September has arrived for Mustangs of the Month. With the start of school, Clifton High School has spotlighted three students based on their previous year experiences.
Jessica Alexander, Senior Jessica Alexander wants to study political science in college and then attend law school, ultimately becoming a criminal defense attorney. The strong foundation her parents have provided will help in this career pursuit. “My parents,” Alexander said, “have taught me to be the person I am today and instilled values that I will never lose. They taught me the importance of honesty, integrity and taking responsibility for myself and my actions.” Alexander also gained much from her CHS studies, especially from her AP U.S. History class with Mr. Henry. “In AP History,” she said, “I learned how to analyze documents, write thesis statements and carry a workload geared toward college. Mr. Henry greatly impacted my CHS experience.” At CHS, Alexander played lead roles in the spring musicals for the past three years and performed in the Honors Choir, the MadCaps. She also mentored middle school students through the Heroes and Cool Kids program and was part of the Mustangs swim team. She also enthusiastically endorses her AP Psych class with Mr. O’Reilly. “I learned so much about how we think and why we act the way we do,” Alexander said. “I recommend taking AP Psych, no matter what field you want to go into.” Rawan Awadallah, Sophomore While studies are important to Rawan Awadallah, so are the life lessons learned at CHS. “Being a member of Key Club,” said Awadallah, “allowed me to see the amazing things Mrs. Turk does and the impact she has on students. She’s always helping
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September 2019 • Cliftonmagazine.com
Jessica Alexander and Rawan Awadallah.
people in CHS and our community, whether it’s going the extra mile to provide people in need with food during a park clean up, or making sure her club members and students get home safely.” Awadallah also draws inspiration from her older sister, Nada. “She always made sure,” Awadallah said, “that she was the best at everything she did. No matter what anyone would tell her, she would never give up. My older sister taught me the value of integrity, self-confidence and determination.” As far as a career, Awadallah believes it will involve mathematics. “It’s a subject” she said, “which requires practice and no need for memorization. Understanding and using patterns in math leads to more advanced problem solving and higher-level thinking across all subjects.” At CHS, Awadallah was volleyball team captain, part of the Strings and Orchestra Ensemble and a Student Union member. Looking forward, she is interested in joining Model UN and the Academic Decathlon.