2013-2014 DuPage County Leadership Team honorable mentions

Adrian Abrams

Willowbrook High School

Hometown:Villa Park

Class:Senior

Parents:Rosalind Abrams

Sponsor:LeVar Ammons, guidance counselor

Community service:Prodigy 2020 Foundation; Lauren Kiefer Foundation; Leo Club; Senior Service Project

Mike Andelbradt

St. Francis High School

Hometown:Lisle

Class:Senior

Parents:Michael Andelbradt and Mary Murphy

Sponsor:Trudy Rigney, director of guidance

Community service: Student government, school service; Student Ministry Team, peer ministry/community outreach; Student Ambassadors Lead Team; National Honor Society; school and community outreach; J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation attendee

John William Barker III

Glenbard West High School

Hometown:Glen Ellyn

Class: Senior

Parents: John Barker

Sponsor: Rhiannon S. Sieck

Community service: One Voice Outreach Choir; J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation; Interact club; Camp Edwards; Target Success

Priyesha Bijlani

Naperville Central High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Sunita Bijlani

Sponsor:Kathy Hurd, biology teacher

Community service: Autism Society of Illinois intern; Almost Home Kids volunteer; National Honor Society, member of the society and executive board; DECA member; American Cancer Society, student ambassador/advocacy volunteer

Martyna Brzys

Fenton High School

Hometown: Wood Dale

Class: Senior

Parents: Ewa and Piotr Brzys

Sponsor: Todd Leden, principal

Community service: Special Olympics basketball, coach, peer, and buddy to kids with special needs; Alexian Brothers Medical Center volunteer; student council and class council; National Honor Society; Peer Jury

Bianca Colella

IC Catholic Prep

Hometown:Melrose Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Angelo and Teresa Colella

Sponsor:Jean Field, guidance counselor

Community service: Westlake Hospital volunteer; Namco volunteer

Kevin Coppin

Lisle High School

Hometown: Lisle

Class: Senior

Parents: Dean and Marianne

Sponsor:Pete Sullivan, school principal

Community service: Lisle Strong 3K Walk; Athletic Leadership Committee; Ecology Club recycling in school; Student Ambassador; student council

Connor William Daly

IC Catholic Prep

Hometown: Elmhurst

Class: Senior

Parents: Carrie Daly, Mike and Suzy Daly

Sponsor:The Rev. Suzy Daly, associate pastor, The Congregational United Church of Christ

Community service: Appalachian mission trip, home repair for impoverished families; Washington, D.C., mission trip, service to homeless and hungry; Florida mission trip; work with developmentally and physically challenged adults; One Step at a Time Camp; youth group fundraising and volunteering

Katie Dziabis

Addison Trail High School

Hometown: Addison

Class: Senior

Parents: Patricia Dziabis and Gary Dziabis

Sponsor: Shane Cole, guidance counselor

Community service: Head coach for a team of fifth- and sixth-graders from the Addison community; Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, teen volunteer; Holy Ghost Church, Eucharistic minister; National Honor Society, board member finding and organizing volunteer opportunities; Addison Trail High School summer camp coach

Elizabeth Fecht

Neuqua Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: April and Mark Fecht

Sponsor: Spike Grosshuesch, guidance counselor

Community service: Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, church youth groups, mission trips and retreats; Operation Snowball, drug prevention program teen leader; WyldLife/Young Life senior leader; Guatemala mission trip, Young Life Work Crew

Samaneh Ghassemi

Lisle High School

Hometown: Lisle

Class: Senior

Parents: Mahmood Ghassemi and Mahnaz Piri

Sponsor: Karin Irvine, counselor

Community service: National Honor Society, school and community service; Student Ambassadors; Persian Saturday School; Mini Medical School For High School Students; Math and Science Mentor (peer tutoring)

Kelsey Gockman

Downers Grove North High School

Hometown: Downers Grove

Class: Senior

Parents: Thomas and Carol Gockman

Sponsor: Lois Graham, National Honor Society adviser

Community service: National Honor Society, community service and tutoring; West suburban Humane Society; food pantry volunteer; volunteer softball coach

