Miss-Delectable
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The SouthtownStar :: News
Stagg High School senior Rabiya Ghani helps students who are profoundly deaf and hard of hearing.
She mentors them and pushes them to work toward their goals despite their hearing loss. When she talks, they listen, because no one understands the challenges they face better than she does.
Ghani, 17, is deaf.
When she was 4 she received a cochlear implant, a small electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to someone who is deaf or severely hard of hearing. She relies on a sign-language interpreter for all of her academic classes, which means she has to work twice as hard as other students to participate in class discussions.
"It is something I work hard at because of my deafness, and it is hard because the classes are hard. It is not something I do well without studying for. I have honors and Advanced Placement classes, which are tough," Ghani said.
"Deafness is not part of my problem, but it is a part of me that I have to deal with."
Ghani participated in the Academic Bowl at William Rainey Harper College with other deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the region in October. She earned second place.
At Stagg she is active with Art Club, International Club, yearbook, Extra Mile, where she is a leader for the freshman homeroom, Literary Magazine, National Honors Society, the school newspaper, student council and the Council for Exceptional Children, where she works with special education students.
"We have fun with them and help them out," she said.
Of all the activities she's involved with, the council is her favorite.
"I like it the best because I see the other students, and they have disabilities, and I understand them very well. I help them out. It makes me feel great when I help people."
In the fall, Ghani will attend the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she will work toward a medical degree and the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Medicine is a following she has learned from her father.
"My dad is a cardiologist. I want to be like him. I also love children. I really like to see their faces and help them out. Becoming a pediatrician combines my dad's job with my love for children."
Ghani says her parents, Dr.Abdul and Shanila Ghani, of Bridgeview, have mentored her in numerous ways.
"They help me so much, my mom especially. They are there for me all the time. My mom is a housewife and takes care of me very well. We've gone through so much together. We argue, but she's my hero. I love her so much."
Making her parents proud helps keep Ghani focused on her goals to succeed.
"I want my parents to be proud of me because they have worked so hard to raise me. They raised me very well, so I want them to see what their daughter can become."
It isn't always easy.
"Yes, I feel frustrated sometimes because it is so hard. When I talk to friends and I don't understand what they are saying, of course I'm frustrated. I tell myself, 'You have to be strong. You can't be depressed. Keep on going and don't let anything overcome you. You have to be in control.' That's when I do what I need to do. You have to believe in yourself."
It helps when others believe in you, too, and that is why Ghani wants to be there for others challenged by their disabilities.
"For those who are out there who need guidance, like people with disabilities, I just want to say: 'You have to move on. You can't stay in the past. You have to be yourself and do what you need to do.'"
Stagg High School senior Rabiya Ghani helps students who are profoundly deaf and hard of hearing.
She mentors them and pushes them to work toward their goals despite their hearing loss. When she talks, they listen, because no one understands the challenges they face better than she does.
Ghani, 17, is deaf.
When she was 4 she received a cochlear implant, a small electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to someone who is deaf or severely hard of hearing. She relies on a sign-language interpreter for all of her academic classes, which means she has to work twice as hard as other students to participate in class discussions.
"It is something I work hard at because of my deafness, and it is hard because the classes are hard. It is not something I do well without studying for. I have honors and Advanced Placement classes, which are tough," Ghani said.
"Deafness is not part of my problem, but it is a part of me that I have to deal with."
Ghani participated in the Academic Bowl at William Rainey Harper College with other deaf and hard-of-hearing students in the region in October. She earned second place.
At Stagg she is active with Art Club, International Club, yearbook, Extra Mile, where she is a leader for the freshman homeroom, Literary Magazine, National Honors Society, the school newspaper, student council and the Council for Exceptional Children, where she works with special education students.
"We have fun with them and help them out," she said.
Of all the activities she's involved with, the council is her favorite.
"I like it the best because I see the other students, and they have disabilities, and I understand them very well. I help them out. It makes me feel great when I help people."
In the fall, Ghani will attend the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she will work toward a medical degree and the goal of becoming a pediatrician. Medicine is a following she has learned from her father.
"My dad is a cardiologist. I want to be like him. I also love children. I really like to see their faces and help them out. Becoming a pediatrician combines my dad's job with my love for children."
Ghani says her parents, Dr.Abdul and Shanila Ghani, of Bridgeview, have mentored her in numerous ways.
"They help me so much, my mom especially. They are there for me all the time. My mom is a housewife and takes care of me very well. We've gone through so much together. We argue, but she's my hero. I love her so much."
Making her parents proud helps keep Ghani focused on her goals to succeed.
"I want my parents to be proud of me because they have worked so hard to raise me. They raised me very well, so I want them to see what their daughter can become."
It isn't always easy.
"Yes, I feel frustrated sometimes because it is so hard. When I talk to friends and I don't understand what they are saying, of course I'm frustrated. I tell myself, 'You have to be strong. You can't be depressed. Keep on going and don't let anything overcome you. You have to be in control.' That's when I do what I need to do. You have to believe in yourself."
It helps when others believe in you, too, and that is why Ghani wants to be there for others challenged by their disabilities.
"For those who are out there who need guidance, like people with disabilities, I just want to say: 'You have to move on. You can't stay in the past. You have to be yourself and do what you need to do.'"