2013-2014 Northwest Suburban Academic Team honorable mentions
Melissa Ardagh
Schaumburg High School
Hometown: Schaumburg
Parents: Curt and Phyllis Ardagh
Sponsor: John Noah, math teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.937 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2060
Planned major: Neuroscience
Awards, honors: AP Scholar with distinction; National Honor Society; Spanish Honor Society
Daron Bedian
Buffalo Grove High School
Hometown: Arlington Heights
Parents: Greg and Silva Bedian
Sponsor: Kathy Fox, college counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.50 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36
Planned major: Undecided
Awards, honors: National Merit Commended Scholar; AP Scholar with distinction; Prairie State Achievement Award-Reading, Math and Science
Soumik Biswas
William Fremd High School
Hometown: Palatine
Parents: Partha and Sampa Biswas
Sponsor: Chris Grattoni, math teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.254 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT: 2310
Planned major: Computer science and physics
Awards, honors: AP Scholar; National Merit finalist; National Honor Society
Brian Burton
Palatine High School
Hometown: Palatine
Parents: Alan and Marianne Burton
Sponsor: Judy Locher, school counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.592 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 33; SAT: 1450
Planned major: International relations
Awards, honors: National Merit finalist; AP Scholar with distinction; Illinois State Scholar
Gustavo Adolfo Contreras-Muralles
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Bartlett
Parents: Gustavo Contreras and Julieta Contreras
Sponsor: Eliza Freedman, counselor
Class rank: 22nd out of 665
GPA: 5.33 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34
Planned major: Chemical engineering
Awards, honors: National Hispanic Recognition Scholar; National Honor Society; AP Scholar; Illinois State Scholar
Anand Desai
DuPage County Academic Team winner
Glenbard North High School
Hometown: Hanover Park
Parents: Ila and Satish Desai
Sponsor: Kim Munro, counselor
Class rank: 1st out of 660
GPA: 5.7660 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Bioengineering
Awards, honors: Academic Excellence Award, every semester; Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society), Spanish Honor Society
Ivan Dimitrov
East Leyden High School
Hometown: Schiller Park
Parents: Dimitar and Radostina Dimitrov
Sponsor: Mark Reeves, AP physics teacher
Class rank: 2nd out of 369
GPA: 4.45 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 32
Planned major: Chemical engineering
Awards, honors: William H. Fern Award for excellence in science; Franklin Park Herald Journal, Spotlight Student; seventh place at Science Olympiad Regional Competition-Maglev and Designer Genes
Celine C. Dirkes
Wheeling High School
Hometown: Wheeling
Parents: Robert and Denice Dirkes
Sponsor: Richard Watson, counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.25 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34; SAT: 2170
Planned major: Theater
Awards, honors: National Honor Society; National Spanish Honor Society; AP Scholar with distinction
Olivia Fritz
Elk Grove High School
Hometown: Elk Grove Village
Parents: Janet Fritz
Sponsor: Anna Foecking, counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.42 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36
Planned major: Undecided
Awards, honors: National Achievement Scholarship finalist; National Merit Commended Scholar; Illinois State Scholar
Michelle Fuentes
East Leyden High School
Hometown: Franklin Park
Parents: Jaime and Marivel Fuentes
Sponsor: Johanna Heppeler, social studies teacher
Class rank: 1st out of 369
GPA: 4.4519 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 29
Planned major: Business with concentration in finance/actuarial science
Awards, honors: AP Scholar with distinction; Illinois State Scholar; Rotary Top Percent
Anna Holubecki
Maine West High School
Hometown: Des Plaines
Parents: Mark and Ada Holubecki
Sponsor: Matthew McClure, social science teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.9189 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Undecided
Awards, honors: District 207's Best-Academic Achievement; 2013 National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen award; Herff Jones Principal's Award.
