2009-2010
2008-2009
September, 2006
2008-2009
Josephine “Jojo” Kurth has
exemplified leadership qualities above and beyond as a PE leader. Her
work with Kevin Sullivan, a wheelchair bound student has been a shining
example of her genuine personality. She eagerly assists Kevin in his
Alternative P.E. class without question. She sincerely enjoys doing
what she does in class not only because it is her responsibility as a
gym leader, but also because it is the type of person she is. Her
enthusiasm to work with students with physical challenges has led Kevin
to describe her as “the BEST gym leader” he’s had in all four years at
Stevenson.
May 2009
Brandon Villa has been an inspiration to the SHS (SEL) Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Team. Our team has met numerous times throughout this year and he has kindly given time and attention to the team and this very important initiative.
May 2009
Karen Klass become acquainted with students who have special needs while working in the alternative PE class. Karen piloted a program which would enable a special needs student to attend her FMP advisory classroom. This experience has been very successful for both the special needs student as well as the students in the advisory.
May 2009
Laurence Brouillette, David Bruk, Vissagan Gopalakrishnan, Andrew Janatka, Kelsey Jennings, Jessica Kreamer, and Marissa Simmons served as Ambassadors for the program “A World of Difference”. These seven FMP students are the liaisons between the two programs, FMP and AWOD, which means, in addition to their duties as FMP Leaders, they have met with the coordinators for A World of Difference all year. They learned the curriculum and then were responsible for educating the FMP members as to how to implement the six weeks of Diversity Activities in Advisory. They also provided motivation, inspiration, and commitment to the values of Diversity Education, honoring all people as individuals.
May 2009
Greg Gault is one of three high school student’s nationwide chosen to receive a READ 180 All-Star Award. The award honors students who have learned to read despite formidable odds. Greg is the first student from the state of Illinois to receive the award. He and the other two READ 180 All-Stars were selected from the state of Illinois to receive the award. He and the other two READ 180 All-Stars were selected from among more than 400 nominees.
May 2009
Sam Leibovitz is the poster child of perseverance and determination. He has proved to the coaches and the rest of the varsity baseball team that hard work and optimism will lead to good things. Sam, in his Senior year, after being cut in all the previous years finally made not only a Stevenson Baseball team but the Varsity Baseball team. The determination, the tears, the sweat, the dedication, the focus, and the undying pursuit to make the team won the day. That in itself is a story that deserves recognition for being a prominent patriot. The “never say die” attitude and eternal optimism is something rarely seen today. He never made excuses, he used his failures as motivation and as learning opportunities. Truly an amazing patriot. But the story doesn’t end there. Skip ahead to April 16, 2009. The Varsity team was about 11 games deep in the season and Sam had one maybe two at bats under his belt. Not very successful ones at that. Well, on April 16th he’d succeed. Sam was called up to pinch hit in a game against the Vernon Hills Cougars. The first pitch he saw he took an off balance swing and weakly fouled it off. Then Sam did what he had done all four years he's been at Stevenson. He learned from his mistake. Another pitch goes by and he gets a good look at it…he judged the speed and the movement of the ball. The third pitch, Sam did what he’s probably been dreaming of doing for a long time. He put together a beautiful swing. The ball soared off his bat. As his coach, I was standing in the first base coach’s box and knew it was gone from moment it left his bat. I stepped up towards first base, fighting back tears of joy, to shake Sam’s hand as he jogged around bases…I’m sure with a ear to ear smile on his face.
May 2009
Hanna Tarsunova, Steve Heiss, and Karen Klass led 25 students in the planning and organization of Project Dance 2009. Last year, 700 students participated and the event raised a total of $32,000. This year, 1000 students participated and Project Dance collected a grand total of $51,000 for Riverside Foundation. The money was raised through student team fundraising, a silent auction, corporate sponsorships, faculty/staff sponsorships, and family nights at Egg Harbor, Noodles and Company, and California Pizza Kitchen. Hanna, Steve, and Karen were instrumental in coordinating the entire event. Without their dedication and attention to detail, Project Dance would not have been such a huge success. Their work will serve as a model for how to integrate business partnerships, community service, and large scale entertainment.
April 2009
Savan Kadakiya, Jeff Bai, Tyler Lancaster, Vikram Baruah, Matt Nichols, and Lin Bo have all shown a remarkable commitment to improving the relationship of Adlai E. Stevenson High School and its students to the environment around the school. Lin and Matt are both founding members of Stevenson’s Green committee. They have attended meetings and provided feedback from the student’s perspective. Matt has been working on ways to help educate all future SHS students on the culture of recycling with in the building. Lin has been studying access to bike racks and safe pathways for our community to ride to school. Savan did a feasibility study of how to reduce electricity use in classrooms. Tyler studied how to increase the output of the photovoltaic panels on the school using reflected light. Jeff and Vikram provided data supporting the benefits of the Stevenson Green Roof on energy conservation. Four of these students won Gold Medals at the Regional Science Fair Competition and qualified for the State Competition.
