New Jersey, US (BBN)-Abrar Shahin, who is of Palestinian descent and wears Hijab has been named best dressed among Clifton High School seniors, New Jersey.
According to NorthJersey.com, the senior class pick for best-dressed female senior at Clifton High School sports a black skirt and skinny jeans, ankle-high boots and a cropped white blazer in her yearbook photo. Her makeup is just about perfect, capped with plum-toned lipstick, reports ARY News.
But there is one other fashion accessory that makes Abrar Shahin stand out: a black, white and blue-green patterned scarf — a hijab — that wraps around her head and drapes around her neck.
The local news quoted Abrar Shahin as saying that “there are always cheerleaders who win and popular girls, so I was very surprised it was me, being a hijabi.”
With her trendy style, Shahin, who has a clothing-store job in Paramus and plans to attend Rutgers this fall, is shattering stereotypes about Islamic fashion while also keeping true to her religious tradition. The “best dressed” vote also shows how acceptance has grown at one of the largest and most diverse high schools in the state. The class of 2015, which graduated Friday, includes many immigrants and first-generation students whose families hail from across the globe.
Even in an area as diverse as North Jersey, Clifton stands out for its global flair. The high school, with about 3,300 students, is 52 percent Hispanic, 35 percent white, 8 percent Asian and 5 percent black, according to state records.
But the more telling record is the ancestry breakdown in the US census, which shows more than 65 groups represented in the city. Italian, Polish, Puerto Rican, Arab and Peruvian are among the largest groups. Many people with Turkish, Russian, West Indian, Albanian, Ukrainian and Hungarian backgrounds also live in Clifton.
Clifton High School senior Abrar Shahin (far right) was awarded “best dressed” in the class of 2015. Shahin poses for a pre-graduation picture with Taylor Szabo (far left) and Katherine Fraczek (center) on Friday afternoon.
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