Honorable mentions: DuPage County Leadership Team. 2015-2016
Nick Albert
Wheaton Warrenville South
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Liz and Scott Albert
Sponsor: Mike Kosky, counseling department chair
Community service: Key Club president and volunteer; Special Olympics volunteer basketball coach; freshman mentor; student council member
Maham Alvi
Glenbard East High School
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Iftekhar Samad and Ishrat Samad
Sponsor: Jim Greener, school counselor
Community service: Carbondale mosque, holiday event volunteer; Help organize homecoming events at school; Key Club, community service; National Honor Society, community service; Link Crew leader
Seth Baligod
Glenbard North High School
Hometown: Carol Stream
Class: Senior
Parents: Rosemarie and Jerome Baligod
Sponsor: Adam Heise, teacher
Community service: St. Alexius Medical Center, hospital volunteer; The Write Place, peer tutor
Madison Barella
St. Francis High School
Hometown: Glen Ellyn
Class: Senior
Parents: Derek and Heather Barella
Sponsor: Trudy Rigney, director of guidance
Community service: Students Against Destructive Decisions; DuPage County Animal Control Center volunteer; Willowbrook Wildlife Center junior naturalist; National Honor Society service projects; St. Petronille Teen Choir member
Alexis Bass
Metea Valley High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: Cindy and Dennis Bass
Sponsor: Dave MacDonald, teacher
Community service: ME to WE event; Feed My Starving Children; Volleyball camp for less privileged at her church; Back to School Bash in West Aurora
Scott Becker
Aurora Central Catholic High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: Kim and Steve Becker
Sponsor: Bridget Buckley, director of guidance
Community service: Math Honor Society president, National Honor Society, cross country captain, grade school basketball assistant coach
Aleksandra Brzys
Fenton High School
Hometown: Bensenville
Class: Senior
Parents: Ewa and Piotr Brzys
Sponsor: Teri Wood, director of community relations and community service
Community service: Special Olympics basketball, peer coach; school newspaper editor; Wood Dale Public Library, event volunteer; Alexian Brothers Medical Center volunteer; Peer Jury member
Grace Butuyan
Timothy Christian High School
Hometown: Melrose Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Warren and Lynette Butuyan
Sponsor: Ann Raley, registrar
Community service: Grace Montessori School, classroom aide; Immanuel Community Church, children's church worship team; Immanuel Community Church, event volunteer; Immanuel Community Church, Sunday school classroom aide; Pacific Garden Mission, volunteer
Aracely Cholula
West Chicago Community High School
Hometown: West Chicago
Class: Senior
Parents: Cirila Luna and Lucio Cholula
Sponsor: Nick Caltagirone, social studies teacher
Community service: Interact Club, community and school service; WeGo Global, Relay For Life 2015; Ambassador's Club, school service; National Honor Society, various events throughout the school year; Compass, different fundraisers
Kaitlin A. Clark
Glenbard South High School
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Kathrine and Marvin Clark Sr.