April 2009
Riley Newsome and Eric Chiu have gone above and beyond their dedication to the Best Buddies mission to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through one-to-one friendships. Their relationship exhibits loyalty, trust, and understanding beyond the requirements of the club. This duo has developed a true friendship and enjoys participating in a variety of activities together. In of these activities includes joining Web Weavers because of Eric’s interest in computers. In this club, they worked collaboratively to develop Stevenson’s Best Buddies website. They continue to update it frequently with club photos and event information. Their dedication to friendship and Stevenson High School defines the characteristics of a true Prominent Patriot.
February 2009
As Peer Tutors, Jeff Yoshimura, Alex Petti, and Lin Bo do not just help other students with math, they do what they need to do to ensure these concepts are being understood. These students are very enthusiastic about helping others and will, at times, seek out people to help. These students are also willing to voluntarily stay on tutoring late nights ad put in extra hours without receiving any type of credit or recognition.
February 2009
Chana Wilcynski not only helped Ms. Nickow, a teacher at Kildeer School, with auditions and casting for an upcoming production, she also agreed to help out every Tuesday with the 5th grade production. Chana, one of Stevenson’s Advanced Acting students, will be helping to stage Ms. Nickow’s 5th grade production without pay, with full understanding that her commitment to this production as an assistant director, may prevent her from being cast in a significant role in SHS’s upcoming winter production. For this gift of time and talents with the possible “less recognition” here on SHS’s stage, Chana is a Prominent Patriot.
January 2009
Mike Sorkin and Phil Salat have demonstrated maturity, leadership and self-advocacy. These two students went before the principal to ask that Men’s Dance run during second semester. They acted as their own entity, surveying their peers, finding a voice, and pursuing the right channels. They were self-facilitating, mature, and positively represented the Dance Department and Fine Arts. We are proud of their effort and advocacy, and would have been no matter the outcome.
December 2008
Cody Levin is being recognized for being a diligent, hard working, conscientious student assistant in East Student Services. Cody is the first to volunteer to bring mail to the West building. He checks with each employee on a daily basis to determine if there is a task he may complete. He completes each task with accuracy in a timely fashion. Cody graciously accepts all assignments with a smile and consistently expresses appreciation for the work.
December 2008
As president of Thespians, Abby Vombrack truly goes above and beyond the call of duty. She is a leader, an organizer, and a role model. Abby spearheaded an initiative to re-focus and rebuild Thespians as a club. At one of the first meetings of the year, Abby collected Thespian interest surveys and organized all members into committees. She then helped to form goals for each committee, setting the tone for a productive year. Abby also helped to develop new ideas for club activities, such as the “24 Hour Theatre Project”. Abby has taken on the added responsibility of being one of two student leaders in charge of organizing this large charity event. She is working hand in hand with a board member of TBA (the playwriting club) on this project in an attempt to form a deeper connection between Thespians and TBA – one of our main goals for this year. Abby’s enthusiasm and dedication have already transformed Thespians as a club by inspiring new membership, renewing a sense of excitement, and defining a clear focus for Thespians as an inclusive club that supports the Theatre Department at SHS. Abby Vombrack is a Prominent Patriot that Stevenson can be very proud of.
November 2008
Gladys Banfor, Jessica Chwang, Steven Glassberg, Markus Hassenberg, and Dana Vaisler are Prominent Patriots because of their diligence and commitment to the F.A.C.T.S. (Freely Against Choosing Tobacco & Substances) club. Their active membership in the club involves helping their peers make positive decisions and healthy choices in regards to addictive behavior with drugs and alcohol. They are exemplary teen role models in a time when one can always find stories of youth violence and alcohol/drug abuse. It is important that the public have equal exposure to teens like Gladys, Jessica, Steven, Markus and Dana. At the recent Lake County Law Enforcement Exhibition they were recognized by Chief of Police, Randall A. Melvin for their citizenship and enthusiasm for their role in helping students and children learn about “F.A.C.T.S.”
