Best & Brightest

• Jennifer Ann Weinhammer of Round Lake graduated in December 2007 with a master's degree in elementary education from Benedictine University in Lisle.

• Elizabeth A. Heisel of Lindenhurst, a senior at Hope College in Holland, Mich., was named to the 2007-08 dean's list for having a minimum 3.5 grade point average.

• Theodore Kim, the son of Kook Hwa and Ik Hwan Kim of Gurnee, was named to the fall 2007-08 dean's list of Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn., for achieving at least a 3.75 average. The Warren Township High School graduate is a sophomore at Macalester.

• Rebecca Lukanich of Grayslake, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was named to the 2007-08 fall deans' list for having at least a 3.70 average.

• Steven James Bowman of Gurnee, a student in the College of Business Administration at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, was named to the president's list for the 2007 fall semester for achieving a 4.0 grade point average.

• Michael Hastings, son of Robert and Eileen Hastings of Spring Grove, received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering in December 2007 from Valparaiso University. He is a graduate of Richmond-Burton High School.

• Rebecca Lukanich of Grayslake, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, was named to the academic distinction list for the 2007-08 fall semester for having a GPA of 3.20 or higher.

• Magdalena Bankowska and Jacob T. Molzahn, both of Lakemoor, were named to the fall 2007 president's list at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake for earning a grade point average of at least 3.75.

• Samantha Ashley Brunell, Michelle Elizabeth Gilbert and Brent Denis Qualey, all of Gurnee, were named to the Department of Communication honor roll for the fall 2007 semester at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb. To qualify, students must have a 3.5 or greater GPA.

• Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, named the following students to the fall 2007-08 dean's list for having a grade point average of 3.50 or better.

Grayslake: Elizabeth Krause and Katie Krempely.

Gurnee: Kim McDonald and Nick Smith.

Lake Villa: Ashley Beadle, Christine Burnett and Mary Kate McMeel.

Lakewood: Patty Troxell.

Lindenhurst: Thomas Schultz and Erica Stein.

Spring Grove: Arielle Cassiday.

Tower Lakes: Kerry Devitt.

Wonder Lake: Jordan Goetz, Susie Kuretski and Michelle Morgret.

• Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wis., awarded bachelor's degrees to the following students at the Dec. 16 commencement.

Antioch: Kristel Sikora, political science.

Gurnee: Cynthia Church, communication studies; and Nicholas Long, exercise science.

Round Lake: Deanne Anderson, history.