Elk Grove HS student earns national honor for writing

• Elk Grove High School's Nicole Ward was recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English with a Certificate of Superior Writing.

The National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing is a school-based writing program established in 1957, to encourage high school students to write and to recognize some of the best student writers in the nation.

Ward received the honor for her original writing, one of which was a piece in response to the National Council of Teachers of English writing prompt "Changing the Narrative"; the other was a selection of "Best Writing" either original or edited from something she had previously written.

• The American Baseball Coaches Association and Diamond Sports have named Oakton Community College head baseball coach Bill Fratto the National Junior College Athletic Association's Division III National Coach of the Year. Fratto, a resident of Wheeling, guided the Owls to a historic 2018 season that culminated with the team's first national championship and a school record 44 wins in his 13th season at the helm.

"This is a great honor to be recognized by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Diamond as the national coach of the year," Fratto says. "Winning the national championship was a great achievement, and this award is icing on the cake. I would not have won this award without the help of my players and coaches. I am so grateful to them for helping me earn this prestigious recognition."

Fratto will be honored at the American Baseball Coaches Association Convention in Dallas on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019.

• Mount Prospect resident Anthony Murray has championed social-emotional learning, educating the whole child and improving student achievement as principal of Lincoln Middle School in Park Ridge. Because of his dedication and accomplishments, National Louis University, from which he earned his doctorate in educational leadership in 2010, has selected him from alumni nationwide for its prestigious 2018 Reach Award.

"Tony Murray has dedicated his career to the idea that all children can achieve to high levels," said Robert Muller, dean of National Louis University's National College of Education. "That's our mission, and it's an honor to count such an accomplished middle-grades educator and leader among our alumni community."

Murray received the Reach NCE Award June 5, at the university's award banquet at the Sofitel Chicago Magnificent Mile Hotel, in Chicago.

• In May, Palatine native Stephanie Larson received a Ph.D. in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and now joins the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University as assistant professor, department of English.

While at Madison, Larson received a College of Letters and Science Teaching Fellowship, A.W. Mellon-Wisconsin Summer Fellowship and English Department Early Excellence TA Award. She has presented at Composition and Rhetoric conferences including "Writing Research Across Borders IV" in Bogota, Columbia.

Larson also holds a bachelor's degree in liberal arts and sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master's degree in English literary studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a 2008 graduate of William Fremd High School.

• The Bartlett Woman's Club presented the following students with scholarships: From Bartlett High School: Nadine Munyansanga, who will attend Aurora University and major in nursing; Madison Throne, who will attend Benedictine University to major in pre-medicine; and Maryam Ahmed, who will attend the University of Illinois at Chicago and major in biological sciences; from South Elgin High School: Taylor Pray, who will attend the University of Kansas to major in public administration; and Jazper Ramangkoun, who will attend Elgin Community College majoring in computer science.

• Submit your 'Neighbor in the News' items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyherald.com.