November 2008
Lauren Comitor, Sofia Hossain, and Allison Mariotti exemplify the traits of leadership, dedication, and selflessness. This summer, they took the initiative to travel to a three-day workshop held in Muncie, Indiana at Ball State University. The purpose of this workshop was to brainstorm and ultimately develop a theme for the 2008-2009 Ambassador. These three young women not only decided upon a theme for the yearbook at this workshop; they designed the cover, a vision for the graphics of the book, and also the layout of the book. They have already clocked numerous hours outside of school in order to better this year’s yearbook. Thanks to the leadership, dedication, and selflessness of Lauren Comitor, Sofia Hossain, and Allison Mariotti, this year’s yearbook is well on its way to becoming one of the best publications at Stevenson to date.
October 2008
Alberto Roldán is extremely proud of his Mexican heritage. He is also committed to learning more about it and sharing it with the world. When we heard about the 12th Annual Latino College Bowl, which will be held at Highland Park High School on May 1, we felt that it was time that Stevenson be represented at this event. Alberto got together a large group of interested students, filled out the necessary paperwork to start the club, and consistently checked in with the sponsor to set meeting times and see what else needed to be done. He encouraged students who were reluctant or hesitant about participating to come and try out for a spot on the junior varsity or varsity team, and made the effort to reach out to as many Spanish-speaking students as possible, not just to those in his circle of friends. His desire to be inclusive and his commitment to representing Stevenson at our first Latino College Bowl program are admirable. We look forward to seeing great things from both our College Bowl Team and its leader, Alberto Roldán!
October 2008
In addition to Jennifer Balikov being a P.E. Leader classroom helper and Best Buddie to our students with special needs, Jen took the time to plan, organize and facilitate the homecoming group. She made special invitations, made parent phone calls and informational sheets as well as ordered limo’s and organized pictures at one of the students home. On the day of the dance, Jen came to pictures and the dance, and made sure that each student left with parents and kept staff members informed. Because of her efforts our students were able to participate in a “normal high school experience”. Their parents and extended family members were also able to see their children participate in ways that they had never expected.
October 2008
Brad Feiger, David Feiger, and Tejus Shankar received “Prominent Patriot” recognition because these young athletes exemplify the true meaning of sportsmanship. This past summer, Brad, David, and Tejus developed, organized and executed a free six-week volleyball camp in North Chicago. They began their quest by approaching the administration at North Chicago to propose their idea of offering a free volleyball camp. The North Chicago administration was intrigued with the idea. The camp targeted middle and elementary school children who could not afford to pay for camps. The camp took place three times a week, from June 16 to July 24, in the gym at Neil Middle School in North Chicago. During the camp, these three young men worked on flexibility, conditioning, basic volleyball skills, and played a variety of games with these young children. Their motivation to start this camp was to give these young children a little more structure and keep them involved in activities. In the July 24th edition of the Lincolnshire Review, they were quoted as saying, “They’re good kids to work with. We feel we’re making a difference.” Well, Brad, David, and Tejus….. you did!
September 2008
This year’s Spirit Walk benefiting CURED was a rousing success due in large part to the efforts of these NHS executive board members, Jimmy Yu, Ariel Kersky, Scotty Lu, Jordy, McNamara, Rachel Zolno, Bill Wu, Jerry Luo and Kevin Zeng. At the end of last year, many of them worked directly on various Spirit Walk committees and all were involved in planning into the summer. In mid-August, they organized a car wash at Wal-Mart that raised over $1200 to benefit CURED. After school started, with only a few weeks to finalize plans for the event, this executive board efficiently orchestrated the pre-registration process, signed up three new food vendors, collected silent auction donations, and organized the 3-on-3 tournament. In addition, they each specialized in roles ensuring that morning announcements, banners, fliers, and emails adequately advertised the event. In total 1300 plus walkers were registered and $15,000 plus was raised. On September 7th, an impressive contingent of the Stevenson community gathered under blue skies for an energetic kick-off to homecoming week thanks to the efforts of this dedicated group of students.
September 2008
May 2009
Brandon Villa has been an inspiration to the SHS (SEL) Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Team. Our team has met numerous times throughout this year and he has kindly given time and attention to the team and this very important initiative.
May 2009
Karen Klass become acquainted with students who have special needs while working in the alternative PE class. Karen piloted a program which would enable a special needs student to attend her FMP advisory classroom. This experience has been very successful for both the special needs student as well as the students in the advisory.
May 2009
Laurence Brouillette, David Bruk, Vissagan Gopalakrishnan, Andrew Janatka, Kelsey Jennings, Jessica Kreamer, and Marissa Simmons served as Ambassadors for the program “A World of Difference”. These seven FMP students are the liaisons between the two programs, FMP and AWOD, which means, in addition to their duties as FMP Leaders, they have met with the coordinators for A World of Difference all year. They learned the curriculum and then were responsible for educating the FMP members as to how to implement the six weeks of Diversity Activities in Advisory. They also provided motivation, inspiration, and commitment to the values of Diversity Education, honoring all people as individuals.
