Incirlik teen goes above, beyond

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Brian Jones
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Aleta Shaheen dreams of one day being an actress on Broadway. While the bright lights of the Big Apple may still be a few years away, to many members of the Incirlik community and her family, the 14-year-old has already taken center stage.

Shaheen was recently named Incirlik’s Youth of the Year for her contributions to her family, school and community.

“(In selecting the Youth of the Year) We look for those who go above and beyond,” said Kimberly Anderson, Incirlik Youth Center recreation assistant.

In addition to being an honor student at Incirlik American High School, Aleta helped with the school’s fall festival fundraising and decorated for the school’s music department. She has also been active at the base chapel greeting people, singing on the praise team and assisting in the nursery and Vacation Bible School. Her love of theater lead Aleta to playing a main character in the Missoula Children’s Theater camp, as well as, playing two parts at a Mystery Theater Dinner production on short notice. If all these activities weren’t enough, Aleta volunteered nearly 180 hours at the base hospital as part of the Youth Employment Skills program.

“Everything she participates in, she end’s up taking on the entire project,” said Mrs. Anderson.

While Aleta has starred in many roles on the stages of Incirlik, the role she has played at home may be even more significant. Over the past few years Aleta’s mother, Jan Shaheen, has battled health issues and Aleta has taken a leading role in the home and caring for her two younger brothers ages 12 and eight.

“She’s been a lifesaver,” said Jan Shaheen. “There’s been weeks at a time where I couldn’t step in. She’d cook and step in and make sure her brothers are doing their homework.”

“She’s been the rock of the house; the solidifying factor in a sea of chaos,” said Maj. John Shaheen, 39th Medical Group clinical nurse. “Knowing she’ll be there to put supper on the table or just straighten up the house … she’s been amazing. I can’t believe this is a 14-year-old at times.”

Being the rock of the house has often meant taking on the everyday challenges of looking after her siblings.

“She’s been a source of support and stability for her brothers at a time where they haven’t been comfortable with anyone else,” said Jan Shaheen. “She’s handled the emotional part of dealing with them as well.”

“She helps me a lot,” said Ian Shaheen, Aleta’s eight-year-old brother. “Sometimes she will ask what I need and she does it. If I didn’t have her, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Taking on the responsibilities of the home in addition to school and other volunteer activities can be a lot for a 14-year-old to handle, but Aleta has found a way to cope.

“Sometimes, I can feel a little overburdened,” she said. “But I just go bang on the piano and I’m done.”

Aleta said she is honored to be named Incirlik’s Youth of the Year, but the recognition is only a by-product of the way she’s chosen to live her life.

“I didn’t even know the program existed,” said Aleta. “It’s an additional blessing. I do what I do because I like helping out and this is just a benefit of that. When you’re the first born, it just kind of comes naturally.”

Whether or not Aleta finds herself one day singing and dancing on the stages of Broadway, she has already made a lifelong fan.

“The things I am most proud of is she stands by her moral convictions; she’s a very strong person,” said Jan Shaheen. “I wish I was more like Aleta.”

The Youth of the Year program is administered by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and sponsored by the Reader’s Digest Foundation. Having won the Youth of the Year at Incirlik, Aleta will travel to Washington, D.C.

Currently, Aleta is competing at the U.S. Air Forces in Europe level for a $3,000 scholarship. If she wins at USAFE, Aleta will compete for the title of National Youth of the Year and an additional $15,000 in scholarships.