Theo Grant-Funck

Wheaton North High School

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Jen Grant and David Funck

Sponsor: Carol McCallum, counselor

Community service: St. Mark's Episcopal Church acolyte and youth representative to the vestry; Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society, tutoring; PADS volunteer

Kyle Hand

Benet Academy

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Michael and Jacqueline Hand

Sponsor: Laura Lundstrom, college counselor

Community service: Camp SOAR, volunteer counselor; National Honor Society, volunteer; peer tutoring; St. Procopius Abby, mass singing

Grant Hosticka

West Chicago Community High School

Hometown: West Chicago

Class: Senior

Parents: Allen & Beverly Hosticka

Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor

Community service: Future Business Leaders of America, oversees organization of school variety show; Force Elite Baseball, coaching; West Chicago Park District; National Honor Society; Interact Club

Austin Ionta

Waubonsie Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Mario and Janine Ionta

Sponsor: Cort Graske, guidance counselor

Community service: Math tutoring; Special Olympics; Best Buddies; White Eagle Children's Committee, neighborhood party; Business Professionals of America, helped organize Santa's Breakfast

Betsy Jones

Wheaton Academy

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Laura and Jeff Jones

Sponsor:Dan Crabtree, college counselor

Community service: Puento del Pueblo, tutoring and organizing kids' summer camps; Wheaton Bible Church, cross-cultural missions trip to Lille, France; Wheaton Bible Church, cross-cultural experience to Chicago's South Side; Wheaton Bible Church, nursery volunteer; FUEL (school organization)

Violet Kacergis

Hinsdale Central High School

Hometown: Hinsdale

Class: Senior

Parents: Joseph and Olga Kacergis

Sponsor:Carol Bobo, guidance counselor

Community service: Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, patient champion and team leader; National Honor Society; St. Isaac's Catholic Church, Eucharistic minister; high school leader for St. Isaac's Middle School Book Club

Sofia Kagan

The Willows Academy

Hometown:Westmont

Class: Senior

Parents:Al and Adelaida Kagan

Sponsor:Sean M. Brown

Community service: Student council; tutored underclassmen in math and Spanish, also translated math concepts into Spanish for foreign exchange students; Respect Life Club; camp counselor at Camp Luck, an overnight camp for middle school girls; performs at nursing homes, hospitals and various holiday events with the Willows Academy Chamber Choir.

Anthony Karahalios

Wheaton Warrenville South High School

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Peter and Cheryl Karahalios

Sponsor: Jim Stankevitz

Community service: Happiness Crew, positive encouragement to the school; Relay For Life; Central DuPage Hospital, gift shop volunteer; Student Council Executive Board; Key Club

Claudia Kazmirak

Lake Park High School

Hometown: Bloomingdale

Class: Senior

Parents: Kris and Jadwiga Kazmirak

Sponsor:Christine Ward, former school counselor

Community service: RYLA; Alexian Brothers volunteer; Children's Liturgy; St. Walter Youth Ministry

Anna Kerner

Montini Catholic High School

Hometown: Downers Grove

Class: Senior

Parents: Anna Kerner

Sponsor:Sara Lhotka, English teacher

Community service: Ready Set Ride, works with special needs children; West Suburban Humane Society, animal care; grade school track meet volunteer; Bethel Bible School; St. Mary's Sunday school

Deeba Khan

College Preparatory School of America

Hometown: Lombard

Class: Senior

Parents: Imrana Siddiqui and Ayub Khan

Sponsor: Bothaina Zahdan, girls student council adviser

Community service: Breast Cancer Walk; Feed for the Needy; Humanitarians Offering Peace Everywhere; Diabetes Walk; Ace Dental Clinic

Kyle Kocinski

Glenbard South High School

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Joe Kocinski and Barb Kocinski

Sponsor:Tim McGrath, guidance counselor

Community service: Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference; FVRSA Lose The Training Wheels; Manor Park cleanup; Octoberfest; Glenbard Shovels

Zak Kolar

Metea Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Brad and Peg Kolar

Sponsor: Tom Daugherty, guidance counselor

Community service: Designing, coding and maintaining unified scholarship application website for school; designing, coding, and maintaining a peer mentoring program website; coding, maintaining and promoting Each of Us Has a Name, a Holocaust remembrance website; Congregation Beth Shalom Religious School, volunteering in a kindergarten class