May 2009
Greg Gault is one of three high school student’s nationwide chosen to receive a READ 180 All-Star Award. The award honors students who have learned to read despite formidable odds. Greg is the first student from the state of Illinois to receive the award. He and the other two READ 180 All-Stars were selected from the state of Illinois to receive the award. He and the other two READ 180 All-Stars were selected from among more than 400 nominees.
May 2009
Sam Leibovitz is the poster child of perseverance and determination. He has proved to the coaches and the rest of the varsity baseball team that hard work and optimism will lead to good things. Sam, in his Senior year, after being cut in all the previous years finally made not only a Stevenson Baseball team but the Varsity Baseball team. The determination, the tears, the sweat, the dedication, the focus, and the undying pursuit to make the team won the day. That in itself is a story that deserves recognition for being a prominent patriot. The “never say die” attitude and eternal optimism is something rarely seen today. He never made excuses, he used his failures as motivation and as learning opportunities. Truly an amazing patriot. But the story doesn’t end there. Skip ahead to April 16, 2009. The Varsity team was about 11 games deep in the season and Sam had one maybe two at bats under his belt. Not very successful ones at that. Well, on April 16th he’d succeed. Sam was called up to pinch hit in a game against the Vernon Hills Cougars. The first pitch he saw he took an off balance swing and weakly fouled it off. Then Sam did what he had done all four years he's been at Stevenson. He learned from his mistake. Another pitch goes by and he gets a good look at it…he judged the speed and the movement of the ball. The third pitch, Sam did what he’s probably been dreaming of doing for a long time. He put together a beautiful swing. The ball soared off his bat. As his coach, I was standing in the first base coach’s box and knew it was gone from moment it left his bat. I stepped up towards first base, fighting back tears of joy, to shake Sam’s hand as he jogged around bases…I’m sure with a ear to ear smile on his face.
May 2009
Hanna Tarsunova, Steve Heiss, and Karen Klass led 25 students in the planning and organization of Project Dance 2009. Last year, 700 students participated and the event raised a total of $32,000. This year, 1000 students participated and Project Dance collected a grand total of $51,000 for Riverside Foundation. The money was raised through student team fundraising, a silent auction, corporate sponsorships, faculty/staff sponsorships, and family nights at Egg Harbor, Noodles and Company, and California Pizza Kitchen. Hanna, Steve, and Karen were instrumental in coordinating the entire event. Without their dedication and attention to detail, Project Dance would not have been such a huge success. Their work will serve as a model for how to integrate business partnerships, community service, and large scale entertainment.
April 2009
Savan Kadakiya, Jeff Bai, Tyler Lancaster, Vikram Baruah, Matt Nichols, and Lin Bo have all shown a remarkable commitment to improving the relationship of Adlai E. Stevenson High School and its students to the environment around the school. Lin and Matt are both founding members of Stevenson’s Green committee. They have attended meetings and provided feedback from the student’s perspective. Matt has been working on ways to help educate all future SHS students on the culture of recycling with in the building. Lin has been studying access to bike racks and safe pathways for our community to ride to school. Savan did a feasibility study of how to reduce electricity use in classrooms. Tyler studied how to increase the output of the photovoltaic panels on the school using reflected light. Jeff and Vikram provided data supporting the benefits of the Stevenson Green Roof on energy conservation. Four of these students won Gold Medals at the Regional Science Fair Competition and qualified for the State Competition.
April 2009
Riley Newsome and Eric Chiu have gone above and beyond their dedication to the Best Buddies mission to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities through one-to-one friendships. Their relationship exhibits loyalty, trust, and understanding beyond the requirements of the club. This duo has developed a true friendship and enjoys participating in a variety of activities together. In of these activities includes joining Web Weavers because of Eric’s interest in computers. In this club, they worked collaboratively to develop Stevenson’s Best Buddies website. They continue to update it frequently with club photos and event information. Their dedication to friendship and Stevenson High School defines the characteristics of a true Prominent Patriot.
February 2009
As Peer Tutors, Jeff Yoshimura, Alex Petti, and Lin Bo do not just help other students with math, they do what they need to do to ensure these concepts are being understood. These students are very enthusiastic about helping others and will, at times, seek out people to help. These students are also willing to voluntarily stay on tutoring late nights ad put in extra hours without receiving any type of credit or recognition.
February 2009
Chana Wilcynski not only helped Ms. Nickow, a teacher at Kildeer School, with auditions and casting for an upcoming production, she also agreed to help out every Tuesday with the 5th grade production. Chana, one of Stevenson’s Advanced Acting students, will be helping to stage Ms. Nickow’s 5th grade production without pay, with full understanding that her commitment to this production as an assistant director, may prevent her from being cast in a significant role in SHS’s upcoming winter production. For this gift of time and talents with the possible “less recognition” here on SHS’s stage, Chana is a Prominent Patriot.
