2013-2014 DuPage County Leadership Team honorable mentions
Adrian Abrams
Willowbrook High School
Hometown:Villa Park
Class:Senior
Parents:Rosalind Abrams
Sponsor:LeVar Ammons, guidance counselor
Community service:Prodigy 2020 Foundation; Lauren Kiefer Foundation; Leo Club; Senior Service Project
Mike Andelbradt
St. Francis High School
Hometown:Lisle
Class:Senior
Parents:Michael Andelbradt and Mary Murphy
Sponsor:Trudy Rigney, director of guidance
Community service: Student government, school service; Student Ministry Team, peer ministry/community outreach; Student Ambassadors Lead Team; National Honor Society; school and community outreach; J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation attendee
John William Barker III
Glenbard West High School
Hometown:Glen Ellyn
Class: Senior
Parents: John Barker
Sponsor: Rhiannon S. Sieck
Community service: One Voice Outreach Choir; J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation; Interact club; Camp Edwards; Target Success
Priyesha Bijlani
Naperville Central High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Sunita Bijlani
Sponsor:Kathy Hurd, biology teacher
Community service: Autism Society of Illinois intern; Almost Home Kids volunteer; National Honor Society, member of the society and executive board; DECA member; American Cancer Society, student ambassador/advocacy volunteer
Martyna Brzys
Fenton High School
Hometown: Wood Dale
Class: Senior
Parents: Ewa and Piotr Brzys
Sponsor: Todd Leden, principal
Community service: Special Olympics basketball, coach, peer, and buddy to kids with special needs; Alexian Brothers Medical Center volunteer; student council and class council; National Honor Society; Peer Jury
Bianca Colella
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown:Melrose Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Angelo and Teresa Colella
Sponsor:Jean Field, guidance counselor
Community service: Westlake Hospital volunteer; Namco volunteer
Kevin Coppin
Lisle High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Dean and Marianne
Sponsor:Pete Sullivan, school principal
Community service: Lisle Strong 3K Walk; Athletic Leadership Committee; Ecology Club recycling in school; Student Ambassador; student council
Connor William Daly
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown: Elmhurst
Class: Senior
Parents: Carrie Daly, Mike and Suzy Daly
Sponsor:The Rev. Suzy Daly, associate pastor, The Congregational United Church of Christ
Community service: Appalachian mission trip, home repair for impoverished families; Washington, D.C., mission trip, service to homeless and hungry; Florida mission trip; work with developmentally and physically challenged adults; One Step at a Time Camp; youth group fundraising and volunteering
Katie Dziabis
Addison Trail High School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Patricia Dziabis and Gary Dziabis
Sponsor: Shane Cole, guidance counselor
Community service: Head coach for a team of fifth- and sixth-graders from the Addison community; Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, teen volunteer; Holy Ghost Church, Eucharistic minister; National Honor Society, board member finding and organizing volunteer opportunities; Addison Trail High School summer camp coach
Elizabeth Fecht
Neuqua Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: April and Mark Fecht
Sponsor: Spike Grosshuesch, guidance counselor
Community service: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, church youth groups, mission trips and retreats; Operation Snowball, drug prevention program teen leader; WyldLife/Young Life senior leader; Guatemala mission trip, Young Life Work Crew
Samaneh Ghassemi
Lisle High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Mahmood Ghassemi and Mahnaz Piri
Sponsor: Karin Irvine, counselor
Community service: National Honor Society, school and community service; Student Ambassadors; Persian Saturday School; Mini Medical School For High School Students; Math and Science Mentor (peer tutoring)
Kelsey Gockman
Downers Grove North High School
Hometown: Downers Grove
Class: Senior
Parents: Thomas and Carol Gockman
Sponsor: Lois Graham, National Honor Society adviser
Community service: National Honor Society, community service and tutoring; West suburban Humane Society; food pantry volunteer; volunteer softball coach
Theo Grant-Funck
Wheaton North High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Jen Grant and David Funck