Sponsor: Jennifer Pacheco, guidance counselor
Community service: Lifesource blood donor; Hope House of Chicago volunteer; Habitat for Humanity volunteer; Glenbard South High School Football sound technician; Feed My Starving Children volunteer
Drew Danko
Metea Valley High School
Hometown: Aurora
Class: Senior
Parents: Michael and Shannon Danko
Sponsor: Adam Page, newspaper adviser
Community service: Fresh Connect, mentor/executive board; Special Olympics coach; peer tutor/mentor; helps coach middle school girls volleyball team
Alexander Deske
Glenbard North High School
Hometown: Carol Stream
Class: Senior
Parents: Brandon and Melissa Deske
Sponsor: Kim Munro, school counselor
Community service: Carol Stream Park District, fitness and living well activities; Advocate Hospice, making fleece blankets; Link Crew; Humanitarian Service Project, packaging food and gifts for birthdays and Christmas; Sunrise Nursing Home, playing games and seasonal activities with the elderly
Conrad Esch
Waubonsie Valley High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Ken and Bridget Esch
Sponsor: Ryan VanKampen, school counselor
Community service: Special Olympics events, served as a peer coach; Best Buddies volunteer; Daybreak Center; Rebuilding Together Aurora, single-day service project
Alondra Estrada
Addison Trail High School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Hector Estrada and Mayra Peña
Sponsor: Sheri D'Ambrose, teacher
Community service: Key Club; Addison Trail guidance department volunteer; Blazer Ambassadors program; Interact Club event volunteer; Shedd Aquarium stewardship program
Jahanavi Gaur
Hinsdale Central High School
Hometown: Hinsdale
Class: Senior
Parents: Ruchi Gaur and Sameer Gaur
Sponsor: Teri Marshall, guidance counselor
Community service: Founded mentoring program to help students in India who lack resources to strengthen their creative writing skills; Music Mentors, works with middle school band students; Robert Crown Teen Board/Robert Crown Center for Health Education; Pratham volunteer; Mussoorie Public School volunteer
Nicholas Golding
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown: Melrose Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Michael and Susan Golding
Sponsor: Jean Field, school counselor
Community service: Elmhurst peer jury; altar server, lector and usher at church
Sarai Gonzalez
Willowbrook High School
Hometown: Oakbrook Terrace
Class: Senior
Parents: Alma Gonzalez and Luis Gonzalez
Sponsor: Cindy Zamora-Failla, school counselor
Community service: American Cancer Society Relay For Life, team captain and volunteering; Feed My Starving Children volunteer; Salvation Army bell ringer; clothing drive at Willowbrook High School; Sack Lunch Sunday
Sameer Goyal
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Bloomingdale
Class: Senior
Parents: Sanjai Goyal and Shalla Goyal
Sponsor: Patrice Lovelace, guidance counselor
Community service: Share Overseas; Bloomingdale Park District, volunteer basketball coach; Marklund Philips Center volunteer
Margaret Howland
Wheaton Academy
Hometown: Wayne
Class: Senior
Parents: David and Heather Howland
Sponsor: Dan Crabtree, college counselor
Community service: Fox Valley Christian Action, camp counselor; Calvary Baptist Church SYNC program for youth, Sunday school leader and assistant; STARS, program for people with special needs; Project LEAD; schoolwide service project to prepare Christmas gift bags for area children; Church of the Resurrection, Sunday school leader
Hunter McComb
West Chicago Community High School
Hometown: Carol Stream
Class: Senior
Parents: Jeff McComb and Mary McComb
Sponsor: Nicole Osborne, teacher
Community service: President's Council Relay For Life; Interact Club biannual blood drive; Benjamin Middle School poms choreographer; Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp
Isabelle Michaels
Lake Park High School
Hometown: Roselle
Class: Senior
Parents: Sam and Marina Michaels
Sponsor: Melisa Williams Rivera, guidance counselor
Community service: Faith under Fire event; Artists for Peace concert performer; Martyr's Day event/candlelight vigil; National Honor Society, volunteer work
Kevin Miller
Willowbrook High School
Hometown: Villa Park
Class: Senior
Parents: Kevin M. Miller
Sponsor: Lourdes Piña, school counselor
Community service: Habitat for Humanity; New Beginnings, freshmen peer program; Civitas; National Honor Society