January 2009
Mike Sorkin and Phil Salat have demonstrated maturity, leadership and self-advocacy. These two students went before the principal to ask that Men’s Dance run during second semester. They acted as their own entity, surveying their peers, finding a voice, and pursuing the right channels. They were self-facilitating, mature, and positively represented the Dance Department and Fine Arts. We are proud of their effort and advocacy, and would have been no matter the outcome.
December 2008
Cody Levin is being recognized for being a diligent, hard working, conscientious student assistant in East Student Services. Cody is the first to volunteer to bring mail to the West building. He checks with each employee on a daily basis to determine if there is a task he may complete. He completes each task with accuracy in a timely fashion. Cody graciously accepts all assignments with a smile and consistently expresses appreciation for the work.
December 2008
As president of Thespians, Abby Vombrack truly goes above and beyond the call of duty. She is a leader, an organizer, and a role model. Abby spearheaded an initiative to re-focus and rebuild Thespians as a club. At one of the first meetings of the year, Abby collected Thespian interest surveys and organized all members into committees. She then helped to form goals for each committee, setting the tone for a productive year. Abby also helped to develop new ideas for club activities, such as the “24 Hour Theatre Project”. Abby has taken on the added responsibility of being one of two student leaders in charge of organizing this large charity event. She is working hand in hand with a board member of TBA (the playwriting club) on this project in an attempt to form a deeper connection between Thespians and TBA – one of our main goals for this year. Abby’s enthusiasm and dedication have already transformed Thespians as a club by inspiring new membership, renewing a sense of excitement, and defining a clear focus for Thespians as an inclusive club that supports the Theatre Department at SHS. Abby Vombrack is a Prominent Patriot that Stevenson can be very proud of.
November 2008
Gladys Banfor, Jessica Chwang, Steven Glassberg, Markus Hassenberg, and Dana Vaisler are Prominent Patriots because of their diligence and commitment to the F.A.C.T.S. (Freely Against Choosing Tobacco & Substances) club. Their active membership in the club involves helping their peers make positive decisions and healthy choices in regards to addictive behavior with drugs and alcohol. They are exemplary teen role models in a time when one can always find stories of youth violence and alcohol/drug abuse. It is important that the public have equal exposure to teens like Gladys, Jessica, Steven, Markus and Dana. At the recent Lake County Law Enforcement Exhibition they were recognized by Chief of Police, Randall A. Melvin for their citizenship and enthusiasm for their role in helping students and children learn about “F.A.C.T.S.”
November 2008
Lauren Comitor, Sofia Hossain, and Allison Mariotti exemplify the traits of leadership, dedication, and selflessness. This summer, they took the initiative to travel to a three-day workshop held in Muncie, Indiana at Ball State University. The purpose of this workshop was to brainstorm and ultimately develop a theme for the 2008-2009 Ambassador. These three young women not only decided upon a theme for the yearbook at this workshop; they designed the cover, a vision for the graphics of the book, and also the layout of the book. They have already clocked numerous hours outside of school in order to better this year’s yearbook. Thanks to the leadership, dedication, and selflessness of Lauren Comitor, Sofia Hossain, and Allison Mariotti, this year’s yearbook is well on its way to becoming one of the best publications at Stevenson to date.
October 2008
Alberto Roldán is extremely proud of his Mexican heritage. He is also committed to learning more about it and sharing it with the world. When we heard about the 12th Annual Latino College Bowl, which will be held at Highland Park High School on May 1, we felt that it was time that Stevenson be represented at this event. Alberto got together a large group of interested students, filled out the necessary paperwork to start the club, and consistently checked in with the sponsor to set meeting times and see what else needed to be done. He encouraged students who were reluctant or hesitant about participating to come and try out for a spot on the junior varsity or varsity team, and made the effort to reach out to as many Spanish-speaking students as possible, not just to those in his circle of friends. His desire to be inclusive and his commitment to representing Stevenson at our first Latino College Bowl program are admirable. We look forward to seeing great things from both our College Bowl Team and its leader, Alberto Roldán!
October 2008
In addition to Jennifer Balikov being a P.E. Leader classroom helper and Best Buddie to our students with special needs, Jen took the time to plan, organize and facilitate the homecoming group. She made special invitations, made parent phone calls and informational sheets as well as ordered limo’s and organized pictures at one of the students home. On the day of the dance, Jen came to pictures and the dance, and made sure that each student left with parents and kept staff members informed. Because of her efforts our students were able to participate in a “normal high school experience”. Their parents and extended family members were also able to see their children participate in ways that they had never expected.
