Illinois USBC Youth Selects 2012-13 Stars of Tomorrow Selected

The Illinois State USBC Youth Association has selected the following individuals as scholarship recipients in our “Star of Tomorrow” process. Each applicant submitted materials outlining their bowling abilities, academic prowess and community service/civic duties that they had performed.

The applicants were evaluated by a panel ranking each based on a balance of the criteria to give us our top three finalists.

Scholarships earned have been provided in part by the Illinois USBC WBA, Illinois USBC BA and the Illinois USBC Youth Association and are listed by each bowler below.

Note: All three girl's winners are Des Plaines residents, two attend Maine West HS and the other attends Elk Grove HS.

BOYS:

1. Joey Kopera - $1700

2. Joey Miller - $1200

3. Ryan Miller - $600

GIRLS

1. Kayleigh Duff - $1700

2. Brieanna Montemarquette - $1200

3. Megan Bricks - $600

Kayleigh Duff

· Des Plaines, IL

· Age: 16

· Academic Information

o 4.21 GPA /5.0 scale

o “B” Honor Roll, All Honors and Advanced Placement Courses

· Community Involvement

o Started the dosomething.org club at high school to provide service to the Clearbrook Special Needs Adult League

o Actions for Others

o Member of the Chicagoland USBC Youth Committee

o Volunteer assisted at the Kegel Collegiate Classic (Oct 2012)

· Bowling Accomplishments

o Bowled for 10 years in the Chicagoland USBC

o High Average – 192 – Arlington Lanes

o High certified game – 273 – series – 700

o IHSA Sectional individual Champion 2012

o IHSA State Finalist 2012

o MSL All Conference 2012

o Illinois PEPSI YBC State Finalist

· Recommendations:

o “Given her past successes in school and activities, I am confident that she will excel academically and prepare herself for a successful future. I strongly recommend Kayleigh and am confident she will excel in any area that she pursues. She will continue to be a productive, committed and caring member of any college campus and the community.” - Valerie Norris – Asst Principal, Elk Grove High School

o “As a student, Kayleigh is in mostly honors and advanced placement courses, maintaining good academic standings. She also is the club leader for the dosomething.org club at Elk Grove. Outside of school she has participated in bowling events for the Clearbrooks' special needs adult leagues. These activies reflect her ability to work with multiple groups and meet the demands placed before her while maintaining and modeling respect from her peers and teachers during her experiences.” – Kimberly Sander – C.T.E.Teacher and Off Campus Coordinator, Elk Grove HS

o “When a new 40 lane adult special needs league began on Saturday afternoons, Kayleigh began to work the front counter and help with the bowlers, front service desk, answering the many questions the bowlers ask. I have seen Kayleigh grow in confidence and her ability to help others. I am so glad that she has another year before she goes away to school before we loose her!” - Debbie Handler – Elk Grove Bowl

o “I started bowling at the age of six, and throughout the years, I not only grew as a bowler, but also as a person. I learned what sportsmanship, leadership, respect, and responsibility are and how much these traits matter in everyday life. I started to realize the opportunities for me past high school with having both good grades and talent as a student athlete. As years passed, I grew to love bowling, not just the fundamentals of the sport, but the psychology behind it. This passion would spark my devotion to pursuing a degree in psychology that not only would help others and myself with the mental game but also would let me make a difference in many others' lives using the traits I learned. These traits were developed the more I became involved in bowling. I began working at Elk Grove Bowl by assisting in the Clearbrook special needs adults league. I learned the skills of patience, responsibility, and respect that would help me become a part of the Chicagoland USBC Youth Committee. I feel that my dedication and enthusiasm to bowling and academics will help me become a "star of tomorrow." – Kaleigh Duff

Brieanna Montmarquette

· Des Plaines, IL

· Age: 18

· Academic Information

o 3.68 GPA on a 4.0 scale

o National Honor Society

o Illinois State Scholar

· Civic Involvement

o Market Day Helper for Our Lady of Destiny School

o Volunteer at St Thomas Becket Church

o Volunteer at St Mary's and St Stephens for school functions

· Bowling Accomplishments:

o 10 Years YABA/USBC Youth member at Brunswick Zone – Mt Prospect

o High Average - 175

o High Game – 269

· Recommendations:

o “Brie is an academic powerhouse. She has taken very difficult classes through her four years at Maine West, and has maintained a very admirable grade point average throughout. Her focus on academia has helped her earn all A's and B's, even in classes like College Algebra and Trigonometry, Symphonic Band and German classes. She has taken a variety of classes to challenge herself, and to insure her experiences at Main West have been well-rounded.” Audrey Haugman, Principal, Maine West High School

o “Brie was a leader when working in group laboratory work and helped break down the lab into individual components when other students were struggling with the concepts. … Brie is involved in sports and during season she was able to maintain her grades while committing the time needed for sports. In addition to having first hand knowledge of Brie's academic commitment I am also familiar with her educational goals, as well as the challenges she will face when it come to funding college tuition. I cannot think of anyone more deserving and I wholeheartedly support her application.” Sean Ward, MS Ed Curriculum and Instruction, Main West High School

o “While Brie has not proven to be the top musician in our department, she is certainly the most steadfast and loyal to the bands at Main West. She has worked very hard to get into the top band ensemble. As a student she is extremely dedicated to her academics and extra-curricular activities, giving her best effort to both with great success.” – Bernie Gerstmayr, Director of Bands, Maine West High School

o “After graduation I plan on attending a four year university to major in Kinesiology. I have always wanted to help others and after watching family and friends go through injuries and the hard struggle back to normal, I feel that being a physical therapist is the closes thing to my heart to help others. I want to use my love for school and the excitement of testing myself to strive in college and get a masters degree in physical therapy in order to hopefully help get patients back to the things they love, just like school and bowling are the things that I love.” Brienna Montmarquette

Megan Bricks

· Des Plaines, IL

· Age: 16

· Academic Information

o 4.68 GPA on a 5.0 scale

o Drum Major for Marching Band

o Tri-M Music Honor Society

o High Honor Roll (all three years of HS)

· Civic Involvement

o Volunteered for State Senator Dan Koronski's campaign

o Volunteer at Des Plaines Food Pantry

· Bowling Accomplishments:

o 12 Years YABA/USBC Youth member at Elk Grove Bowlt

o High Average - 176

o High Game – 224 – Series – 598

o Advanced in PEPSI competition

· Recommendations:

o “Megan is a wonderful young woman. She is internally motivated to succeed and deepen her understanding in the classroom. In my experience, Megan is a student who always strives to do her best by taking responsibility for her learning. Megan is very determined to succeed at everything she undertakes…. Throughout my experience with Megan, she has always demonstrated the qualities of character, determination, dedication, intelligence, balance and maturity that any organization should be excited to recognize with such a scholarship. It is my honor and pleasure to recommend Megan Bricks for the USBC Youth Association Illinois Star of Tomorrow Award.” – Donna Michaels, Mathematics Instructor – Main West HS

o “Megan has continued to improve her bowling skills throughout her involvement in the Elk Grove Bantam through the Majors program. Her approach to the sport of bowling has become more second nature to her and her game, where she makes adjustments on her own to correct any inconsistencies. She has always been open to accepting changes in her game from the coaches and looks to us for any suggestions if she is struggling. She is a very considerate person to everyone she comes in contact with and is a pleasure to work with. Megan deserves this opportunity and is a great person and candidate for the Illinois Star of Tomorrow Award.” – Tony Swietek – Elk Grove Bowling USBC Major Division Coach

o “I love bowling, and I won't give it up until I graduate from high school. I hope that once I get to college, I will be able to find a bowling league to join because bowling has and will always be a part of my life. I participate in various activities at Maine West High School. I plan on going to a four year college when I graduate in 2014.1 want to double major in dance education and music education when I go to college. At college I want to be able to be in the marching band and hopefully make drum major at some point, play on the tennis team, and be a member of an honors program. Once I graduate from college, I would love to get the opportunity to be a band director at a high school and teach dance at a park district or dance studio at night. I am both excited and nervous to venture out to college in 2014.” – Megan Bricks

JOEY KOPERA:

· Orland Park IL

· Age: 19

· Academics:

o Student at St Ambrose University with a 4.0 GPA (scale 4.0)

o 2012 Consolidated HS District 230 Academic Spotlight for Outstanding Accomplishment Award

o 2012 Carl Sandburg HS Achievement Award

· Community Involvement included:

o Participating in Summer 2012 Clean-Up Weekend at St Ambrose University

o Volunteer, tree planting and clean-up at Lake Katherine Nature Center

o Orland Township Food Pantry volunteer

o Bowlopolis Coach for six years at Orland Bowl

o 2012 Orland Park Community Pride Award Winner

· Bowling Accomplishments

o High Average in Strike'n'Spare Sport Challenge League – 205

o Points Champ in Orland Bowl Jr Pro's Sport Shot League

o Tinley Bowl Doubles Sport Shot League High Average – 189.50

o Four certified 300 games, Two certified 800 series

o High Average – 248

o 2012 IHSA Individual Champion

o 7th Place North Pointe Junior Gold – only high school bowler in top ten

o Several first and second place finishes in various Teen Masters competitions

o 2012 Chicagoland Star of Tomorrow

o Too many other bowling accomplishments to list

· Quotes from Letters of Recommendation:

o “People like Joseph Kopera don't come around often. He will take on all new challenges to overcome and I know he will exceed. I recommend Joe to you with no reservations” – Rob Twardy – HS Bowling Coach

o “I believe that Joe has built a strong foundation here at Carl Sandburg High School and I can say w i t h confidence that he w i l l give you his absolute best effort i n order to succeed, whether on the lanes or i n the classroom. Work, discipline, respect, and focus w i l l not be lacking. He has the ability to adapt to any new situations and challenges put before him. I have the utmost confidence i n his ability to succeed on whatever endeavors he undertakes and I thank you for your consideration.” – Jeffrey Kwilose – Carl Sandburg High School

o “Joey has been a coach's dream. I have never had a bowler of any age work as hard as Joey. I have enjoyed watching all of his successes these past two years and 1 could not be more proud of him. He is a great ambassador for the sport and I look for bigger things from him in the future.” – Matt Nantais – Valparaiso University

o “As 1 move on to completing my first semester in college, I've put my commitments into action more than ever by receiving my first 4.0 GPA! On the SAU bowling team, I'm averaging 200.5,1 am the lone freshman starter and I rank #14 nationally in the top rookie division of college bowling.com. I realize now that every action coming from me is a statement of who I am and where I am going. I've given a lot of thought to my future. Aside from the pro bowler career that we all dream of, I've also always enjoyed helping others and would like to make care and service an important part of my future. That's why I have chosen to pursue a career in medicine. The flexibility of scheduling within this profession will allow me to hold onto another dream: status in the PBA Regionals and hopefully beyond. Also, to make sure bowling remains a big part of my future, my goal is to hold a position within the bowling industry, so I can give back the many gifts that have been given to me through the sport of bowling and the bowling community.” – Joey Kopera

JOEY MILLER

· Loves Park, IL

· Age: 17

· Academics:

o 4.09 on a 4.0 Scale – Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL - Class Rank: 20/609

o Harlem Pride Award (Academics, Attitude and Attendance) since 2010

o Harlem HS Scholar Athlete

o Spanish Club

· Community Involvement:

o Community Foundation of Northern Illinois:

o In Youth We Trust Advisory council member (CFNIL.org)

o Grant Recipient and Project Leader: To Teach about Model Rockets, Build & Launch to area youth

o Link Crew (Peer Mentor/Student Ambassador Program

o Webmaster – Rock Cut Area Neighborhood Watch

· Bowling Accomplishments

o Has bowled in leagues for 14 years – Rockford Area Youth Association

o High Average – Don Carter Lanes – Rockford – 227

o High Certified Games – 300, 299 and 298 – Series – 761, 758, 755

o Rockford Youth Second All Star Team

o NIC 10 All Conference Special Mention 2011 and 2012

o Numerous other top finishes in local and state wide tournaments

· References:

o “Overall, Joseph is a well-rounded individual who is dedicated to his future endeavors. It has been a privilege to have gotten to know Joseph and I look forward to seeing where he decides to go in life.” – Emily Chovanec – Guidance Councelor – Harlem High School

o Joe is an extremely good bowler but he is an even better person and student. After working with Joe for the past couple of years I have had the opportunity to watch him grow as a teammate and become a leader and mentor to the other kids on the team. He sets a good example to the younger kids on the team by stressing academics, hard work and practice. " - Dan Heimert – Harlem HS Assistant Bowling Coach

o “In the past two years of coaching Joe, -he has not only shown to be a leader on the lanes but also in the classroom. He has helped me by being upbeat and positive and also by interacting with all of his teammates. If I could have seven bowlers with the same work ethic and drive as Joe I would never have any issues as a coach." – Greg Hockmuth – Harlem HS Bowling Coach

