Laura Sheikh, a lifelong Spokesman enthusiast, never fails to say ‘yes’

Spokesman-Review intern Laura Sheikh is rarely blunt, but when speaking about her interests, she is concise: “many hobbies, no passions.”

The Spokane native said her love of learning has led her to an overwhelming curiosity about almost everything: tennis, cross country, theater and science, to name a few.

Sheikh, a rising junior at Lewis and Clark High School, grew up with a love for the newspaper.

“We’ve always been subscribers,” she said. “I was such a diligent comic reader.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she even found herself reading The Spokesman-Review “front to back every day.” So, when she finally reached the age requirement for applying to the Teen Journalism Institute, Sheikh was ready.

Working in the office, the 16-year-old said, “is like meeting all the celebrities you’ve known your whole life.”

But the avid vegetarian has filled her life beyond the internship. Her high school Spanish courses are a highlight in her busy days.

“I love reading (the language), and I love listening to native speakers and podcasts. It’s just so beautiful.”

This fascination will impact her future, she hopes. Sheikh plans on venturing to a turtle hatchery in Costa Rica next summer – partly for the scenery, but maybe more importantly, for the language.

Spanish occupies only a fraction of her stressful day, though. Honors precalculus is another favorite course, as she enjoys finding the connections between what she has learned. She also looks forward to the knowledge to come.

“In high school, they just give you the little tidbit,” Sheikh said. “A little taste of the full possibilities.”

A falafel and Morocco fanatic, her love of learning has extended beyond the classroom. Sheikh’s philosophy of “trying everything once” catapulted her into the chess club. While her father’s experience as a chess coach may prove useful, she admits to some recent losses.

Although her days are spent bouncing between activities, Sheikh values a healthy mind-body relationship above all else.

“If I haven’t been active or gotten outside to just breathe in the air, my mind cannot function, and I just go crazy.”

She hopes her high school will remember her as a builder of community, and for her elaborate history PowerPoints in which she dares to paste yearbook photos of her teachers.

Sheikh sets herself apart from peers with her self-described “anti-robotic” and unconventional approach.

“High schoolers are taught to have no voice,” she said. Instead, Sheikh is “just having fun with it.”