Honorable mentions: DuPage County Leadership Team, 2016-2017
Vadini Agrawal
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Vishal Agarwal & Ritu Agrawal
Sponsor: Suzanne Speulda, college and academic counselor
Community service: Yuda Bands organization, sold handmade bracelets made by women in Guatemala to raise money to educate children there; Key Club, community service; volunteer for Children's Garden at Lisle Morton Arboretum; tutor at school's Writing Center; DuPage Children's Museum assistant
Alison Albelda
Hinsdale Central High School
Hometown: Hinsdale
Class: Senior
Parents: Sarah Lewensohn
Sponsor: Lisa Hikes, school counselor
Community service: The Community House, autism walk fundraising; vice president of the junior board at The Community House; Special Olympics coach; Willowbrook Corner volunteer
Megan Bossle
West Chicago Community High School
Hometown: West Chicago
Class: Senior
Parents: Joseph and Michelle Bossle
Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor
Community service: Allegro Handbell Choir; Trinity Lutheran Church and School, volunteer at various events; National Honor Society, community service; Mission trips; Legacy Elite Gymnastics, volunteer at meets
Jessica Browne
Montini Catholic High School
Hometown: Bolingbrook
Class: Senior
Parents: Frances Valenta
Sponsor: Danielle Monroe
Community service: The Living Stations of the Cross participant; Feed My Starving Children; Totus Tuus day program; Adopt A Family and Golden Gobbler; 40 Days For Life
Giuliano Catalano
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Itasca
Class: Senior
Parents: Simon and Rene Catalano
Sponsor: Mr. Joe Ziemba, school counselor
Community service: St. Peter the Apostle Church, altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, choir participant, teen confirmation leader, Catholic youth conferences; St. Walter Church, lector, Eucharistic minister, teen choir participant, youth ministry, retreat planner and leader, Catholic youth conferences, PADS assistant; Feed My Starving Children; National Honor Society
Eric Chang
Hinsdale Central High School
Hometown: Willowbrook
Class: Senior
Parents: Wei Li & Clayton Chang
Sponsor: Principal William Walsh
Community service: KICK charity board; Morton Arboretum, Children's Garden volunteer; Young Life; World Relief of DuPage; “Let's Talk About It” Suicide Awareness Campaign
Andrea Cruz
Benet Academy
Hometown: Warrenville
Class: Senior
Parents: Gabriela Cruz
Sponsor: Amy Wesley, college counselor
Community service: Waterleaf Women's Center Teen Advisory Board; Ronald McDonald House Charity Teen Advisory Board (Edward Hospital chapter); National Honor Society; S.A.L.T (Serving And Loving Together) Campus ministry
Jessica Davis
Montini Catholic High School
Hometown: Darien
Class: Senior
Parents: Robert and Marcy Davis
Sponsor: Danielle Monroe
Community service: Ray Graham volunteer; Celebrate Differences, helped those with special needs; IAJHSC Leadership camp junior counselor; Miss Amazing beauty pageant; Interscholastic Equestrian Association
Khalid Davis
Glenbard North High School
Hometown: Hanover Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Rosaline Lewis
Sponsor: Kim Munro, counselor
Community service: Key Club, volunteer-based service club; St. Baldrick's Day, had a role in organizing the event; ViêtNow, helped provide meals to homeless veterans; Northern Illinois Food Bank, volunteered on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2014; Tutored French at STRIVE
Courtney Degen
Metea Valley High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: David & Elsye
Sponsor: Bob Vozza
Community service: Key Club, various projects with Feed my Starving Children, March of Dimes, ELIMINATE; Do More Metea Valley service club; Congregation Etz Chaim, helped synagogue's gardening team with their upkeep in the spring, organized a coat drive in the winter for underprivileged students in a neighboring school district, visited a nearby park to help keep up the maintenance, and delivered donated food to a local food pantry.
