Awele Ikani is a 17 year old senior at William H. Hall High School in West Hartford, CT. She has spent most of her life in West Hartford, after moving from New Britain at the age of 4. Awele has never wrote for a newspaper before, and is very excited to research, write, and share the unique knowledge she posses about the topics that are important to her.

Although she was born in Hartford, her family is from Nigeria. Her background plays a part in her interest in learning new languages. She can fluently speak the language native to her family’s Nigerian subculture, and strives to learn more about others. She believes that studying languages helps her “see the world from different viewpoints.” She hopes to incorporate this knowledge and passion into her writing.

Outside of school, Awele is an active member of the community and participates in many extracurricular activities, mainly pursuing her passion for singing. She is a member of the Hall acapella group Voce, who puts on the infamous Voce Valentines. She is also a member of the Future Educators of Diversity Club, which helps to counteract the lack of diversity within STEM fields.