Cynthia Lopez

St. Francis High School

Hometown: Hanover Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Jose and Diana Lopez

Sponsor: Trudy Rigney, director of guidance

Community service: Helping Others Through Theatre (HOTT); Bloomingdale Police Department, peer jury; St. Isidore Parish, Spanish Choir; mission trips; led and organized winter clothing drive at school and surrounding parishes

Sumeed Manzoor

College Preparatory School of America

Hometown: Lombard

Class: Senior

Parents: Nayyar and Ghazala Manzoor

Sponsor: Samah Abed, dean of student services/counselor

Community service: Muslim Youth of North America, organized and led four camps; Webb Foundation, assistant teacher for Islamic art; Helping Hands USA, helped advocate for the group's relief efforts; Illinois Muslim Action Day; National Honor Society

Daniel Margosian

Neuqua Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Dan and Deborah Margosian

Sponsor: Laura Dabezic

Community service: Mission trips to West Virginia and Michigan; Boy Scouts of AmericaTroop 597, community service for merit badges/rank advancements and Eagle Scout projects; Lake Geneva Youth Camp; Lutheran Church in Naperville, brass choir and instrumental choir; Naperville Park District, karate assistant

Kayla McLaughlin

Glenbard South High School

Hometown: Glen Ellyn

Class: Senior

Parents: Patrick and Julie McLaughlin

Sponsor: Jamie Frodyma, guidance counselor

Community service:Relay For Life, helped fundraising; Children's Liturgy of the Word Leader; Religious Education (Assistant) Catechist; Catholic Heart Workcamp, Nazareth Farm, Group Workcamps

Hanna Netisingha

West Chicago Community High School

Hometown: Carol Stream

Class: Senior

Parents: Joy Siddhiteja and Dan Netisingha

Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor

Community service: Peer jury; peer tutor; school athletic office volunteer; student mentor; Student Athlete Leadership Team

Bianca Oddo

Montini Catholic High School

Hometown: Hillside

Class: Senior

Parents: Jacqui and Terry Oddo

Sponsor:Maryann O'Neill, principal

Community service: Easter Seals, taught children with disabilities how to ride a bike without training wheels; St. Domitilla Church, altar serving; Hillside School Dist. 93, summer schoolteacher's assistant and tutor; Camp Greene Wood in Woodridge, advanced program aide; Elmhurst Park District, dance program teacher's assistant

Vivek Patel

GlenbardNorth High School

Hometown: Hanover Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Vinay Patel and Kanchan Patel

Sponsor: Jennifer Diamantos, science teacher

Community service: Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Conference; Glenbard district student liaison; student council; Glenbard North Student Advisory Committee; student mentoring

Kelly Ravenscraft

Glenbard East High School

Hometown: Lombard

Class: Senior

Parents: Stephen & Lee Ravenscraft

Sponsor: Nicole Miller, physical education teacher

Community service: GIVS (Glenbard East program), helps as a teacher aide; ACE CLUB (Glenbard East Club); Big Day of Serving participant; Spartan Race, served as a race official; Lombard Historical Society, volunteered to help a Civil Warre-enactment in Lombard

Akshara Sreedhar

Waubonsie Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Mathur and Pushpa Sreedhar

Sponsor: Karen Leonard, guidance counselor

Community service: Edward Hospital volunteer; Enhanced Engineering Pathways lead mentor; Chicago Tyagaraja Utsavam, volunteer and event coordinator; mentored elementary students during creative writing workshop

Mira Staykova

Willowbrook High School

Hometown: Villa Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Mira Staykova

Sponsor: Scott Forcash, school counselor

Community service: Lombard Historical Society's Civil War encampment; Little Bulgarian School, teaching Bulgarian language and culture to children; Stevenson School Multicultural Art Fair; New Beginnings Board, assimilating freshmen into high school; Sunrise Senior Living volunteer

Alexis Topel

Benet Academy

Hometown: Darien

Class: Senior

Parents: Kathie Topel

Sponsor: Kendall Hayes, college counselor

Community service: Alvernia manor assisted living center, volunteer; Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure; Participation and nomination as Benet Academy SALT Dignity leader; LOGOS Retreat leader; founded a healthy eating initiative at Mount Assisi Academy