Matthew Dohse
Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Tony and Tina Dohse
Sponsor: Elissa Schwass, dean of students
Community service: J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation Nomination and appointment; Athletic Leadership Council, selected to serve on committee; Donations to needy people in the Dominican Republic; Buddy Baseball, volunteering and mentoring; Key Club school organization
Janelle Finch
Neuqua Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Thomas and Tina Finch
Sponsor: Heather Fong, guidance counselor
Community service: St. Edmund's Church, youth ministry, church acolyte; Jack and Jill of America Inc., West Suburban Chicago Chapter, Teen Committee
Dillon Hammond
Naperville North High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Troy and Sharlene Hammond
Sponsor: Geoffrey Schmit
Community service: FIRST Lego League Double Qualifying State Tournament volunteer; FIRST Lego League team mentoring; Blessings in a Backpack volunteer; El Salvador mission work
Jim Kenneally
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown: Elmhurst
Class: Senior
Parents: Jim and Maureen
Sponsor: Donald Moore
Community service: Young Hearts for Life; Kairos religious retreat; Immaculate Conception Parish mission trip; Immaculate Conception Parish Eucharistic minister; Knights of Columbus fish fry volunteer
Hasnain Khundmiri
Glenbard East High School
Hometown: Glendale Heights
Class: Senior
Parents: Munawer Khundmiri & Saleha Khundmiri
Sponsor: Kevin Cooper, science teacher
Community service: National Honor Society/Key Club, various volunteering opportunities in and out of school; Senior Leaders, spread positivity in school
Michael Kim
Glenbard North High School
Hometown: Hanover Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Shin and Hyon Kim
Sponsor: Kristen Masse
Community service: Willow Creek Care Center, volunteering in a food pantry; Feed My Starving Children, volunteering in food packing; Harvest Community Church, setup team volunteer and worship team leader
Casey King
Willowbrook High School
Hometown: Villa Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Tom and Jennifer King
Sponsor: Lourdes Piña, school counselor
Community service: West Suburban Leadership Conference; New Beginnings tutor; mentoring; National Honor Society; Progress Leader volunteer
Madison Kranz
Metea Valley High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: Gregory & Susan
Sponsor: Bob Vozza
Community service: Unity for Community Football Game, fundraising for local food pantries; Kicking Hunger Food Drive, fundraising for local food pantries; Confirmation retreat, church group volunteering to teach younger peers; Homecoming Color Scavenger Hunt; vacation Bible school
Deirdre Lee
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Timothy Lee and Deborah Lundeen
Sponsor: Cindy Thomas, English department chair
Community service: Hope for Tomorrow volunteer; Women's Center for Health volunteer
Eric Lo
Naperville Central High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Chiou-Yueh Lay, Tsemin Lo
Sponsor: Linda Gross, counselor
Community service: Vice president of Aquahouse tutoring; tutored students at Brady Elementary School in Aurora; Junior Class Council, school volunteering; Tzu-Chi Foundation, helped at an elderly home; LINK Crew/Student Ambassadors
Nimah Mohiuddin
Islamic Foundation School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Ghouse and Samina Mohiuddin
Sponsor: Yasmin Jamal, math and social science teacher
Community service: DuPage PADS volunteer; library volunteer; Students for Social Justice UNICEF; Helping Hand for Relief and Development, helped package food and clothes; Community Youth Group
Gabrielle Napoli
St. Francis High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Matt and Alicia Napoli
Sponsor: Trudy Rigney, counselor
Community service: Service project coordinator, organized a group of volunteers to make blankets for Edward Hospital's pediatric ward; Students Against Destructive Decisions; Hugh O'Brian Leadership Seminar; Week of Hope mission trip
Sydney L. Narot
Lisle Senior High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Adam and Amy Narot
Sponsor: Erin Kerrn, high school English teacher
Community service: Trinity Lutheran Church, Sunday school teacher; Lisle Senior High School Student Congress, fundraiser volunteer as class president; Lisle Senior High School Key Club, volunteer at different events in the community; Friends Feeding Families
Sean Norris
Fenton High School
Hometown: Wood Dale
Class: Senior
Parents: John and Kristy Norris
Sponsor: Carol Smith, director of community relations
Community service: Teen volunteer for the Field Museum; a “pass runner” for guidance office; helped to organize Fenton's mock election; youth group volunteer at St. Luke Church.
