Best and brightest

• Aurele VanReck of Round Lake Beach was named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Kendall College. VanReck has an English degree from Illinois State University and is currently working on her teaching certificate in special education at Kendall.

• Andrew Ecklund of Lake Villa, a music business major at Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, was named to the dean's list for the fall semester. Ecklund is a music business major.

• Stephen Rossi, son of Tony and Teri Rossi of Buffalo Grove, a 2008 graduate of Wheeling High School, was named to the dean's list at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Rossi was also honored with membership in Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society.

• Sara Lehman, daughter of Jonas and Martha Lehman of Mundelein, has been named to the dean's list at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, for a second consecutive semester. Lehman is a junior in the College of Education and a 2006 graduate of Carmel Catholic High School.

• Ben Nelson, a freshman at Grayslake North High School, was selected by People to People to attend the presidential inauguration in January. Nelson was invited due to his academic achievement, leadership ability and interest in global citizenship.

• Adam Miller of Kildeer has been named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Providence College in Providence, R.I. Miller is a member of the class of 2010.

• Elizabeth Margaret Blaz of Grayslake was named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Wofford College in Spartanburg, S.C.,

• Michelle Luce of Gurnee, an ecology major at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla., was named to the dean's list for the fall semester.

• Laura D. Hoffman, daughter of Jody Hoffman of Gurnee, was named to the dean's list for the fall semester at Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn., with highest honors.

• Julie Margolis of Libertyville, daughter of Joshua D. and Julia A Margolis, was named to the Honor List for the fall semester at Oxford College in Oxford, Ga.