Amarah Khan
College Preparatory School of America
Hometown: Morton Grove
Parents: Abdul and Massarath Khan
Sponsor: Samah Abed, dean of student services
Class rank: 1st out of 34
GPA: 4.472 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34
Planned major: Undecided
Awards, honors: AP Scholar with Distinction; 2012 Naval Award recipient; IJAS State Silver Award: National Honor Society; Illinois State Scholar
Jonathon Ko
Bartlett High School
Hometown: Bartlett
Parents: Harley and Laiachan Ko
Sponsor: David Marszalek, counselor
Class rank: 1st out of 586
GPA: 5.0 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34
Planned major: Chemical engineering
Awards, honors: National Merit Commended Scholar; AP Scholar with distinction; PSAE Achievement Award
Brenna Milligan
Prospect High School
Hometown: Arlington Heights
Parents: John and Chung Milligan
Sponsor: Cindy Pak, World Language teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.59 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT: 2250
Planned major: Computer science engineering
Awards, honors: National Merit finalist; National Honor Society; Illinois State Scholar
Rasheed Nawaz
College Preparatory School of America
Hometown: Prospect Heights
Parents: Junaid and Haleema Nawaz
Sponsor: Rasha Fokaha, teacher
Class rank: Not given
GPA: 4.338 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34
Planned major: Psychology or neuroscience
Awards, honors: Best in Category for Health Science at IJAS State Science Fair; Best in Category for Microbiology at IJAS State Science Fair; Letter of Commendation from National Merit Scholarship
Ryan Perkins
Barrington High School
Hometown: Barrington
Parents: Craig Perkins and Mary Gendron
Sponsor: Marla Engleman, guidance counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.733 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34; SAT: 2290
Planned major: Biomedical engineering
Awards, honors: National Merit finalist; AP Scholar with distinction; Illinois State Scholar
Radhika Ramakrishnan
Barrington High School
Hometown: Lake Barrington
Parents: Subramanian and Lakshmi Ramakrishnan
Sponsor: Sophia Moraris, mathematics instructor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.734 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT: 2380
Planned major: Chemistry
Awards, honors: Ranked second in national French contest; sectional finalist and two-time National Forensics League Service Award winner; president of Multicultural Club
Shane Ryan
Prospect High School
Hometown: Arlington Heights
Parents: Sean and Lisa Ryan
Sponsor: Tim Casper
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.67 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2130
Planned major: Biomedical engineering and computer science
Awards, honors: F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition World Champions 2011; State Math Team Competitor, placed 18th and 23rd; University of Notre Dame Reilly Scholar, top 1 percent of applicants worldwide
Khadeeja Salehbhai
Wheeling High School
Hometown: Wheeling
Parents: Mehboob and Faeza Salehbhai
Sponsor: Richard Watson, counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.58 on a weighted 5.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 32
Planned major: Marketing and international business
Awards, honors: National AP Scholar with distinction; National Honor Society; Illinois State Scholar
Megan Sanks
Maine West High School
Hometown: Des Plaines
Parents: Robert and Clara Sanks
Sponsor: Randall Harper
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.71 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 33
Planned major: English literature and international relations
Awards, honors: District 207's Best for Academic Excellence; University of Rochester Humanities and Social Science Award; Daughters of the American Revolution: Certificate of Award for Outstanding Work in American History
Paras Shah
Hoffman Estates High School
Hometown: Hoffman Estates
Parents: Hitesh Shah and Mita Shah
Sponsor: Tanya Katovich, science teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.143 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Finance, biochemistry
Awards, honors: District 211 Board of Education Award of Excellence; National Merit finalist; AP Scholar
Jaimie Spahr
Schaumburg High School
Hometown: Schaumburg
Parents: Janet Spahr and the late Stephen Spahr
Sponsor: Jason Campbell, Dean of Students
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.937 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 34; SAT: 2270
Planned major: Neuroscience
Awards, honors: National Merit Commended Scholar; AP Scholar with distinction; National Honor Society
Meghavi Talati
James B. Conant High School
Hometown: Schaumburg
Parents: Maunak and Peena Talati
Sponsor: Jasmine Berena, counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 5.15 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Chemistry and chemical engineering
Awards, honors: Two national titles and seven state titles in Administrative Support for BPA; third place VFW Voice of Democracy Regional Audio-Essay Contest; summer research intern at the University of Illinois at Chicago for chemical engineering
Ethan Vargas
Elgin Academy
Hometown: Bartlett
Parents: Lori Vargas
Sponsor: Doug Sept, director of the Upper School
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 3.96 on a traditional 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2120
Planned major: Computer science, engineering
Awards, honors: Cum Laude Society; Rotary Club Straight A Award; National French Exam National Placement Winner for 3 years
Brigid Walsh
The Willows Academy
Hometown: Arlington Heights
Parents: Elizabeth and Dean Walsh
Sponsor: Sean Brown, director of college counseling
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 99.0 on a 100-point scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Undecided
Awards, honors: Admission to the Glynn Family Honors Program at The University of Notre Dame; Dean's List, every quarter; Mathematics Honor Society named Mu Alpha Theta; Spanish Honor Society named Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica
Vivian Wan
Lake Academic Team winner
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Hometown: Lake Zurich
Parents: Liqun Wan and Hua Xu
Sponsor: James Kollar, economics teacher
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.81 on weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36
Planned major: Biology
Awards, honors: National Merit Finalist; National AP Scholar; Biology Olympiad semifinalist
Michael White
Bartlett High School
Hometown: Bartlett
Parents: Kathy Naffier and Bill White
Sponsor: Erin Gorman, counselor
Class rank: 1st out of 586
GPA: 5.0 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 35
Planned major: Biology
Awards, honors: AP Scholar with distinction; fifth place at IHSA Individual event State Final in Impromptu Speaking; Illinois State Scholar
Carly Rose Willing
South Elgin High School
Hometown: Bartlett
Parents: Richard and Sallie Willing
Sponsor: Dominque Zewde, counselor
Class rank: 1st out of 636
GPA: 4.975 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 33
Planned major: Neuroscience; political science minor
Awards, honors: High Academic Achievement 4.0 and above Academic Excellence Award Medal; AP Scholar; Presidential Scholar
Cheryl Xiang
Lake Academic Team winner
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Hometown: Vernon Hills
Parents: Justin Xiang, Janice Xue
Sponsor: Hector Vazquez, counselor
Class rank: School does not rank
GPA: 4.798 on a weighted 4.0 scale
Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT 2340
Planned major: Biochemistry or engineering
Awards, honors: Qualifier, American Invitational Mathematics Examination; two-time ICTM Regional Math Competition individual champion; AP Scholar with Distinction