Hoffman Estates High grad honored for military service

District 211 has a tradition to honor alumni for the service they have given to their country.

Private Stephan Bonilla, a 2015 graduate of Hoffman Estates High School, was honored and thanked for his service by the Board of Education at its Thursday, June 11, meeting. Bonilla is the eighth alumnus to be recognized for his service.

Bonilla joined the National Guard following high school and leaves for basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in July 2015.

In high school, Bonilla played football, basketball, baseball and ran cross-country. He recently earned the Scholar Athlete Award, which is awarded to athletes that maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher during the season. During his senior year, he joined student council, which he said was an amazing opportunity because he met new people and was able to contribute to the school.

"If you're not a student at Hoffman, you really don't see how great it is," he said. "I want to thank everyone in D211 for a great four years. I will miss the people and teachers who have helped me become the person I am today."

Bonilla said he was interested in joining the military because he has friends who say great things about serving in the National Guard. He hopes to attend Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, or Indiana University, Bloomington, next spring to study psychology, with hopes to become a police officer.

He is looking forward to the people he will meet and the experiences he will have while serving in the National Guard.

The Board of Education will continue Military Recognitions for District 211 graduates. To recommend a District 211 graduate currently serving in the military, email the D211 Post editor with the graduate's information, including which District 211 school they attended.

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