Buffalo Grove student represents Illinois in arts competition

Buffalo Grove High School senior Sabrina Kenoun is the IHSA nominee for the National Federation of State High Schools Association Heart of the Arts award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify the positive ideals of performing arts.

The NFHS is the national leadership organization for high school athletic and performing arts activities. The Heart of the Arts Award generally recognizes individuals who have overcome adversity or gone above and beyond their peers.

Kenoun, of Arlington Heights, fell in love with reading as a child. At 5 years old she began writing, and by 12 she knew she wanted to pursue writing as a career. She currently serves as an executive entertainment editor for the school's newspaper, The Charger.

Over the last four years at The Charger, Kenoun has written news, features and opinions and also started a book review. She is a Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association blue ribbon award winner and will compete this spring in the IHSA Journalism State Series.

Due in part to being born 10 weeks premature, Sabrina was diagnosed with Spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, as a child. She has had two surgeries to help aid her mobility.

In addition to her work at The Charger, Kenoun is president of the school Book Club, volunteers at her local library and plays the violin in the school orchestra. She has also penned pieces on the website FanFiction.net that have garnered more than 800,000 followers.

"As long as I can remember, there has never really been a question that I wanted to be a writer," said the 18-year-old. "I write what I am feeling. It's the best way to calm me down and channel emotion. Give me a sentence or a subject and I can build a story around it."

For information on the award and Kenoun's story, visit www.ihsa.org.

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