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Grayslake Central High School Class of 2021

Graduates in the Class of 2021: 322

Graduation Speaker: Keegan Fitzgerald

Class Officers: Keegan Fitzgerald and Monica Schleg, co-presidents; Megan Schrimpf, secretary; Madison Enman, director of public relations; Ashna Desai, treasurer.

Academic achievements:

• 79 Students received cum laude recognition: 20 cum laude, 42 magna cum laude, 17 summa cum laude.

• Five students were recognized by National Merit Scholarship Program as commended scholars or finalists

• In the MobileMakersEdu Winter Contest, Jeremy Richardson, Aaron Jefferies, and Christopher Leon were awarded honors for the apps they developed.

Extracurricular achievements:

• Junior/Senior 8-person Math Team took 3rd place in regionals

• Science Olympiad qualified for state by placing 3rd in the regional

• Future Business Leaders Of America National Leadership Competition qualifiers: Rileigh Berg, Sebastian LeBlanc, Nicholas Profenna, Ben Smith and Ji Zheng

Athletic achievements:

• Boys Golf NLCC Conference and Regional Champs

• Girls Basketball NLCC Conference Champs

• Cheerleading qualified for state and placed 7th

• Boys Soccer co-NLCC Conference Champs

• Boys and Girls Cross Country qualified for state

• Girls Tennis won NLCC Conference Dual Championship

Theater productions:

• Musical: "The Theory of Relativity"; filmed production that was streamed and also projected onto screens in the parking lot and gyms.

• Senior-Directed One Acts

• The Orchesis Troupe had two performances

What traditional events were adapted for the pandemic and how?

Student Council changed the traditional Homecoming Week to Ramily Week, to help unify the school community, and many other events were re-imagined during this school year. Shows that were normally performed on stage were recorded and broadcast on the internet and projected onto screens in the parking lot. Students were able to hold an altered food drive to donate to local food banks. The competitive clubs competed virtually against other schools, and each month, on the 21st, we hosted a senior class event.

What were the most significant challenges faced by the Class of 2021 and how did they overcome them?

First and foremost, learning in three distinct models would be difficult for anyone, let alone a soon-to-be graduate. For the early portion of the school year, they were unable to attend school - taking classes virtually. In early second semester, students attended school in person for two days and via the web for three days. Finally, in April, students had the option to attend each day of the week. The clear difficulty of being unable to see their friends in the building, delaying extracurricular club or athletic meetings (except virtual ones) that needed to be overcome by the Class of 2021. Still, they persevered until the spring semester, when students were allowed to be back in school, participate in their club, troupe, or team, and see each other.

Principal's reflections on the Class of 2021:

The Class of 2021 has demonstrated a level of resiliency that makes every member of the school community proud. When given the opportunity to attend, participate, and innovate, they excelled! They faced challenges that were different from every other class, and distinguished themselves by making every opportunity count.

- Principal Dan Landry

  Grayslake Central High School seniors pose for a picture before their commencement ceremony. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com
  The field house at Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com
  Amarion Coleman, a senior Grayslake Central football player, tested positive COVID-19 test in mid-February but came back to play football. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Grayslake Central senior Colin O'Malley, right, defends Crystal Lake South's Cooper LePage, during a game at Crystal Lake South High School. Matthew Apgar/Shaw Media
  Grayslake Central senior Gianni Lucchesi, during the Northern Lake County Conference boys golf tournament at the Fox Lake Country Club in Fox Lake. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
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