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School Digest
Updated: June 29, 2012 8:47AM
Guerin Prep
Gator Palooza
alumni event June 9
Recent graduates and friends of Guerin College Preparatory High Schoo are invited to a special 50th Anniversary Celebration. Gator Palooza will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 9, at the Guerin Prep campus, 8001 W. Belmont Ave., River Grove.
Alumni are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating at this event sponsored by the Guerin Prep Alumni Association with support from the River Café, 2826 Thatcher Ave.
Contact Mrs. Lilly at tlilly@guerinprep.org or call (708) 437-4730 with any questions.
St. Patrick
Local Students of
the Month for March
March Students of the Month at Saint Patrick High School, 5900 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, have been announced. Elmwood Park residents awarded the honor include seniors Nicholas Peresin (theater) and Steven Mendez (science) and Kevin Draniczarek (marketing) and sophomore Paul Samatas (music).
Peresin and Mendez are both members of a senior class that has earned $6.4 million and counting in college scholarships including five full-ride scholarships.
Peresin has been an avid actor at both St. Pat’s and Trinity High School over the last four years. He plans to study theater at Wright College next year and continue acting in the Chicago circuit.
Mendez has spent his four years at St. Pat’s as a member of the track and cross country teams. He also was a three-year member of the National Honor Society and recipient of an Academic Award and Scholarship Key Award. He will attend the University of Illinois to study applied health sciences. He will join more than 55 Shamrocks who are matriculating at University of Illinois.
Kevin Draniczarek received Student of the Month honors for his leadership representing St. Pat’s Lettermans’ Club. Draniczarek is a four-year member of the football team. He has also contributed to the Shamrock Council, Spanish Club and Freshman Leadership Team. He will seek a degree in marketing and sports management from St. Mary’s University-Minnesota or St. Norbert College. He is the son of Joseph and Jean Draniczarek.
District 212
East Spanish Honor
Society inductees
The Manuel Maples Arce Chapter of La Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society) inducted 31 students from East Leyden High School, 3400 Rose St., Franklin Park, March 6, in the Little Theater at the school.
The newly inducted members are: Anthony Aleman, Justyna Chojnowski, Jazmin Diaz, Maria Flores, Michelle Fuentes, Cynthia Garcia, Roberto Garcia, Stefani Garcia, Maria Gutierrez, Valerie Holguin, Diana Jezior, Tomasz Karwas, Samantha Katlabi, Dulce Lopez, Ingrid Martinez, Amanda Narkis, Cristian Ocampo, Brenda Olague, Yareli Paz, Danielle Piekarz, Melina Rodriguez, Julina Saroca, Elissa Segura, Julia Stankiewicz, Aaron Stocks, Rebecca Strauss, Victoria Szczepanska, Ashly Torres, Luis Vera, Kailyn Wnek and Carolina Zepeda.
National Italian
language contest
District 212 students studying the Italian language were given the opportunity to participate in the American Association of Teachers of Italian National High School Contest in March. A total of 5,514 students from high schools in 20 states, including Illinois and two schools in Canada, participated in the contest. District 212 had 77 students take the test. The following students placed in the national contest.
The top winners from District 212 are Kryztal Gonzalez, Level 4B,First place in state, 10th in nation; Yesenia Diaz, Level 4B, Fifth in state, 17th in nation; Michelle Zenzola, Level 4A, Seventh in state, 15th in nation; Stephanie Cornejo, Level 3B, 12th in state, 20th in nation; Sheila Hibbard, Level 3A, Fifth in state, 13th in nation; Stefani Garcia, Level 2B, Fifth in state, 13th in nation; Jazmin Bravo, Level 2B, Sixth in state, 14th in state; Gabriela Pulido, Level 2B, Sixth in state, 14th in nation; Domenico Amoroso, Level 2B, eighth in state, 16th in nation; Abigail Gomez, Level 2B, 11th in state, 19th in nation; Maria Louis, Level 2A, 15th in state, 20th nation; and Eduardo Ocon, Level 1B, 10th in state, 16th in nation.
2012 Alumni Wall
of Fame inductees
District 212’s Alumni Wall of Fame Selection Committee has announced the names of the Leyden graduates who will be inducted into the Alumni Wall of Fame at a ceremony and reception to be held Sept. 27. The 2012 Alumni Wall of Fame inductees are:
Nola Ilchene Theiss, Class of 1964, West Leyden: Theiss has taught English and photography, owned her own business and has served as the Mayor of Sanibel Island, Fla. She is currently the founder and Executive Director of Human Trafficking Awareness Partnerships.
James R. Weigand, Class of 1973, East Leyden: Weigand is the president of DuPont Sustainable Solutions, USA, in Wilmington, Del. In this role, he leads a global solutions business specializing in transforming workplaces and work cultures with services and technologies that bring about sustained improvements in safety, operational and environmental performance.
Christy Price, Class of 1985, East Leyden: Since 1991, Price has served as professor of psychology at Dalton State College in Dalton, Ga. She was made a full professor of psychology in 2008. She has received statewide and local awards over the past few years, including the prestigious 2008 Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
Dr. Daniel Martinez, Class of 1986, East Leyden: Martinez is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. He is the president of Comprehensive Clinical Services, a multi-specialty mental health clinic. In addition, he is the psychiatric services coordinator for Lutheran Social Services of Illinois.
