Honorable mentions: DuPage County Leadership Team, 2016-2017

Vadini Agrawal

Vadini Agrawal

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Vishal Agarwal & Ritu Agrawal

Sponsor: Suzanne Speulda, college and academic counselor

Community service: Yuda Bands organization, sold handmade bracelets made by women in Guatemala to raise money to educate children there; Key Club, community service; volunteer for Children's Garden at Lisle Morton Arboretum; tutor at school's Writing Center; DuPage Children's Museum assistant

Alison Albelda

Alison Albelda

Hinsdale Central High School

Hometown: Hinsdale

Class: Senior

Parents: Sarah Lewensohn

Sponsor: Lisa Hikes, school counselor

Community service: The Community House, autism walk fundraising; vice president of the junior board at The Community House; Special Olympics coach; Willowbrook Corner volunteer

Megan Bossle

Megan Bossle

West Chicago Community High School

Hometown: West Chicago

Class: Senior

Parents: Joseph and Michelle Bossle

Sponsor: Gavin Engel, counselor

Community service: Allegro Handbell Choir; Trinity Lutheran Church and School, volunteer at various events; National Honor Society, community service; Mission trips; Legacy Elite Gymnastics, volunteer at meets

Jessica Browne

Jessica Browne

Montini Catholic High School

Hometown: Bolingbrook

Class: Senior

Parents: Frances Valenta

Sponsor: Danielle Monroe

Community service: The Living Stations of the Cross participant; Feed My Starving Children; Totus Tuus day program; Adopt A Family and Golden Gobbler; 40 Days For Life

Giuliano Catalano

Giuliano Catalano

Lake Park High School

Hometown: Itasca

Class: Senior

Parents: Simon and Rene Catalano

Sponsor: Mr. Joe Ziemba, school counselor

Community service: St. Peter the Apostle Church, altar server, lector, Eucharistic minister, choir participant, teen confirmation leader, Catholic youth conferences; St. Walter Church, lector, Eucharistic minister, teen choir participant, youth ministry, retreat planner and leader, Catholic youth conferences, PADS assistant; Feed My Starving Children; National Honor Society

Eric Chang

Eric Chang

Hinsdale Central High School

Hometown: Willowbrook

Class: Senior

Parents: Wei Li & Clayton Chang

Sponsor: Principal William Walsh

Community service: KICK charity board; Morton Arboretum, Children's Garden volunteer; Young Life; World Relief of DuPage; "Let's Talk About It" Suicide Awareness Campaign

Andrea Cruz

Andrea Cruz

Benet Academy

Hometown: Warrenville

Class: Senior

Parents: Gabriela Cruz

Sponsor: Amy Wesley, college counselor

Community service: Waterleaf Women's Center Teen Advisory Board; Ronald McDonald House Charity Teen Advisory Board (Edward Hospital chapter); National Honor Society; S.A.L.T (Serving And Loving Together) Campus ministry

Jessica Davis

Jessica Davis

Montini Catholic High School

Hometown: Darien

Class: Senior

Parents: Robert and Marcy Davis

Sponsor: Danielle Monroe

Community service: Ray Graham volunteer; Celebrate Differences, helped those with special needs; IAJHSC Leadership camp junior counselor; Miss Amazing beauty pageant; Interscholastic Equestrian Association

Khalid Davis

Khalid Davis

Glenbard North High School

Hometown: Hanover Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Rosaline Lewis

Sponsor: Kim Munro, counselor

Community service: Key Club, volunteer-based service club; St. Baldrick's Day, had a role in organizing the event; ViêtNow, helped provide meals to homeless veterans; Northern Illinois Food Bank, volunteered on two separate occasions in 2013 and 2014; Tutored French at STRIVE

Courtney Degen

Courtney Degen

Metea Valley High School

Hometown: Aurora

Class: Senior

Parents: David & Elsye

Sponsor: Bob Vozza

Community service: Key Club, various projects with Feed my Starving Children, March of Dimes, ELIMINATE; Do More Metea Valley service club; Congregation Etz Chaim, helped synagogue's gardening team with their upkeep in the spring, organized a coat drive in the winter for underprivileged students in a neighboring school district, visited a nearby park to help keep up the maintenance, and delivered donated food to a local food pantry.