Sponsor: Carol McCallum, counselor
Community service: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church acolyte and youth representative to the vestry; Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, tutoring; PADS volunteer
Kyle Hand
Benet Academy
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Michael and Jacqueline Hand
Sponsor: Laura Lundstrom, college counselor
Community service: Camp SOAR, volunteer counselor; National Honor Society, volunteer; peer tutoring; St. Procopius Abby, mass singing
Grant Hosticka
West Chicago Community High School
Hometown: West Chicago
Class: Senior
Parents: Allen & Beverly Hosticka
Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor
Community service: Future Business Leaders of America, oversees organization of school variety show; Force Elite Baseball, coaching; West Chicago Park District; National Honor Society; Interact Club
Austin Ionta
Waubonsie Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Mario and Janine Ionta
Sponsor: Cort Graske, guidance counselor
Community service: Math tutoring; Special Olympics; Best Buddies; White Eagle Children’s Committee, neighborhood party; Business Professionals of America, helped organize Santa’s Breakfast
Betsy Jones
Wheaton Academy
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Laura and Jeff Jones
Sponsor:Dan Crabtree, college counselor
Community service: Puento del Pueblo, tutoring and organizing kids’ summer camps; Wheaton Bible Church, cross-cultural missions trip to Lille, France; Wheaton Bible Church, cross-cultural experience to Chicago’s South Side; Wheaton Bible Church, nursery volunteer; FUEL (school organization)
Violet Kacergis
Hinsdale Central High School
Hometown: Hinsdale
Class: Senior
Parents: Joseph and Olga Kacergis
Sponsor:Carol Bobo, guidance counselor
Community service: Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, patient champion and team leader; National Honor Society; St. Isaac’s Catholic Church, Eucharistic minister; high school leader for St. Isaac’s Middle School Book Club
Sofia Kagan
The Willows Academy
Hometown:Westmont
Class: Senior
Parents:Al and Adelaida Kagan
Sponsor:Sean M. Brown
Community service: Student council; tutored underclassmen in math and Spanish, also translated math concepts into Spanish for foreign exchange students; Respect Life Club; camp counselor at Camp Luck, an overnight camp for middle school girls; performs at nursing homes, hospitals and various holiday events with the Willows Academy Chamber Choir.
Anthony Karahalios
Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Peter and Cheryl Karahalios
Sponsor: Jim Stankevitz
Community service: Happiness Crew, positive encouragement to the school; Relay For Life; Central DuPage Hospital, gift shop volunteer; Student Council Executive Board; Key Club
Claudia Kazmirak
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Bloomingdale
Class: Senior
Parents: Kris and Jadwiga Kazmirak
Sponsor:Christine Ward, former school counselor
Community service: RYLA; Alexian Brothers volunteer; Children’s Liturgy; St. Walter Youth Ministry
Anna Kerner
Montini Catholic High School
Hometown: Downers Grove
Class: Senior
Parents: Anna Kerner
Sponsor:Sara Lhotka, English teacher
Community service: Ready Set Ride, works with special needs children; West Suburban Humane Society, animal care; grade school track meet volunteer; Bethel Bible School; St. Mary’s Sunday school
Deeba Khan
College Preparatory School of America
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Imrana Siddiqui and Ayub Khan
Sponsor: Bothaina Zahdan, girls student council adviser
Community service: Breast Cancer Walk; Feed for the Needy; Humanitarians Offering Peace Everywhere; Diabetes Walk; Ace Dental Clinic
Kyle Kocinski
Glenbard South High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Joe Kocinski and Barb Kocinski
Sponsor:Tim McGrath, guidance counselor
Community service: Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference; FVRSA Lose The Training Wheels; Manor Park cleanup; Octoberfest; Glenbard Shovels
Zak Kolar
Metea Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Brad and Peg Kolar
Sponsor: Tom Daugherty, guidance counselor
Community service: Designing, coding and maintaining unified scholarship application website for school; designing, coding, and maintaining a peer mentoring program website; coding, maintaining and promoting Each of Us Has a Name, a Holocaust remembrance website; Congregation Beth Shalom Religious School, volunteering in a kindergarten class
