East Leyden High School
Graduates in Class of 2020: 475
Valedictorian: Corali Medico
Salutatorian: George Linares
Graduation guest speaker: Charles “Peanut” Tillman
Academic achievements: 121 seniors received recognition for the Excellence Award, which considers seven categories of excellence ranging from academic accomplishment, attendance, service, and citizenship. Students who have accomplished the seven goals required for the award are honored by wearing a gold stole at graduation.
Athletic achievements: Daniel Uribe (wrestling), IHSA regional champion and state qualifier; Julia Kostadinova, tennis, West Suburban Gold Conference Champion.
Extracurricular achievements:
• Choir teacher Stacy Cunningham and her Vocal Jazz Ensemble won the national DownBeat magazine award for small vocal jazz group.
• The LHS Music Department won four National Level Awards in the last four years
• Through competitive auditions, both the Vocal Jazz Ensemble and Studio Jazz Band were selected to perform at the 2019 Illinois Music Educators Association All-State Conference
• Many individual musicians advanced to Illinois Music Educators Association All-District and All-State levels
• Additional individual student vocalists advanced to American Choral Directors Association Regional and National Choirs.
Theater productions: “The Diary of Ann Frank,” “A Pair of Christmas Carols,” and “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
Homecoming King and Queen: Anthony Arnoni and Dannalee Mata
What was new for the Class of 2020: Over the last four years the Class of 2020 witnessed historic construction at East Leyden High School, which included the completion of a 100,000-square-foot addition of a new student cafeteria, preschool, music wing and aquatic center.
Notable visitors: Jonathan Cain of the band Journey; Ned Colletti, former general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Principal's reflections on the Class of 2020: The Class of 2020 has made an indelible impression upon East Leyden. Their kindness, sense of community, and commitment to excellence has exceeded expectations and been a model for students to follow.
— Principal Jason Markey