Cynthia Orizaba
Willowbrook High School
Hometown: Villa Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Mr. Serafin Orizaba & Mrs. Fausta Caballero
Sponsor: Scott Forcash, school counselor
Community service: Interact Club, community service at homeless shelters such as PADS; Eighth Grade Transition Night at Jefferson Middle School; Jefferson Middle School orchestra mentor; gave incoming freshmen tours of the high school
Sameer Pardiwala
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Itasca
Class: Senior
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Nilesh Pardiwala
Sponsor: Melisa Williams-Rivera, school counselor
Community service: National Honor Society; Alexian Brothers Hospital help desk volunteer; Sociedad Honoraria Hispànica (Spanish honors society); DECA Community Service Project; Make A Difference Day
Saira Rasheed
Islamic Foundation School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Fawaz Rasheed and Mateen Ansari
Sponsor: Rhonda Atallah, varsity coach
Community service: PADS; Feed My Starving Children; Helping Hand volunteer; volunteering at multiple fundraising dinners; Eve Assisted Living volunteer
Aarushi Shah
James B. Conant High School
Hometown: Roselle
Class: Senior
Parents: Hiren and Manisha Shah
Sponsor: Julie Nowak, principal
Community service: Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) volunteer; Bajaj Rural Development Lab, distance tutoring in Wardha, India; Learn and Educate, tutoring to fund girl's education in India; Teach for India, Pant Nagar Public School, Mumbai; volunteer classroom teacher; Education for Empowerment, Now: Conant Service Club
Melina Thurmond
Glenbard West High School
Hometown: Carol Stream
Class: Senior
Parents: Jennifer Thurmond
Sponsor: Nicholas Posegay, social studies teacher
Community service: West Students Making a Difference Ugly Sweater Run volunteer; Crop Walk volunteer; Sleep Out Saturday volunteer; PADS volunteer; This Run's For Jack volunteer
Leslie Tolentino
Addison Trail High School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Mayra Munoz
Sponsor: Jorge De Leon, social worker
Community service: PADS, helped at a homeless shelter; Feed My Starving Children; Little Prince Day Care's summer field trips; Summer volunteer at Villa Park Library; Salt Creek cleanup
William Tong
Fox Valley Leadership Team winner
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Hometown: Bolingbrook
Class: Senior
Parents: Xingcun Tong and Dali Shi
Sponsor: Julia Husen
Community service: Bureau of Education in RuZhou, China, taught English to high school Chinese students via Skype; tutor at school's Writing Center; school music department, electronic cataloging
Julia Ullmann
Lisle Senior High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Kurt and Aimee Ullmann
Sponsor: Mr. Yousef Matariyeh, psychologist
Community service: K Kiwanis Christmas Party (Key Club) volunteer; Student Ambassadors volunteer; Gary Elementary Toy Drive (Key Club) volunteer; Ecology Club, volunteering time to recycle, sort materials to be recycled and help at local recycling events; Snowball volunteer
Gowtham Venkatachalam
Waubonsie Valley High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: Venkatachalam Sellappan & Senthamarai Selvi Venkatachalam
Sponsor: Patrick Doyle, school counselor
Community service: Gomathi Engineering Services, designing a rock picker to help farmers in India
Samantha Ward
Fenton High School
Hometown: Bensenville
Class: Senior
Parents: Tyrone and Carol Ward
Sponsor: Carol Smith
Community service: Fenton pit orchestra; Tioga School and Johnson School band camp volunteer; St. Charles Church choir musician; National Honor Society
Edwin Watson
Wheaton North High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Ted Watson, Kelly Watson
Sponsor: Wendy Biggs
Community service: Illinois Premier Boys State; Math tutor; Link Crew Leadership Team/School Ambassador; Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society; National Honor Society