advertisement

Neighbors in the News: Elk Grove High student chosen to attend medical Congress

• Des Plaines resident Jovanna Mathai, a sophomore at Elk Grove High School, was chosen as a delegate to the Congress of Future Medical Leaders, which is being held virtually June 26 and 27.

During the two-day Congress, Mathai will join students from across the country and hear Nobel laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research; be given advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what to expect in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

Mathai's nomination was signed by Dr. Mario Capecchi, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and the science director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists, to represent Elk Grove High School and the state of Illinois based on her academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.

This poster, created by Woodlands Academy sophomore Yuliana Tellez of Waukegan, won first place in Illinois Churches in Action's 26th annual statewide Alcohol Awareness Month Poster Contest. Courtesy of Woodlands Academy

Yuliana Tellez of Waukegan, a sophomore at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart, Lake Forest, won first prize in this year's Illinois Churches in Action's Alcohol Awareness Month Poster Contest.

The theme of the statewide competition, open to all Illinois students in grades 6-12, was "Don't Do Drugs, Alcohol is a Drug."

For winning first-place honors, Yuliana receives a new laptop computer.

Yuliana's poster depicts a metaphorical wall.

"I drew a physical wall to exemplify the visible and concealed effects of alcohol," she said. "One side of the wall is clearly bubbly, blissful, careless and colorful, while the other side deals with physiological demons, depression and darkness."

Illinois Churches in Action is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing problems caused by alcohol, other drugs and gambling. It does so by providing education outreach to youth, churches, schools and community groups.

Joseph A. Olszowka, Jr. Courtesy of Lavelle Law

Attorney Joseph A. Olszowka Jr. has joined the Family and Divorce Law practice group at Schaumburg-based Lavelle Law.

Since 1996, Olszowka has been the principal attorney at the Law Offices of Joseph A. Olszowka, Jr., where he successfully litigated hundreds of cases, including complex divorce, parental allocation, parentage, child support, business valuation, adoption and domestic violence cases.

"Joseph brings nearly 30 years of experience handling family law cases to Lavelle Law," said Lavelle Law Managing Partner Ted McGinn. "He will be a great addition to our highly-regarded team, and we look forward to hearing his insights and sharing his expertise with our clients."

Olszowka attended John Marshall Law School, has a certificate in family law, is on the DuPage and Will County approved Child Representative/Guardian ad Litem appointment list, and is an approved mediator in DuPage County and Will County for family law cases.

• Anne Pillion of Glenview was the recipient of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Community Volunteer Award.

The award recognizes volunteers whose contributions of time and talent have significantly impacted their local community and advanced JDRF's mission to cure, prevent and treat Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and its complications.

Anne Pillion and her husband, Bob, have three children; their son Jack lives with T1D.

Pillion has been a volunteer for JDRF Illinois in many ways, starting with her family's participation at the annual JDRF One Walk and going on to volunteer at various events, including the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes.

She also served as the auction co-chair for the annual JDRF One Dream Gala helping to cultivate a robust auction of more than 400 packages that raised over $500,000.

Pillion didn't stop there, volunteering as a JDRF Illinois board member. She has also hosted home pop-up shops for local residents that benefits twofold - supporting local Glenview businesses with a portion of sales donated to JDRF.

"I volunteer at JDRF because I want my son to know that his world is a better place because of all that JDRF is doing to help people living with T1D," said Pillion.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.