October 2008
Brad Feiger, David Feiger, and Tejus Shankar received “Prominent Patriot” recognition because these young athletes exemplify the true meaning of sportsmanship. This past summer, Brad, David, and Tejus developed, organized and executed a free six-week volleyball camp in North Chicago. They began their quest by approaching the administration at North Chicago to propose their idea of offering a free volleyball camp. The North Chicago administration was intrigued with the idea. The camp targeted middle and elementary school children who could not afford to pay for camps. The camp took place three times a week, from June 16 to July 24, in the gym at Neil Middle School in North Chicago. During the camp, these three young men worked on flexibility, conditioning, basic volleyball skills, and played a variety of games with these young children. Their motivation to start this camp was to give these young children a little more structure and keep them involved in activities. In the July 24th edition of the Lincolnshire Review, they were quoted as saying, “They’re good kids to work with. We feel we’re making a difference.” Well, Brad, David, and Tejus….. you did!
September 2008
This year’s Spirit Walk benefiting CURED was a rousing success due in large part to the efforts of these NHS executive board members, Jimmy Yu, Ariel Kersky, Scotty Lu, Jordy, McNamara, Rachel Zolno, Bill Wu, Jerry Luo and Kevin Zeng. At the end of last year, many of them worked directly on various Spirit Walk committees and all were involved in planning into the summer. In mid-August, they organized a car wash at Wal-Mart that raised over $1200 to benefit CURED. After school started, with only a few weeks to finalize plans for the event, this executive board efficiently orchestrated the pre-registration process, signed up three new food vendors, collected silent auction donations, and organized the 3-on-3 tournament. In addition, they each specialized in roles ensuring that morning announcements, banners, fliers, and emails adequately advertised the event. In total 1300 plus walkers were registered and $15,000 plus was raised. On September 7th, an impressive contingent of the Stevenson community gathered under blue skies for an energetic kick-off to homecoming week thanks to the efforts of this dedicated group of students.
September 2008
2007-2008
Shelby Brand, Jake Hirsch, Prince Ittickathra, Matt Ovadenko, and Jeff Yoshimurawere outstanding Odyssey volunteers. Out of more than 230 student volunteers, these students were cited again and again for work above and beyond by Odyssey staff, volunteers, and presenters. They came early, stayed late, found creative solutions to a myriad of problems, welcomed our artists and presenters with warmth, and did it all with grace and enthusiasm. The Odyssey artists always comment that the best things about Stevenson and Odyssey are the amazing crew of student volunteers, and these represent the best of the best!
Emma Trevor, Jamie Gross, Nikki Gross, Ali Tiagonce and Victoria Weil deserve to be commended! They exemplify the term “Prominent Patriot.” Against the perceived norm that underage drinking prevention is unpopular in the Stevenson community, they joined efforts with the PROUD adults to give the Stevenson Community People Rallying to Oppose Underage Drinking coalition a running start! They started a facebook that has garnered a lot of support. They worked throughout the summer and created our logo and came up with ideas for t-shirts. This fall they spearheaded the effort to stuff folders with PROUD information for all the Open house attendees. They work to counter negative drug and alcohol messages by rallying their friends to wear PROUD t-shirts and newly made buttons and had a “Come to School PROUD Day!” They continue to shed light of the youth experience for the adults who are driving strategies to reduce underage drinking in our area.
April, 2008
One of the most challenging experiences available to musicians is to perform a concerto or an aria with an orchestra. Only musicians who have extensive training are capable of beginning to work on the solo repertoire. Only musicians who have nerves of steel and who are willing to put in months of practice to learn the piece can successfully perform a masterwork under such pressure. First semester of this year, four such musicians performed with the Patriot Orchestra: Tara Bylsma, Sarah Chaffee, Audrey Snyder, and Alison Whitley. Tara performed the first movement from the Khachaturian Violin Concerto, Sara performed the final two movements of the Shostokovich Cello Concerto, Audrey Snyder performed selections from the Tschaikovsky Rococo Variations, and Alison Whitley performed the Voi, che sapete Soprano Aria from The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. The tremendous effort put forth by these seniors and the professional performances that they gave testify to their talent and dedication.
April, 2008
Sahar Alchammae, Iulia Padeanu, and Sarah Farrukh planned and carried out every aspect of the first annual Fast-A-Thon sponsored by Diversity Council. They wanted to explore the meaning of fasting in different religions, share that knowledge with their fellow students, and raise money to combat hunger. The girls wrote the proposal; contacted other clubs to invite them to participate (Hunger Awareness, Sustained Dialogue, Chess Club, Table Tennis Club); solicited food donations for the feast; lined up speakers for “Why Do They Do That?”; arranged games and activities; and promoted the event. Over 100 guests participated and $700.00 was raised for COVE Alliance.
