St. Charles East High School Class of 2021
Graduates in the Class of 2021: 613
Graduation Speakers: Student Council Executive Board President Hanne Livermore; Senior Class President Emily Quid; and Senior Speaker Audrey Herb.
Class Officers: President Emily Quid; Vice President Bilal Karim; Secretary Sarah Brunson; and Parliamentarian Olivia Furmanek.
National Merit Finalists: Shae Atkins, Henry Nunns and Aidan Szuch
Extracurricular achievements:
• Scholastic Bowl - DuKane Conference Champions.
• Journalism Team - 6th place at the state competition, with Jeff Pape finishing 3rd in Feature Writing and 2nd
in News Writing, and Dom DiPalermo finishing 3rd in Photo Storytelling.
• Bilal Karim selected to the Illinois Science Olympiad Youth Advisory Committee.
Athletic achievements:
• Boys Cross Country - First Place at the ShaZam Racing/Milesplit Illinois Cross Country Championship. Luke Schildmeyer was the state champion at that event.
•Emaira Saini was all-state in girls tennis.
• Kathryn Chappel was all-state in badminton.
• Molly Yetter made the Olympic Trial cut in the 50-meter Freestyle.
• More than 25 of our senior athletes will be competing in college athletics.
Theater productions:
• Fall performances in a "radio" format of Dracula, Frankenstein, Tick Tock Man and War of the Worlds.
• Winter Play - "The Jungle Book"
• Spring Musical - "Working"
Senior Class gift: Seniors are leaving their mark on our walls with 30 new inspirational quotes around the building.
What traditional events were adapted for the pandemic and how?
We held a Virtual Pep & Recognition Assembly to welcome students back from Spring Break. We created a combination in-person and virtual Senior Honors Night in May. We held a "MORP" event which had elements of a traditional prom but conducted in a way that followed COVID guidelines. In addition, five new events for the Class of 2021 were added to allow students to celebrate together in new ways - Senior Scavenger Hunt, Senior Tailgate, Senior Movie Night, Senior Legacy Walk, Senior Parade. Our graduation will be held outside at Huskie Stadium as opposed to an indoor ceremony at the NIU Convocation Center.
What were the most significant challenges faced by the Class of 2021 and how did they overcome them?
Navigating the uniqueness of schooling in a pandemic has been the greatest collective challenge for the Class of 2021. Students have shown great tenacity and flexibility throughout this past year by focusing on what was within their control and making the best of the opportunities available to them.
Principal's reflections on the Class of 2021:
I am incredibly proud of the resilience, perseverance, and optimism that our students demonstrated throughout the school year. There were several changes they had to navigate and experiences that were not what students were accustomed to, but they handled everything with grace, gratitude, and a spirit that makes being a Saint an important part of St. Charles East High School.
- Principal Jim Richter