Claire Morawski
Glenbard West High School
Hometown: Glen Ellyn
Class: Senior
Parents: Marty and Cherri Morawski
Sponsor: Jeremiah Wiencek, director of counseling
Community service: Hundred Dollar Project; National Honor Society, tutoring students; Welcome Pack presenter; student council
Toni Paterno
Timothy Christian High School
Hometown: Elmhurst
Class: Senior
Parents: Judi and Mike Paterno
Sponsor: Ann Raley, registrar
Community service: PADS volunteer; nursing home volunteer; Student Ministries volunteer; Peer Mentor; Power Up
Nicole Pudlo
Addison Trail High School
Hometown: Addison
Class: Senior
Parents: Anna and Eric Pudlo
Sponsor: Jorge de Leon, social worker
Community service: Addison Girls' Sports Program basketball coach; Pay It Forward mentoring, advising, leading; Blazer Ambassadors program; girls volleyball youth summer camp coaching and assisting; Kiwanis Peanut Day
Saniya Qadir
Wheaton North High School
Hometown: Wheaton
Class: Senior
Parents: Muhammad and Najmusahar Qadir
Sponsor: Josh Coan, school counselor
Community service: Dupage Convalescent Center volunteer; Mini Medical School teacher assistant; QuarkNet research intern at Fermilab
Kayla Rowan
Naperville Central High School
Hometown: Naperville
Class: Senior
Parents: Martin and Heila Rowan
Sponsor: Merigan Neben, dean of student intervention
Community service: Face the Children, missionary work in the Philippines; The J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation; Jock Jams, fundraising event coordinator; National Honor Society, community service; Adapted PE program
Asha Rowland
Glenbard West High School
Hometown: Glendale Heights
Class: Senior
Parents: Nina Arora-Rowland and Dominique Rowland
Sponsor: Natalie Rubino, school counselor, and Gilda Ross, Glenbard special projects community liaison
Community service: Reality Illinois (teen advisory panel); Natya Dance Theatre community outreach programs; Students For Students; Global Hafla For Humanity
Joshua L. Simmons
IC Catholic Prep
Hometown: Westchester
Class: Senior
Parents: Willie and Deborah Simmons
Sponsor: Jean Field, counselor
Community service: The Evans Exoneration Project; helped facilitate a youth leadership workshop for junior high students at a grade school in an underserved community; assisted in the planning and execution of the Teen-Train Youth and Family Leadership Conference; Feed My Starving Children; Faith and Fitness 5K/10K Race volunteer
Alexander Sokalski
Montini Catholic High School
Hometown: Lombard
Class: Senior
Parents: Henry and Teresa Sokalski
Sponsor: Peter Lewek, instructor
Community service: Saint Vincent DePaul Food Pantry volunteer; YMCA, counselor to children ages 7-12; Sacred Heart Grade School, coach grade schoolers
Carly Stanton
Wheaton Academy
Hometown: St. Charles
Class: Senior
Parents: Karl and Kelly Stanton
Sponsor: Dan Crabtree, college counselor
Community service: Wheaton Bible Church, worship leader; Puente del Pueblo, taught at children's summer camp; Project LEAD; school worship team; peer mentor
Samuel Tarasewicz
Lisle Senior High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Robert Tarasewicz and Andrea Tarasewicz
Sponsor: Rebecca Schwartz, biology teacher
Community service: Wheaton Junior Women's Club, Buddy Baseball; Lisle Eyes to the Skies volunteer; Lisle Scarecrow Scramble event volunteer; Behavioral Perspective, Inc. volunteer
E.J. Vaughn
Naperville North High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Ed and Dennise Vaughn
Sponsor: Jennifer Naso, special education director
Community service: Peer for multi-needs students at school; Special Olympics coach; Youth Football Summer Camp coach; Adapted PE program; National Honor Society service projects
Nikita Vijayakumar
Naperville North High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Anu and Vijay
Sponsor: Jeffry M. Bedore, student government sponsor and history teacher
Community service: Student government, spring turnabout dance and charity dance ('80s dance); West Suburban Sai Center, Meadowbrook Manor volunteer; West Suburban Sai Center, holiday bake sale; Habitat for Humanity
Alec Van Volkenburg
Lisle Senior High School
Hometown: Lisle
Class: Senior
Parents: Dave and Nancy Van Volkenburg
Sponsor: Scott Waibel, teacher
Community service: Feed My Starving Children; New Student Night student ambassadors; Kiwanis Christmas Party volunteer; Gary Elementary Gift Drive; DuPage Fall Festival volunteer