West High School prides itself in its longstanding tradition of excellence, embodied in its motto “Where Excellence iS Tradition.” A vital part of this success is the thriving black student community who make up 24.1% of the student body. Their achievements have played a pivotal role in setting West High apart.  

To honor their contributions, West Side Story launched a series celebrating Black excellence at West High. In this sixth installment, WSS highlights the achievements of Eva Willis ’26 and Eyad El-Fadil ’27, two students whose dedication and accomplishments extend well beyond the classroom.

Eva Willis ’26

From the racetrack to the runway, junior Eva Willis’ involvement in unique activities earned her a reputation for excellence. Balancing a rigorous schedule of sports and the arts, Willis is a standout athlete in track, basketball and volleyball. Beyond sports, she dedicates time to theater and orchestra, and even finds time for modeling. With a schedule as varied as her talents, Willis exemplifies commitment across all her diverse pursuits.

Willis finds her biggest accomplishments in track where she runs the 400 hurdles and also participates in field events like long jump. During her sophomore year, Willis placed third in the 4×400 relay at the Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Divisional, placing top ten in the 800 sprint medley relay during state qualifiers and placing second in the 4×400. 

Reflecting on her accomplishments, Willis feels proud of herself especially since it was a close race with their cross-town rivals the Little Hawks.

“It felt really good because it was neck and neck with the qualifying against City, and it was a good experience because I knew I would most likely be going to state as an alternative and I was proud of myself for being able to go and actually run in the Blue Oval,” Willis said.

Willis is also proud of her victory because it reflects a larger significance.

“It shows that [track] can be a collective experience and that we can all succeed in something that’s a majority white space,” Willis said. 

Willis credits her accomplishments to two people who have helped her explore her love for the sport and become a better athlete overall. 

“[Corderol] Campbell and [Travis] Craig aren’t specifically my coaches, but they have helped me explore my love for track and become a better and more disciplined athlete,” Willis said.

Alongside the track, she finds her success in volleyball, where she is involved in a club called Ignite. She practices once a week and participates in tournaments on the weekends. Her hard work and dedication to the club helped earn her a spot on the varsity volleyball team at West. 

“Volleyball is very important to me and I think making the team was a very good achievement and it pushes me to do more,” Willis said. 

Although Willis achieved a lot in terms of sports, her accomplishments extend beyond the sports realm too. Willis is involved in modeling through an agency, Mother Model, in St. Louis. Although modeling was something she got into because of her sister’s involvement, she has come to enjoy it. 

“My sister used to do some things with [Mother Model] so I got introduced to it through her. I’ve become really passionate about modeling and I have been able to do a lot of runway shows and photoshoots. I also have a runway show in November that I’m really excited about,” Willis said. 

Even though modeling is something she finds joy in, there’s a lot of discipline that comes with it, as well as a schedule she has to attend to during the summertime. 

“I have to focus on my fitness and taking care of my skin and body so that I can have the best success in modeling; this also really ties into sports as it helps me stay active,” Willis said.

While she finds it better to stay active rather than do nothing, there are times when it can feel overwhelming.

“It’s been hard at points; last year I was feeling very overwhelmed balancing work, modeling, sports and orchestra. But you get over that you really appreciate the things you have done and the work that you’re putting into what you love,” Willis said.

In addition to her many athletic pursuits, Willis is also deeply involved in the arts, playing violin in the school orchestra and working on the hair crew in theater productions. For her, these activities are more than just hobbies: they are spaces where she brings unique representation to fields where diversity is often lacking.

“It’s not as common for Black people to do [orchestra] or to know classical music, and even with my other activities like theater, there’s not as many Black people participating, ” Willis said. 

Willis explains that her identity as a Black woman is emphasized through representation.

Willis speaks about the impact her success can have on herself and others who share her background.

“It just shows how much dedication you have to something, and it shows that what I’m doing is worth it. It will help me and other people that look like me in the long term as well,” Willis said

She believes that her achievements bring a sense of hope and representation to predominantly white spaces.

“I think it can show a sense of hope and accomplishment, that it doesn’t just have to be a white-dominated area. It’s also important for people to know and be comfortable with talking about things like this, because bringing it up is crucial,” Willis said.

