Maine South High School Class of 2021
Graduates in the Class of 2021: 570
Highest honors graduates: Eamon Brady; Julia Gugulski; Vasilios Loutrianakis; Kristen Meyer; Catherine Sernel; and Anna Wapner.
Class Officers: Caitlin McCarthy, president; Lydia Kellyer, vice president; Rhiannon Sites, secretary; Owen O'Malley and Lexi Stacy, promoters.
Academic achievements:
• 2021 US News and World Report Top High School
• 10 national merit finalists
• 10 national merit commended students
• Constitution Team Illinois State Champions
Extracurricular achievements:
• Senior Nelly Hadlaw developed a virtual student peer tutoring program before school began that we were able to put into place for many courses across all disciplines. The Chicago Tribune covered the story.
• ILMEA District Festival Musicians: Savannah Bensing; Tyler Banis; Ava Barruffi; Emily Bensing; Charles Bliss; Leah Cardenas; Kyungsoo Chon; James Cone; Julia Gugulski; Patrick Halm; Zachary Hassman; Heidi Lindemann; Gwendolyn Maramba; Cameron Maurer; Nicolette Mayer; Benjamin McCarrick; Austen Nelson; Michael Paprocki; Eden Paterno; Sidney Pearl; Mia Pomilia; Finley Pullano; David Rundbland; Megan Snow; Caden Stachorek; Francesca Starecheski; Vinny Tran; Grace Trifunovich; Erin Weiss; Timmy Wilcox; Alex Willie.
• ILMEA All-State Musicians: Julia Gugulski; Zachary Hassman; Nicolette Mayer; Eden Paterno; Sidney Pearl; Francesca Starecheski; Vinny Tran.
• Southwords (student newspaper): Gold Medalist Certificate from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association; Certificate of Merit for Editorial Page Design in the CSPA Gold Circle Awards; First Class rating with a Mark of Distinction (for Coverage & Content) from the National Scholastic Press Association; Ella Melcher and Kristen Meyer, 4th place infographic in the NSPA Design of the Year competition; one of three news magazines in the Midwest to earn All-KEMPA honors from the Kettle Moraine Press Association.
Athletic achievements:
• The Hawkettes finished 2nd in the IHSA State Competition. Hawkettes were conference and Sectional Champs.
• The football team were the CSL South Champs and have gone 99-1 over their last 100 CSL games.
• Maddie Lenzini and Mina Radosvljevic both qualified for state in badminton
• The girls basketball team was CSL South Champs with a 10-0 record in conference
• Eamon Brady was selected as a Cross-Country Boys All-State Runner
• Senior Niamh Gardiner was named CSL South Player of the Year for Girls' Basketball and was an All-State Nomination
• Senior John Cronnolly was an All-State Selection in Boys' Soccer 2021, the first from Maine South since 2006.
• There are 30 senior student-athletes who will continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level next year.
Theater productions:
• Fall play: "The Dream of the Burning Boy," David West Read, playwright
• Annual V-Show: Go for the Gold
• Winter Play: "Puffs," Matt Cox, playwright
• Spring Musical: "The Theory of Relativity," music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill
What traditional events were adapted for the pandemic? Senior Sunset, Car Parade
What were the most significant challenges faced by the Class of 2021 and how did they overcome them?
The most challenging aspect for this class has been the loss of connection with each other and their school community. Students made use of technology to safely connect in many forms and to support each other through this difficult time.
Principal's reflections on the Class of 2021:
When we remember the pandemic, the people we will be the most proud of will be our students. They never wavered in their resolve to complete this school year and showed us all of us what it means to be resilient.
- Principal Ben Collins