Cynthia Lopez
St. Francis High School
Hometown: Hanover Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Jose and Diana Lopez
Sponsor: Trudy Rigney, director of guidance
Community service: Helping Others Through Theatre (HOTT); Bloomingdale Police Department, peer jury; St. Isidore Parish, Spanish Choir; mission trips; led and organized winter clothing drive at school and surrounding parishes
Sumeed Manzoor
College Preparatory School of America
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Nayyar and Ghazala Manzoor
Sponsor: Samah Abed, dean of student services/counselor
Community service: Muslim Youth of North America, organized and led four camps; Webb Foundation, assistant teacher for Islamic art; Helping Hands USA, helped advocate for the group’s relief efforts; Illinois Muslim Action Day; National Honor Society
Daniel Margosian
Neuqua Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Dan and Deborah Margosian
Sponsor: Laura Dabezic
Community service: Mission trips to West Virginia and Michigan; Boy Scouts of AmericaTroop 597, community service for merit badges/rank advancements and Eagle Scout projects; Lake Geneva Youth Camp; Lutheran Church in Naperville, brass choir and instrumental choir; Naperville Park District, karate assistant
Kayla McLaughlin
Glenbard South High School
Hometown: Glen Ellyn
Class: Senior
Parents: Patrick and Julie McLaughlin
Sponsor: Jamie Frodyma, guidance counselor
Community service:Relay For Life, helped fundraising; Children’s Liturgy of the Word Leader; Religious Education (Assistant) Catechist; Catholic Heart Workcamp, Nazareth Farm, Group Workcamps
Hanna Netisingha
West Chicago Community High School
Hometown: Carol Stream
Class: Senior
Parents: Joy Siddhiteja and Dan Netisingha
Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor
Community service: Peer jury; peer tutor; school athletic office volunteer; student mentor; Student Athlete Leadership Team
Bianca Oddo
Montini Catholic High School
Hometown: Hillside
Class: Senior
Parents: Jacqui and Terry Oddo
Sponsor:Maryann O’Neill, principal
Community service: Easter Seals, taught children with disabilities how to ride a bike without training wheels; St. Domitilla Church, altar serving; Hillside School Dist. 93, summer schoolteacher’s assistant and tutor; Camp Greene Wood in Woodridge, advanced program aide; Elmhurst Park District, dance program teacher’s assistant
Vivek Patel
GlenbardNorth High School
Hometown: Hanover Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Vinay Patel and Kanchan Patel
Sponsor: Jennifer Diamantos, science teacher
Community service: Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference; Glenbard district student liaison; student council; Glenbard North Student Advisory Committee; student mentoring
Kelly Ravenscraft
Glenbard East High School
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Stephen & Lee Ravenscraft
Sponsor: Nicole Miller, physical education teacher
Community service: GIVS (Glenbard East program), helps as a teacher aide; ACE CLUB (Glenbard East Club); Big Day of Serving participant; Spartan Race, served as a race official; Lombard Historical Society, volunteered to help a Civil Warre-enactment in Lombard
Akshara Sreedhar
Waubonsie Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Mathur and Pushpa Sreedhar
Sponsor: Karen Leonard, guidance counselor
Community service: Edward Hospital volunteer; Enhanced Engineering Pathways lead mentor; Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam, volunteer and event coordinator; mentored elementary students during creative writing workshop
Mira Staykova
Willowbrook High School
Hometown: Villa Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Mira Staykova
Sponsor: Scott Forcash, school counselor
Community service: Lombard Historical Society’s Civil War encampment; Little Bulgarian School, teaching Bulgarian language and culture to children; Stevenson School Multicultural Art Fair; New Beginnings Board, assimilating freshmen into high school; Sunrise Senior Living volunteer
Alexis Topel
Benet Academy
Hometown: Darien
Class: Senior
Parents: Kathie Topel
Sponsor: Kendall Hayes, college counselor
Community service: Alvernia manor assisted living center, volunteer; Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure; Participation and nomination as Benet Academy SALT Dignity leader; LOGOS Retreat leader; founded a healthy eating initiative at Mount Assisi Academy