December, 2007
Jonny Adair, Veneel Bhupathiraju, Rebecca Carne, Katie Rice, Caroline Schafer, Emma Schultz and Greg Sergay are being recognized as Prominent Patriots because they exemplify the desire to learn more about leadership and have worked diligently to apply these concepts. All seven students are graduates of Student Leadership Academy. After the ten-week course, these leaders were offered an opportunity to pilot a leadership collaboration team for students – dubbed SLA III. The students learned new concepts of leadership and developed a project of teaching leadership to freshmen. This Freshman Leadership Project is being piloted this year in FMP.
December, 2007
Blake Fiedelman & Kathryn Batchen were recognized as Prominent Patriots for coming to the aid of another student. As an injured student on crutches attempted to use the stairs at the Sports Center, Blake and Kathryn stopped him. They took the back pack off the injured student, cleared the traffic on the stairs and assisted the student safely up the set of stairs.
October, 2007
Adam Kerbis has dedicated a great portion of his life to the advocacy, education and community support for juvenile diabetes. Being diagnosed at age 6, Adam felt the need to draw attention to this subject. At 9 years old, he lobbied on Capital Hill for more diabetes research. For this, as well as the thousands of dollars Adam has raised for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Adam was recognized as a Prominent Patriot.
October, 2007
Melissa Niedrich, Jennifer Brown, Anna Shah, and Zifan Yang, were the Spirit Walk Committee Heads who worked diligently from February through September making Spirit Walk happen. From simple details like setting up the interviews of the charities, to huge projects, such as, creating advertising campaigns, developing amazing banners, and creating the first ever Spirit Walk Silent Auction, these students took charge of the program and devoted their time and energy to helping get 30 children with Muscular Dystrophy to Summer Camp.
September, 2007
Peter Cohen is receiving this award because he did the right thing!! Peter was walking to his bus when he found a large sum of money on the ground. Knowing his bus would be leaving soon, Peter picked up the money, took it home and called the school immediately to report the found cash. While Peter was talking to the Switchboard Operator, another student was reporting the lost money to the Principal. Peter made this student very happy when her money was returned. Thank you, Peter, for being a Prominent Patriot and doing the right thing!
September, 2007
Jordan Stone is being awarded for his leadership and excellence in congressional debate. Illinois was only allowed to nominate five students to represent the state at the National Forensics League National Championship at Wichita, Kansas. Of the five hundred participants for congressional debate, Jordy placed sixth overall. An amazing achievement that has only happened once before during Stevenson’s history.
September, 2007
2006-2007
Michael Levine and Spencer Thurman are
awarded Prominent Patriots for their strong organization for the
t-shirt drive to raise money for Darfur. They brought the idea to
Amnesty International, organized the sales with the t-shirt company,
brought together several students and personally trained them to sell
and distribute the shirts at lunches. With their incredible effort,
they raised over $3,000 for refugee camps. They also brought the
Stevenson Community together and brought awareness and interest of the
Dafur crisis to the student body. May, 2007
Throughout the summer months and the 2006-2007 school year, the site visit team consisting of David Brandwein, Geoff Matthews, Elizabeth Reeves, Naomi Schultz, Alex Service, Robert Villa, Tom Welter has done an excellent job representing the FMP program and, most importantly, Stevenson High School. Much of Stevenson’s recognition can be attributed to the hard work and extra hours the team spent on informing our visitors and surrounding schools about our programs, our dedication, and our school-wide culture. Again, a big thank you to the 2006-2007 site visit team.
May, 2007
Subah Agarwal, Emily Batsford, Andrew Elterman, Michael Kerendian, Janice Lam, Ashley Levitan, Wayne Luan, Brian Vaughn, Corey Vaughn volunteered their time to help the Freshman students learn about diversity and acceptance from A World of Difference program. As such, these students are role models of our commonly held values of learning about and accepting all cultures here at SHS, and demonstrating these values through their actions. We are very proud to have them represent us.
May, 2007
Hannah Kay, Rebecca Kelner, Sarah Leibach, Megan Lutz, Stephanie Mater worked tirelessly for the past year to conceive and implement the hugely successful Project Dance to benefit Riverside Foundation. Many of their peers have stopped participating in Class Board as their senior year has progressed, but these fine “Patriettes” have stayed the course, working extremely hard and the result surpassed everyone’s expectation for a first time charitable endeavor.