o We would like to formally commend Joey Miller for his community service and leadership at the YMCA of Rock River Valley Northeast Branch. Joey and his team applied for and won an "In Youth We Trust" Grant from the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois on our behalf. After an interview process, the group received a $2,500 grant, making them one of only six programs funded this grant cycle. ….. We would like to note that Joey invested 65 hours of community service for this 'YMCA Blast-Off 2012' project. His role included pre-planning, writing and submitting the grant proposal, interviewing with the Foundation, budgeting and purchasing rocket items, preparing/setting up for each workshop, leading the sessions and his individual rocket building station, and reporting outcomes to the Foundation. We applaud Joey's willingness to serve his community through this very unique and creative program at our YMCA. We appreciate his leadership in this program and his willingness to share his talent with our youngest members! – Donna Anderson – Program Director Rock Valley YMCA

o While I am extremely dedicated to bowling, I am even more dedicated to my schoolwork. I am currently ranked #20 of more than 600 students at Harlem High School (top three percent) and I hope to climb even higher before I graduate next school year. On the lanes, my coaches and I both encourage our team to try hard in school so their names do not appear on the coach's weekly eligibility report. … I will be graduating in May of 2014, and I plan to attend a four-year college to major in Computer Science. I am very interested in computer programming and software development. I also hope to continue bowling at the collegiate level. The USBC has provided a lot of opportunities for not only for me, but so many other students. For that, I cannot thank you enough.

RYAN MILLER

· Loves Park, IL

· Age: 19

· Academic Information:

o 4.0 (4.0 Scale) – Mount Mercy University

o Graduated Harlem High School June 2011

o Mt Mercy Deans List Fall 2011, Spring 2012 and Fall 2012

o NCBCA Academic All American

o Illinois State Scholar

o President's Award for Academic Excellence in 2011

o National Honor Society 2009-2011

o Scholarships earned:

§ Harlem Federation of Teachers Tony Babcock Memorial Scholarship

§ Harlem HS - Sylvia Staley Scholarship for World Languages

§ National Contract management Association Scholarship (United Technologies)

· Community Involvement

o S.T.E.P.S. (Striving Towards Engaged & Purposeful Servant Leadership) Program at Mt Mercy

o YMCA Blast Off Rocket Workships (see Joey Miller)

o “Magic for Muggles” magic workshops for area youth

o VP of Mt Mercy Investment Club (club members manage a $13,000 gift fund/portfolio)

o Bowlin' 4 Kids

o Community Foundation of Northern IL – Grants Officer for “In Youth We Trust” Council

o Mt Mercy “Service Days” (prairie restoration project)

· Bowling Acomplishments:

o Years Bowling – 17 – mostly Rockford Area USBC Youth

o High Certified Average – 215 – Don Carter Lanes, Rockford, IL

o High Certified Game(s) – 300, 288, 279 – Series – 781, 737, 724

o Co Captain of Harlem HS Bowling team 2010-11

o NIC 10 All Conference Team 2011

o Dexter HS All American 2011

o Numerous other high finishes in local, state and high school competitions

· Recommendations:

o "Ryan is an excellent student. His academic success certainly speaks to his work ethic, leadership ability, and self-determination. Ryan was awarded the Sister Mary lldephonse Holland Scholarship following our Scholarship Day of 2011. This is awarded to individuals that have demonstrated an extraordinarily high level of achievement both inside and outside of the classroom. This is a tremendous honor, and is a competitive scholarship to earn. Ryan certainly earned it through his community involvement and scholastic achievement." – Mindy Chrisman – Coordinator of Leadership Programs – Mt Mercy Univ.

o "I consider myself very fortunate to have coached and to have become acquainted with this remarkable young man. Ryan has displayed a thirst for bowling and through hard work and dedication has established himself as one of our premiere youth bowlers. Not only an incredible bowling talent, Ryan has proven to be a leader with the highest character qualities. Ryan is a focused and determined young man. We're extremely lucky to have him in our bowling community."

o I am very much a goal-oriented individual. Before entering college, my main goal was to graduate from Mount Mercy University with degrees in both finance and accounting. Also, I would like to graduate without any debt or student loans while making the most of college opportunities and internships. My college experience will provide a solid foundation for the future. Right now, I am doing my best to cover the entire cost of room and board and books. After graduation, I would like to be able to help fund a campus bowling center at Mount Mercy as well as earn my CPA. certification. – Ryan Miller