Wheeling High lauds top students

Wheeling High School has named its Students of the Month for December.

Senior Eddie Guzman was nominated by Tricia Anderson for his work in entrepreneurship.

"Eddie is a student in my entrepreneurship class," Anderson said. "He and his partner chose to provide a service to the staff and students at WHS and created the C & E Car Wash to do that. Eddie has worked very hard throughout the term to provide a quality affordable service to his customers. He received great reviews from his customers and had many repeat customers and new customers due to word-of-mouth sales from his previous customers. Due to Eddie's hard work his business has been very successful."

Sophomore Adriana Dominguez was nominated by Samantha Meyer for her work in life studies.

"Adriana is in my Foods I class," Meyer said. "She is always very helpful and follows directions well. Adriana always has a smile on her face and will never say 'no' when asked to do something. She takes initiative in her kitchen and is constantly helping everyone in the class. She is a pleasure to have in class and deserves recognition for her wonderful work."

Senior Sharon MacCormack was nominated by Diane Rawlinson for her work in dance and Orchesis.

"Sharon is a three-year Orchesis member and four-year participant in the dance program," Rawlinson said. "She shows incredible leadership as a dancer, choreographer and behind the scenes in all technical aspects of a performance. She has improved tremendously as a dancer over the years and has one of the top three fitness scores of all dance students this semester. She hopes to continue a career in education and will be an asset to the profession in the future."

Senior Peter Rothbart was nominated by Jeffrey Bott for his work in architecture design.

"Peter has been a student in the drafting program all four years of his high school career," Bott said. "He is a very talented, creative, and hard-working young adult. Already, as a high school student, he has designed additions for people in the community and his design has been selected as one of the finalists for the district's architecture contest. Peter plans on continuing his study of architecture in college and has received multiple scholarships to schools in the state. I truly believe that he has a very successful career ahead of him."

Sophomore Egle Stravinskaite was nominated by Bruce Varela for her work in physical education/health.

"Egle was chosen as the Student of the Month because she shows she really cares about school," Varela said. "She shows a great deal of interest in everything we do in health class, and genuinely wants to learn as much as possible. She is completely focused and interested in everything we discuss in this class. She does every assignment very well, and never fails to turn anything in. She is also a very organized person. She is also involved in every class discussion, and constantly raises her hand to ask questions. She has the highest 'A' in the class. She has a very engaging personality and is a very friendly person. With her personality and her hard work she will be a very successful person in life."

Senior Nita Toch was nominated by Patricia Prejna for her work in life studies.

"Nita Toch has done a fantastic job as my student aid," Prejna said. "She works hard each day organizing and marking papers, working on bulletin boards, and assisting students. She shows initiative and learns directions and procedures quickly. Her smile and positive attitude make her a pleasure to work with."

Sophomore Claudia Alvarado was nominated by Laura Wood for her work in art.

"Claudia Alvarado is new to the art department and has taken advantage of what we offer by involving herself in Photo 1 and Art Club," Wood said. "Claudia has excelled in her creative expression through photography and has had work in the Fall Art Showcase. She has also taken her own time to show students, not currently enrolled in an art course, what the department has to offer them and how it has influenced her interests. As a member of Art Club, she has been a student presenter and taught other Art Club members how to create a photogram. We are excited to see how much growth and creative expression she has developed this year and are looking forward to seeing her more and more throughout her tenure here at Wheeling High School."

Senior Andrew Sickel was nominated by Heather Pistorius for his work in music.

"Andrew is involved in several choral ensembles and displays leadership qualities in all classes," Pistorius said. "He has also been selected (by audition) to participate this year in the IMEA All State Honors Choir as a performer in the Illinois High School Theatre Festival production of 'Parade.'"

Freshman Justyna Warzocha was nominated by Shelly Wiegel for her work in math.

"Justyna is a student in my 470s math class," Wiegel said. "She has the highest grade with a 98 percent and is outstanding on homework, quizzes, and tests. She answers questions in class and also tutors students who are having trouble with the material. Justyna is a member of the math team and is always looking for ways to challenge herself. Terms 3 and 4 Justyna will move into the honors 490s class, and I know she will continue to achieve excellence. She has a positive attitude and I enjoy having her in class."

Junior Christian Estrada was nominated by Michael Burke for his work in English.

"Christian is an enthusiastic and hard-working student," Burke said. "I enjoy the energy he brings to class. Most importantly, Christian uses his energy to keep the class on task with an appropriate mix of humor. He completes all his assignments in a conscientious manner. He is very worthy of this honor."