Matthew Dohse

Matthew Dohse

Wheaton Warrenville South High School

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Tony and Tina Dohse

Sponsor: Elissa Schwass, dean of students

Community service: J. Kyle Braid Leadership Foundation Nomination and appointment; Athletic Leadership Council, selected to serve on committee; Donations to needy people in the Dominican Republic; Buddy Baseball, volunteering and mentoring; Key Club school organization

Janelle Finch

Janelle Finch

Neuqua Valley High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Thomas and Tina Finch

Sponsor: Heather Fong, guidance counselor

Community service: St. Edmund's Church, youth ministry, church acolyte; Jack and Jill of America Inc., West Suburban Chicago Chapter, Teen Committee

Dillon Hammond

Dillon Hammond

Naperville North High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Troy and Sharlene Hammond

Sponsor: Geoffrey Schmit

Community service: FIRST Lego League Double Qualifying State Tournament volunteer; FIRST Lego League team mentoring; Blessings in a Backpack volunteer; El Salvador mission work

Jim Kenneally

Jim Kenneally

IC Catholic Prep

Hometown: Elmhurst

Class: Senior

Parents: Jim and Maureen

Sponsor: Donald Moore

Community service: Young Hearts for Life; Kairos religious retreat; Immaculate Conception Parish mission trip; Immaculate Conception Parish Eucharistic minister; Knights of Columbus fish fry volunteer

Hasnain Khundmiri

Hasnain Khundmiri

Glenbard East High School

Hometown: Glendale Heights

Class: Senior

Parents: Munawer Khundmiri & Saleha Khundmiri

Sponsor: Kevin Cooper, science teacher

Community service: National Honor Society/Key Club, various volunteering opportunities in and out of school; Senior Leaders, spread positivity in school

Michael Kim

Michael Kim

Glenbard North High School

Hometown: Hanover Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Shin and Hyon Kim

Sponsor: Kristen Masse

Community service: Willow Creek Care Center, volunteering in a food pantry; Feed My Starving Children, volunteering in food packing; Harvest Community Church, setup team volunteer and worship team leader

Casey King

Casey King

Willowbrook High School

Hometown: Villa Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Tom and Jennifer King

Sponsor: Lourdes Piña, school counselor

Community service: West Suburban Leadership Conference; New Beginnings tutor; mentoring; National Honor Society; Progress Leader volunteer

Madison Kranz

Madison Kranz

Metea Valley High School

Hometown: Aurora

Class: Senior

Parents: Gregory & Susan

Sponsor: Bob Vozza

Community service: Unity for Community Football Game, fundraising for local food pantries; Kicking Hunger Food Drive, fundraising for local food pantries; Confirmation retreat, church group volunteering to teach younger peers; Homecoming Color Scavenger Hunt; vacation Bible school

Deirdre Lee

Deirdre Lee

IC Catholic Prep

Hometown: Lisle

Class: Senior

Parents: Timothy Lee and Deborah Lundeen

Sponsor: Cindy Thomas, English department chair

Community service: Hope for Tomorrow volunteer; Women's Center for Health volunteer

Eric Lo

Eric Lo

Naperville Central High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Chiou-Yueh Lay, Tsemin Lo

Sponsor: Linda Gross, counselor

Community service: Vice president of Aquahouse tutoring; tutored students at Brady Elementary School in Aurora; Junior Class Council, school volunteering; Tzu-Chi Foundation, helped at an elderly home; LINK Crew/Student Ambassadors

Nimah Mohiuddin

Nimah Mohiuddin

Islamic Foundation School

Hometown: Addison

Class: Senior

Parents: Ghouse and Samina Mohiuddin

Sponsor: Yasmin Jamal, math and social science teacher

Community service: DuPage PADS volunteer; library volunteer; Students for Social Justice UNICEF; Helping Hand for Relief and Development, helped package food and clothes; Community Youth Group

Gabrielle Napoli

Gabrielle Napoli

St. Francis High School

Hometown: Naperville

Class: Senior

Parents: Matt and Alicia Napoli

Sponsor: Trudy Rigney, counselor

Community service: Service project coordinator, organized a group of volunteers to make blankets for Edward Hospital's pediatric ward; Students Against Destructive Decisions; Hugh O'Brian Leadership Seminar; Week of Hope mission trip

Sydney Narot

Sydney L. Narot

Lisle Senior High School

Hometown: Lisle

Class: Senior

Parents: Adam and Amy Narot

Sponsor: Erin Kerrn, high school English teacher

Community service: Trinity Lutheran Church, Sunday school teacher; Lisle Senior High School Student Congress, fundraiser volunteer as class president; Lisle Senior High School Key Club, volunteer at different events in the community; Friends Feeding Families

Sean Norris

Sean Norris

Fenton High School

Hometown: Wood Dale

Class: Senior

Parents: John and Kristy Norris

Sponsor: Carol Smith, director of community relations

Community service: Teen volunteer for the Field Museum; a "pass runner" for guidance office; helped to organize Fenton's mock election; youth group volunteer at St. Luke Church.

