Best & Brightest

• Valparaiso University in Indiana named the following students to the fall 2007 dean's list:

Des Plaines: Heather Dueball, junior creative writing and new media-communication major; and Amanda Berrios, sophomore new media-communication and theater major;

Elk Grove Village: Ryan Beck, junior biology and chemistry major.

Park Ridge: Colleen McCurry, junior biology and chemistry major; Peter Schwich, senior history major; and Andrew Schwich, freshman history major.

• Julio Inocencio of Park Ridge, an honors student majoring in nursing-five year at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass., was named to the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Stacey Lynn Tinkoff of Des Plaines, a freshman pre-dentistry major at the University of Iowa, was named to the fall 2007 deans list. She also pledged Alpha Delta Pi Sorority and participated in the University of Iowa's Annual Dance Marathon that helped raise over $1 million for the Iowa City Children's Hospital. Tinkoff is a graduate of Elk Grove High School.

• St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, named the following students to the fall 2007 dean's list:.

Des Plaines: Samantha Griseto and Stephanie Hetrea.

Elk Grove Village: Shannon O'Connor.

Mount Prospect: Ashley Korves and Kathryn Orlando.

• Paul Zachary Zwiercan, son of Patricia Blus-Zwiercan and Paul Zwiercan of Prospect Heights, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Arizona State University, Tempe, and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the spring semester. Zwiercan is a junior majoring in finance and international business. The 2005 honors graduate of St. Viator High School is a Sun Devil Scholar and a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, an honors scholar fraternity.

• Alyssa Andrea Zwiercan, daughter of Patricia Blus-Zwiercan and Paul Zwiercan of Prospect Heights, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Arizona State University, Tempe, and earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. The 2007 St. Viator High School graduate received two awards for academic achievement -- an ASU Sun Devil Scholarship and the Elks Scholarship. She is majoring in English literature and secondary education.

• Megan Munroe of Prospect Heights, a first-year student at the College of Wooster in Ohio, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list. She is a graduate of John Hersey High School.

• Andrew H. Bazan of Mount Prospect was awarded a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, at the Dec. 15 midyear commencement ceremonies.

• Dennis C. Chao of Mount Prospect was awarded a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the Dec. 16 commencement ceremonies.

• Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, named the following students to the to the fall 2007 dean's list.

Des Plaines: Caitlin DeLong, Colleen Smith and Joseph Wenzel.

Mount Prospect: Jessica Fisher, Michael Sciurba and Natalie Young.

• Kansas State University in Lawrence named the following undergraduate students named to fall 2007 honor roll.

Des Plaines: Holly Ann Kuhn, junior, allied health, Maine West High School graduate, daughter of Robert and Nanci Kuhn.

Mount Prospect: Erica Marie Nutt, junior, liberal arts, Prospect High School graduate, daughter of Denise and Michael Nutt; and Evan Salehpour Prellberg, junior, liberal arts, Prospect High School graduate, son of Fred and Mahrash Prellberg.

• Luke Miller of Elk Grove Village, a student at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, was named to the fall 2007-08 honor roll for earning a GPA of at least 3.3.

• Carly Stocking of Arlington Heights, a student at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, participated in the School of Theatre Arts' recent production of William Shakespeare's comedy "Love's Labors Lost."

• Kristin Elizabeth Reedal, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James B. Reedal of Rolling Meadows, was named to the 2007 fall dean's list at Ripon College in Wisconsin, where she is a freshman.

• Chris D. Ankeny of Arlington Heights received a bachelor's degree in computer network and system administration from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, at the Dec. 15 midyear commencement ceremonies.

• The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced the following students were awarded degrees at the Dec, 16 commencement:

Arlington Heights: Abigail Brittany Fontaine, master of science in atmospheric and oceanic sciences; and David Michael Ponce, bachelor's degree in sociology.

• Victoria Arias and Andrew Brice, both of Arlington Heights, were named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa.

• Kansas State University in Lawrence named the following undergraduate students named to fall 2007 honor roll:

Arlington Heights: Jay Joseph Harig, senior, education, Hersey High School graduate, son of George and Sue Harig; and Erica Louise Rimsky, senior, education, Rolling Meadows High School graduate, daughter of Robert and Louise Rimsky.

• Megan Platt of Arlington Heights, a junior at Minnesota State University, Mankato, was named to the High Honor List for the fall 2007 semester.

• Emily E. Samuels of Arlington Heights, a junior at the University of Iowa, was named to the dean's list for the 2007 fall semester. Students receive this distinction for achieving a minimum 3.5 grade point average.

• Megan Lynn Shea of Buffalo Grove graduated Dec. 15 from Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas, with a master's degree in health care administration.

• Katherine Emily Weston of Wheeling, a student at Grand View College, Des Moines, Iowa, was named to fall 2007 dean's list.

• Stephen Godawa of Buffalo Grove, a freshman accounting major at Valparaiso University in Indiana, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Kelly Roth of Wheeling, a sophomore computer science major at Valparaiso University in Indiana, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Kathryn L. Kostich of Wheeling, a student majoring in nursing at Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list.

• Lauren Waiflein of Long Grove was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa.

• Kathryn L. Kostich of Wheeling, a candidate for a bachelor's degree in nursing, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list at Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

• Callie McCune of Buffalo Grove, a sophomore at the College of Wooster in Ohio, was named to the fall 2007 dean's list. She is a graduate of Adlai E. Stevenson High School.

• Jacey Lynn Chovanec of Long Grove was awarded a bachelor's degree in communication arts, psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at the Dec, 16 commencement ceremonies.

• Linda Fabry of Buffalo Grove was named to the fall dean's list at Marian College, Fond du Lac, Wis.

• Eric Caplis of Buffalo Grove received a Regent Scholarship to attend Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, for the 2008-09 academic year.