Maine South High School

<h3 class="breakHead">Graduates in Class of 2020: 608</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Highest honors graduates: Greta Miller, Peter Sasieka, Kaitlin O'Reilly, Peter Skoronski, Madeline Szkwarek and Katherine Stewart.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Graduation Speaker: Natalie Mietus.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Class officers: Anna Schemltz, president; McClain Clancy, vice president; Nicole Debrauwere, secretary; and Amelia Strotman, promoter.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Academic achievements: 2019 Blue Ribbon Award from the U.S. Department of Education; three National Merit finalists; 15 National Merit Commended students; and Constitution Team Illinois State Champions.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Female Athlete of the Year: Annika Wager. She was an eight-time IHSA All-State swimmer and current school record holder in seven individual and three relay events. She was the state champion in the 200 IM during her junior season and is the current IHSA state record holder in that event. During her time at Maine South, she has rewritten the school records books, represented herself and the school with class and outstanding sportsmanship. Through her hard work and commitment to excellence she has raised the standard for what it means to be a Maine South swimmer. She will continue her educational and swimming career at Northwestern University.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Male Athlete of the Year: Peter Skoronski. He is the only three-time all-state football player in the illustrious history of Maine South football. He is the second player in school history to play in the NBC Sports High School All-American game. He was a three-time CSL All-Conference selection, three-time Academic All-State honoree, as well as IHSA Scholar Athlete. He was also voted the CSL Linemen of the Year his sophomore, junior and senior years. As a junior, he also earned all-conference and all-state honors as a shot putter for the boys' track team, where he finished seventh. Going into this year he was ranked the number one shot putter in the state. He will continue his educational and football career at Northwestern University.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Extracurricular achievements: </h3>

• Southwords (student newspaper): Gold Medalist Certificate from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association; First Class rating with two Marks of Distinction (for Coverage & Content and Visuals) from the National Scholastic Press Association; one of three news magazines in the Midwest to earn All-KEMPA honors from the Kettle Moraine Press Association; Charlotte Geier, first place CSPA Gold Circle Award; nine NSPA Honor roll members: Sam Corbett, Veronica Espinoza, Keeley Flynn, Georgia Fosse, Charlotte Geier, Luigi Laudando, Erin Martin, Victoria Murphy and Laura Pomilia.

• American Choral Directors Association National Honor Choir: Michael Paprocki, Jonathan Kaplan, Samantha Mayer and Dilan Gursoy.

• All-State Musicians: Nolan Adint, Julia Gugulski, Maddie Kaltz, Jonathan Kaplan and Timothy Wilcox.

• District 7 ILMEA Jazz Musicians: Nolan Adint, Savannah Bensing, Jonathan Kaplan, Gwen Maramba, Isabella Marzano, Taylor Truckenbrod and Timothy Wilcox.

• District 7 ILMEA Musicians: Nolan Adint, Savannah Bensing, Eric Biedke, Julia Gugulski, Zachary Hassman, Logan Jawgiel, Madeline Kaltz, Jonathan Kaplan, Gwen Maramba, Jack Massari, Cameron Maurer, Benjamin McCarrick, Declan McShane, Charlotte Otto, Michael Paprocki, Laura Pomilia, Michael Presslak, Erin Weiss, Timothy Wilcox and Mikolaj Wolza.

<h3 class="breakHead">Theater productions: "Shakespeare in Love"; "A Crazy Little Thing Called V-Show"; "Rose and the Rime."</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Homecoming King and Queen: Evan Arnold and Marissa Horning. </h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Homecoming theme: "Cirque du South"</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">What was new for the Class of 2020: New hybrid bell schedule and career advisement model; passage of building referendum; new internship program with community partners; Special Olympics Unified School Award; and RAMP School Counseling Award.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Notable visitors: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; Illinois Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke; former Gov. Patrick Quinn; former NASA astronaut, New York Times bestselling author and professor at Columbia University Dr. Michael Massimino; and ABC-7 reporter Roz Varon.</h3>

<h3 class="breakHead">Principal's reflections on the Class of 2020: We will never forget this class. They have persevered through so much and will come out stronger and in better shape to take on the challenges the world will throw at them. There's never been a more prepared class to graduate from Maine South.</h3>

- Principal Ben Collins