For Willis, success is not only a personal victory but also a step toward creating a more inclusive environment for future generations. Her philosophy is what allows her to work towards achieving greatness. 

Eyad El-Fadil ’27

Eyad El-Fadil, better known as Eddie, is a sophomore at West High recognized for his involvement in speech and debate as well as a plethora of other activities. A rising leader, El-Fadil is making waves academically and culturally, breaking barriers as one of the youngest Black debaters to secure a Tournament of Champions (TOC) bid, and serves as the events coordinator for the Sudanese Student Organization (SSO). His resilience and passion for representation have demonstrated his commitment to excellence. 

El-Fadil initially joined the debate team with aspirations of becoming a lawyer, believing the skills he’d gain would guide him in that career path.

“I joined because I want to become a lawyer and this is one of the best clubs for that, and it was definitely the right decision. I found a lot of success doing it and made a lot of friends around the country,” El-Fadil said. 

El-Fadil’s journey in speech and debate has been phenomenal. Starting his second year, El-Fadil already achieved multiple national awards: winning the novice division of Apple Valley, semi-finaling at the Dowling Catholic Paradigm, qualifying for the National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament and securing a bid to the 2025 TOC, one of the most prestigious debate tournaments, which requires two bids for qualification.

The 2023-2024 NSDA report states that African-American or Black debaters only account for 7.10%; In comparison, Asian make-up 26.03% while Hispanics account for 11.44%. While these minority numbers are low, Black debaters are especially uncommon in the debate field. 

“There’s not a lot of Black representation in debate. I’ve gone against maybe two Black people my entire career so it felt really good to get my first bid,” El-Fadil said.

While making marks in the debate world, El-Fadil recently joined the SSO and leads as the events coordinator. His responsibilities include planning events, coordinating outreach and ensuring that events run smoothly. During these events, El-Fadil explains the SSO connects the Sudanese community, and those interested in learning about the culture. 

“[SSO isn’t] just Sudanese people; it could just be people who want to stop by. We’ve had non-Sudanese people come and enjoy Sudanese movies and tea,” El-Fadil said. 

His determination to create more opportunities for students at West led to him to start a club alongside his friend Jaafar Bashir ’27, called Med Minds. Through Med-Minds, El-Fadil and Bashir will bring medical professionals to students, and provide members an opportunity to conduct research on their area of interest. 

“I started the club to give members interested in medicine a chance to really dive into different fields and build connections with local doctors. Students can also volunteer in medical areas and receive Silver Cord hours, helping them build their resume for the future,” El-Fadil said. 

Although El-Fadil’s success is a product of his hard work and dedication, he credits his achievements to his parents, whose journey as immigrants motivates him to strive for greatness.

“My parents were born in Sudan so they want me to strive to be good in academics so I can have more opportunities in my life,” El-Fadil said.

El-Fadil emphasized the importance of creating opportunities for future generations. 

“To me, being Black is about pushing through the struggle, [and] to create new opportunities for future generations. Setting foot and making an impact, [I want to] create a path for other people to follow,” El-Fadil said. 

El-Fadil believes that excelling as a Black person helps challenge societal expectations.

With exceptional debate skills and a commitment to creating community, El-Fadil plans on running Afropress at future debate tournaments to further emphasize the need for representation. Afropress is a framework and critique that seeks to challenge and dismantle anti-Blackness in various spaces, particularly in public discourse and debate.

“Afropress is saying that we should stop anti-Blackness, and it’s used in a way to break down barriers in not only debate spaces but as a whole,” El-Fadil said. 

Being involved in numerous activities, four Advanced Placement courses and maintaining a 4.0 unweighted GPA hasn’t been as easy as El-Fadil makes it seem. However, he’s able to manage his time and create balance, still making time to hang out with his friends.

“I like playing football with my friends as well as going to the gym in my past time. I also enjoy eating food and trying new foods,” El-Fadil said.

El-Fadil does well not only academically but also socially; classmates and friends at West speak highly of his character and the positive impact he has on those around him.

“Eddie is the type of friend that puts a smile on your face when you see him in the hallways. He’s the guy that everyone wants to be around and become friends with,” Aydan Thomas ’27 said.

El-Fadil’s mindset involves being resilient and not giving up until it’s done because that’s when you’ll start to see success.