Barrington native graduates from Merchant Marine Academy
Barrington native Matthew Grant Marquis recently graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
Marquis earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a commission in the U. S. armed forces. He also earned a Merchant Marine officer license, qualifying him to serve as an officer on any ship in the U.S. flag Merchant Marine program.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy is one of five U.S. federal service academies. It educates and graduates licensed Merchant Marine officers to serve the nation during peace and war. In addition to the rigorous academic and physical requirements for admission, applicants must be nominated by their congressman or senator. Marquis was nominated by Congressman Sean Casten.
Army veteran Sonja Jackson Martin of Highland Park won silver and bronze medals at the 2024 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival.
Sonja entered works in the Creative Writing category, a competition for U.S. military veterans enrolled across the country at Veteran Health Care facilities. The annual Creative Arts Festival is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sonja is an active member of the Highland Park American Legion Auxiliary and the Rotary Club of North Chicago. She also volunteers with Cub Scout Pack 34 of Highland Park, and works on projects for the veterans at the Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago.
While serving in the U.S. Army, Sonja was stationed at several locations, including Korea, Germany and Somalia, and did three tours in Iraq.
Author Alexia Sosin of Palatine is set to release her second book, “True Love? Or Truly Psycho? A Collection of Short Stories,” this Halloween.
With Halloween just around the corner, “True Love? Or Truly Psycho?” could be the perfect read for those who enjoy a blend of spine-tingling horror and intense romance. Sosin’s work highlights her skills as a talented young writer.
This collection marks a milestone, as it is the first horror/romance book published by Aiden Branss Books, a publishing company showcasing the creative talents of teenagers and young adults.
Wold Architects and Engineers in Palatine announced that Sasha Reese of Naperville, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign student, was named a recipient of the Wold Architects and Engineers Scholarship Fund.
Reese, entering her junior year of college, is a scholar of the built environment and maker extraordinaire. She studies architecture at the University of Illinois, where her love of building structures and creating spaces serves her well as a James Scholar, a prestigious honor for students seeking to advance their academic and leadership skills within a specialized program each semester.
Reese graduated from Neuqua Valley High School, where she was a member of the Principal Advisory Council, Student Equity Committee and Environmental Club. Reese’s passion for the environment in high school carried into her collegiate studies, as she plans to pursue a minor in sustainability.
“I am honored to be awarded this scholarship from Wold and look forward to putting it toward the cost of my education and discovering more opportunities in architecture and sustainability,” said Reese.
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