West Chicago high school applauds students' achievements

This month's article will focus on the achievement our students at West Chicago Community High School. I am so proud of our students; they constantly surprise me with how they rise to the challenge when stretched by our faculty and staff. Our students operate on a state-caliber level and yet consistently take that one step further.

Here are some of the many accomplishments of our amazing students.

WeGo Drama students excelled at performing the extremely difficult rock opera "Evita." This group of talented students placed third in Sectionals for their Contest Play and Group Interpretation, and placed seventh in State competition for Group Interpretation. Three students were awarded All-State honors. The orchestra and tech crew excelled as well, making for a very moving production.

At the Chicagoland Television Educators Council Video Festival, our broadcast production students brought home five Gold Awards, six Silver Awards and two Bronze Awards for their work that was judged by industry professionals.

Our LifeSmarts team earned the State Championship title, and at the National competition took fifth place in Consumer Rights.

Our Personal Finance Challenge team placed first in the state at the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago, and qualified for the national competition in Kansas City.

At the SkillsUSA state competition, one of our students took first in Black-and-White Photography, and our students took both first and second in Courtesy Corps, qualifying them for Nationals in Kentucky in June.

At the Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference, our students brought home three first-place finishes and three second-place finishes. These six students, along with two others who qualified in November to compete in Future Business Leaders of America LifeSmarts, will compete at Nationals in late June in Chicago.

Our Speech Team did well at the IHSA State competition, placing sixth in Dramatic Duet Acting and ninth in Dramatic Interpretation. In our music department, one of our students was chosen for the All-State Honor Choir.

At the Upstate Eight Conference Literary Festival, one of our students placed first in the Poetry category, and three students were recognized with honorable mentions.

A student was part of the Technology Center of DuPage culinary team that won the State ProStart culinary competition and went on to place 10th at the National competition in California.

On the national level, we have a student recognized as a National Merit Scholarship Finalist, and another recognized as a Commended Student. On the state level, based on their SAT, ACT or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores, and/or class rank at the end of junior year, 37 of our students were named Illinois State Scholars this year.

Again, I am extremely proud of the engagement, involvement and achievement of our students as they excel both in and out of the classroom.

• Doug Domeracki is superintendent of Community High School District 94. His column runs in Neighbor monthly during the school year.