Cynthia Orizaba

Cynthia Orizaba

Willowbrook High School

Hometown: Villa Park

Class: Senior

Parents: Mr. Serafin Orizaba & Mrs. Fausta Caballero

Sponsor: Scott Forcash, school counselor

Community service: Interact Club, community service at homeless shelters such as PADS; Eighth Grade Transition Night at Jefferson Middle School; Jefferson Middle School orchestra mentor; gave incoming freshmen tours of the high school

Sameer Pardiwala

Sameer Pardiwala

Lake Park High School

Hometown: Itasca

Class: Senior

Parents: Mr. and Mrs. Nilesh Pardiwala

Sponsor: Melisa Williams-Rivera, school counselor

Community service: National Honor Society; Alexian Brothers Hospital help desk volunteer; Sociedad Honoraria Hispànica (Spanish honors society); DECA Community Service Project; Make A Difference Day

Saira Rasheed

Saira Rasheed

Islamic Foundation School

Hometown: Addison

Class: Senior

Parents: Fawaz Rasheed and Mateen Ansari

Sponsor: Rhonda Atallah, varsity coach

Community service: PADS; Feed My Starving Children; Helping Hand volunteer; volunteering at multiple fundraising dinners; Eve Assisted Living volunteer

Aarushi Shah

Aarushi Shah

James B. Conant High School

Hometown: Roselle

Class: Senior

Parents: Hiren and Manisha Shah

Sponsor: Julie Nowak, principal

Community service: Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS) volunteer; Bajaj Rural Development Lab, distance tutoring in Wardha, India; Learn and Educate, tutoring to fund girl's education in India; Teach for India, Pant Nagar Public School, Mumbai; volunteer classroom teacher; Education for Empowerment, Now: Conant Service Club

Melina Thurmond

Melina Thurmond

Glenbard West High School

Hometown: Carol Stream

Class: Senior

Parents: Jennifer Thurmond

Sponsor: Nicholas Posegay, social studies teacher

Community service: West Students Making a Difference Ugly Sweater Run volunteer; Crop Walk volunteer; Sleep Out Saturday volunteer; PADS volunteer; This Run's For Jack volunteer

Leslie Tolentino

Leslie Tolentino

Addison Trail High School

Hometown: Addison

Class: Senior

Parents: Mayra Munoz

Sponsor: Jorge De Leon, social worker

Community service: PADS, helped at a homeless shelter; Feed My Starving Children; Little Prince Day Care's summer field trips; Summer volunteer at Villa Park Library; Salt Creek cleanup

William Tong -

William Tong

Fox Valley Leadership Team winner

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy

Hometown: Bolingbrook

Class: Senior

Parents: Xingcun Tong and Dali Shi

Sponsor: Julia Husen

Community service: Bureau of Education in RuZhou, China, taught English to high school Chinese students via Skype; tutor at school's Writing Center; school music department, electronic cataloging

Julia Ullmann

Julia Ullmann

Lisle Senior High School

Hometown: Lisle

Class: Senior

Parents: Kurt and Aimee Ullmann

Sponsor: Mr. Yousef Matariyeh, psychologist

Community service: K Kiwanis Christmas Party (Key Club) volunteer; Student Ambassadors volunteer; Gary Elementary Toy Drive (Key Club) volunteer; Ecology Club, volunteering time to recycle, sort materials to be recycled and help at local recycling events; Snowball volunteer

Gowtham Venkatachalam

Gowtham Venkatachalam

Waubonsie Valley High School

Hometown: Aurora

Class: Senior

Parents: Venkatachalam Sellappan & Senthamarai Selvi Venkatachalam

Sponsor: Patrick Doyle, school counselor

Community service: Gomathi Engineering Services, designing a rock picker to help farmers in India

Samantha Ward

Samantha Ward

Fenton High School

Hometown: Bensenville

Class: Senior

Parents: Tyrone and Carol Ward

Sponsor: Carol Smith

Community service: Fenton pit orchestra; Tioga School and Johnson School band camp volunteer; St. Charles Church choir musician; National Honor Society

Edwin Watson

Edwin Watson

Wheaton North High School

Hometown: Wheaton

Class: Senior

Parents: Ted Watson, Kelly Watson

Sponsor: Wendy Biggs

Community service: Illinois Premier Boys State; Math tutor; Link Crew Leadership Team/School Ambassador; Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society; National Honor Society