By Layla Abukhdeir, Staff Writer
If there’s one teacher who seems to be everywhere at once, it’s River Hill Spanish Teacher, Señora Souidi. This year, she is sponsoring an astounding nineteen student clubs, more than any other teacher in the school. From Model UN to Active Minds to the Hispanic Hawks, her classroom is a center of energy, leadership and community.
So why does she do it? For Ms. Souidi, the answer is simple: she loves helping students grow.
“All I need to do is to open my doors and enjoy what you [all] do,” she said with a smile. “[Students are] the ones preparing the presentations and showing [their] leadership, I just provide the space.”
Her approach to sponsoring clubs is both generous and practical. Since her daughter’s school day at Clarksville Elementary ends later in the afternoon, she’s there after school everyday anyway.
“During that time, why not just open my doors to anyone who wanted to do something for the community? It’s a pleasure.” she said.
With 19 clubs under her supervision, organization is key. To manage everything, Señora Souidi uses a shared online calendar that allows club officers to choose meeting dates without overlapping with each other.
“Most clubs meet monthly,” she explained. “That way, there’s room for everyone.”
Among the many clubs she sponsors, Ms. Souidi is especially excited about some of the newer ones, including Multilingual Student Leaders, a group that connects bilingual students with translation opportunities in the community.
“This is a club that we are going to try to do county-wide,” she said. “We want to offer opportunities to students learning a second language. It can be French, Spanish, Chinese, or any other language, where they can have opportunities to translate and help other people within the community.”
The first clubs she ever sponsored at River Hill, Hispanic Hawks and the Muslim Student Association, hold personal meaning for her.
“They represent me,” she said simply, “I’m Hispanic and Muslim, and I cannot be who I am without them.”
Señora Souidi has only been teaching at River Hill since 2018, but her reputation as a sponsor and mentor grew quickly. Her passion stems not only from helping students express themselves, but also from supporting their futures.
“When you go to college, it’s not only about grades,” she said. “It’s what you do for the community, what you do after school that makes your resume important. It gives it a personality. I want to be a part of building a curriculum for your future.”
Her dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed by students. Junior Eliza Buchman, president of Model UN, shared how Ms. Souidi stepped in to help when their club needed a sponsor.
“She expressed interest in being our sponsor, and being a world language teacher, we thought she was a perfect choice.” Buchman said. “She was really welcoming and genuinely excited to work with us. She saved our club when she agreed to be our sponsor. It would have been super difficult to find a sponsor otherwise!”
Even with so many clubs under her care, Ms. Souidi is always open to new ideas, though space is limited. Because of this, she cannot take any more new clubs this year, although she is open to helping combine one club with another to help preserve it.
In fact, she recently combined the Fencing club with the Ice Skating club, so both groups could exist under one shared schedule. For her, it’s all about creating opportunities for students to lead and connect, even if it means getting creative with time and space.
Through her open-door policy and endless support, Ms. Souidi has become more than just a club sponsor. Her willingness to say, “why not?” has helped dozens of students turn their ideas into action. The spirit of leadership in her classroom doesn’t just meet after school—it thrives there.