March, 2007
These four outstanding students, Gregory Sergay, Michael Kerendian, Dana Simmons, and Nirali Shah were nominated by Diversity Council to represent Stevenson at a national conference at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. The week-long leadership conference was sponsored by the Anti–Defamation League. Stevenson had these four excellent representatives among the 110 students selected nationwide. These students are leaders in the promotion of acceptance and cultural awareness at SHS through their leadership in Diversity Council. Under their leadership, Diversity Council has grown to include nearly 200 people. Of the 110 delegates attending the ADL leadership conference, Greg was one of five selected to attend an additional leadership trip to Japan in January.
February, 2007
Brian Anderson has been awarded this Prominent Patriot to acknowledge his involvement in the remarkably successful Potbelly Fundraiser this past November. Brian works at Potbelly, and brought the idea for a fundraiser to benefit Give-A-Thon to the Give-A-Thon sponsors. He then continued to be the point person to make sure everything ran smoothly. By encouraging everyone to eat at Potbelly’s between 5:00 and 8:00 pm, and due to the generosity of the Potbelly organization, Stevenson was able to raise almost $1500, which was passed on to the Vernon Township Food Pantry, Catholic Charities, and PHD in Target gift cards. Thanks to Brian for a great idea and great follow through.
January, 2007
Mike Levine has been a volunteer GIVE Leader two times a week for the past year and a half for my special education classroom. Mike is very kind and thoughtful, planning activities that are appropriate and creative for my students with special needs. He shows a genuine delight in working with my students and has promoted real friendships between his volunteer group and my students. His efforts have gone a long way to enriching the entire group – both students and volunteers.
November, 2006
This Prominent Patriot is being awarded to GIVE Leaders Michael Levine, Lauren Waiflein, Jana Kritz, and Samara Silverman for their dedication to the GIVE Club during the 2005/2006 school year. Due to personal reasons, both GIVE sponsors were unable to complete their duties and had to step down from their posts. They did not allow this to interfere with the important work of GIVE. The four rallied together and maintained weekly programming throughout the school year. It is their understanding of the importance of volunteerism that makes the GIVE Club a success today. Because of their true Patriot Spirit and dedication to the Stevenson community, students and faculty can be proud of their GIVE Club.
November, 2006
Interact Leaders Regina Wang, Stephanie Halinski, Ruby Singh, and Salima Lalani have been the most responsible, creative, energetic leaders that I have had in my six years with Interact. They work together as a cohesive unit, eager to take on responsibilities of leaders and supportive of each other. They don’t demonstrate any petty jealousies or concern themselves with who is doing “more” for me or the club. They are role models not only as academic students, but especially in the way they value community service.
November, 2006
Leah Ludwig and Monica Waimberk serve as leaders of FACTS (Freely Against Choosing Tobacco & Substances) for the entire school. In their third year with FACTS, they enthusiastically encourage Stevenson students to make safe, healthy choices. They lead the group in organizing and implementing creative campaigns to deliver the important message that alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are illegal, unhealthy, and even deadly. Though this is an important message, it’s not always a popular one. Still, they believe in this message, so they not only live it, but they encourage others to live it, too. Through inspirational morning announcement videos, outreach campaigns for freshman advisories, and school-wide positive-choice promotions, they are integral to FACTS delivering these messages. Because of their leadership and their own contributions, Leah and Monica are Prominent Patriots, and deserve to be congratulated for their efforts.
November, 2006
Becca Schwartz and Cara Yaffe are awarded Prominent Patriot awards for the tremendous job they did planning, organizing and executing the 2006 Homecoming assembly that truly brought the school community together, showcased student talent from all aspects of the school (Athletics, Clubs, Fine Arts, and general student body).
October, 2006
At the end of May, 2006 Corey Vaughn found a $100.00 bill in the Sports Center. Instead of keeping the money, Corey turned it into the Main Office. Later that morning a student came to the office extremely upset, stating she lost a $100.00 bill that was to be used for Spring Fling Team shirts. She was told that the money was found and turned in. She knew Corey and cried tears of joy! She left the office to find Corey to thank him.
September, 2006
NHS students - Alex Sheen, Kiran Pookote, Kevin Lu, Kelly Boger, Jess Vallapurackal, Simon Goldstein, Jacob Chodash, Lu Yao, and Alex Service are awarded prominent patriot awards for their outstanding dedication, desire, and persistence as they worked to educate and enlighten the Stevenson Community about the desperate need for funding for research in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis. Due to their diligent efforts, the NHS committee was able to bring an entire community of over 1200 walkers together to walk in unity and raise $17,000.00 for Cystic Fibrosis research at our Spirit Walk 2006.
September, 2006