The School District of Philadelphia proudly recognizes Ibrahim Soukouna of CAPA High School as Senior of the Month. Ibrahim exemplifies what it means to be a dedicated, creative, and community-minded student. Over the past four years, he has consistently impressed his teachers and peers with his passion for film, media, and graphic design—leaving a lasting impact on CAPA’s school community.

From the very beginning of his high school journey, Ibrahim expressed a strong passion for filmmaking, graphic design, photography, and media arts. That passion only grew with time. He eagerly entered his film and media classes and quickly flourished, producing exceptional short films and artwork that have been featured in several local student film festivals.

Ibrahim’s success is the result of both his artistic talent and his remarkable character. He has learned how to balance rigorous academic responsibilities with his artistic pursuits. He approaches every project with enthusiasm and thoughtfulness, listens openly to critique, and regularly supports his classmates—both in and out of the classroom. Known for his humility, leadership, and work ethic, Ibrahim is deeply respected by teachers and students alike.

Throughout his time at CAPA, Ibrahim has taken on many roles—director, writer, editor, producer, musician, and graphic designer. He currently serves as one of the hosts for CAPA’s daily morning announcements, is a member of the Yearbook Club, Photo/Video Club, and the Cross Country Team. He manages photo and video documentation for school performances and special events and previously served as cross country team manager in both 2022 and 2024. He is also president of the Gaming Club and the creator of CAPA’s annual Super Smash Brothers video game tournament.

Outside the classroom, Ibrahim has continued to pursue excellence. In 2024, he participated in the Delphi Summer Teen Media Program, where he honed his technical skills in media production, and he plans to return in 2025. He also gained industry-level experience through his work with the Via Lux Youth Media Collective. These internships further enhanced his abilities and elevated his leadership within CAPA’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

Academically, Ibrahim has also achieved high honors. He scored Advanced on both the written and performance portions of the NOCTI exam and will receive a certificate of completion from the Pennsylvania Office of CTE. He holds an Adobe Photoshop industry certification and is currently pursuing additional certifications in Premiere and Illustrator.

Ibrahim has been accepted to Temple University, where he will major in Film and Media Arts. Through merit and determination, he secured the necessary scholarships to pursue his dream and has built a professional portfolio that reflects his unique voice and dedication to the craft.

What makes Ibrahim truly exceptional is his joy for learning, his generosity with his talents, and his desire to use his skills to add beauty and positivity to the world. He has already left a legacy at CAPA, and there is no doubt he will make a significant mark in the media industry.

Ibrahim, we are so excited for you – best of luck in the college and career of your dreams!

We asked Ibrahim our favorite list of questions: 

Why do you think you were nominated as Senior of the Month?

I believe that I was nominated because my film teacher, Mr. Kaufman, took notice of dedication and drive to be creative. Throughout the nine-month production of my latest short film SprinkleTaffy, I would often stay in Mr. Kaufman’s room every chance I got, either to borrow a camera setup, use the room’s iMac’s to edit the film or draft my script, to short green screen scenes in the room’s studio, or ask him for advice on cinematography and action direction. (Maybe he nominated me for this award in the hopes that I’d finally leave him alone!)

You were nominated by Scott Kaufman. Explain your relationship to him? Explain their role in your experience at your school.

I was nominated by my Cinematography & Film Teacher, Scott E. Kaufman. Mr. Kaufman has been a big source of inspiration and drive for my love of filmmaking. He’s very creative, and supportive to any student, even those outside of the MDTV major, who are willing to put in hard work and dedicate themselves to their goals. He isn’t the type of person to encourage goofing off. Mr. Kaufman pushes all of his students to be proactive in their endeavors, and to ask for help when they need it. Mr. Kaufman also takes the time to talk to students about what they might be interested in, and will direct them to resources both within and outside of the School District of Philadelphia to help his students achieve their goals, and it was because of him that I was able to get involved in film programs such as Summer Teen Media and Via Lux. He also teaches students how to use Adobe products for their projects, such as Premiere, Photoshop, Audition and Lightroom.

What is one thing you’d like to share about yourself that most people don’t know about you?

I was on PBS Kids! WHYY has a promotion encouraging children to read. It’s called “WHYY I Like This Book”, and it features children talking about their favorite book and why they enjoy it. I was interviewed when I was six years old, and the book that I chose was “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” by Bill Martin Jr. and Lois Elhert. You can find my interview here!

What do you enjoy most when you are not at school?

When I am not at school, I enjoy my time at home, which is usually spent reconnecting with family, searching for inspiration or planning for my next story, film, or song. Being at home gives me a lot of freedom, and choice. Sometimes when I am at home, I prefer to reflect on my week, work on myself as a human, and not just a creator, by paying some attention to the other aspects of my life that I usually don’t concern myself with at school. I love to call my friends and we’ll either write stories or play games together.

How did you choose your high school? What is the best thing about attending school at CAPA?

My mother convinced me to choose CAPA because it had a community full of teachers and students who were motivated by their creative talents and were interested in pursuing their passions as careers. I believed that going to a school that had so many people of so many diverse backgrounds, talents and skills, would position me to be open to talking to more people, break out of my comfort zone, and broaden my thinking in the execution of my own creative endeavours. The creative community that the students and staff support at CAPA is the thing I look forward to the most. I love seeing students put their creativity together and make something original, and I love learning what makes other people so creative, and then seeing if I can learn those talents myself. I find that students with creative mindsets are much easier to strike up conversations with and bond as friends.

What is one thing that the School District could do to improve our service to students?

I would like to see an increase in funding and support for magnet schools like CAPA. CAPA has been seeing frequent administration changes, declining student enrollment, and because of that, a loss of teachers. So many of CAPA’s teachers are incredibly talented and passionate about what they do, and I would love for them to be able to stay at CAPA for as long as they are willing. I want the teachers at this school to build long-lasting and meaningful relationships with their students without fear of being transferred to another school or position. But that may only happen if CAPA gets the financial and administrative support that they need.