willowbrook students each school year for reaching their personal best in various areas. Recipients are honored during a District 88 Board of Education meeting in one of the following areas: academics, highly improved performance, extracurricular activities, service work or performing arts/electives. They receive an 88’s Best glass sculpture and a certificate to a local restaurant.