Community High School District 99 in Downers Grove recognizes 23 seniors, including students from North High School and South High School, who are part of the top two percent of their senior classes academically in 2016.
“Each year we are proud to recognize all of our students for their outstanding academic accomplishments,” Dr. McDonald said. “Students who are in the top two percent have worked hard throughout their high school careers, and we know they have a promising future.”
North High’s top two percent of the senior class academically in 2016 includes: Front row (l-r): Megan Geraghty, Angela Budach, Hannah Thompson, Sophie Baillargeon, Alison Elgass; Back row (l-r): Aubrey Sieve, Ayesha Ahmad, Emily Wilson, Liam Morgan, Benjamin Cortez, Principal Scott Kasik.
North High’s top two percent of students, listed alphabetically, include:
Ayesha Ahmad is the daughter of Rashid and Fatma Ahmad of Downers Grove. She plans to major in journalism and religious studies next year at Loyola University. Ayesha’s favorite memory: “Going to the IHSA speech tournament with my teammates.”
Sophie Baillargeon is the daughter of Emile and Christine Baillargeon of Downers Grove. Sophie will study at Vanderbilt University, where she will major in engineering and business. Sophie’s favorite memory: “Making the varsity cheerleading team.”
Angela Budach is the daughter of Cliff and Zofia Budach of Woodridge. She plans to study athletic training and Spanish with a minor in missions and intercultural studies at Olivet Nazarene University. Angela’s favorite Memory: “A mission trip that I took down to the Dominican Republic during the spring of my junior year.”
Benjamin Cortez is the son of Jeffrey and Deborah Cortez of Woodridge. Benjamin plans to attend Purdue University to study mechanical engineering. Benjamin’s favorite memory: “Getting to play at Carnegie Hall with my band. I mean, how many 18 year olds can say that they have played at Carnegie Hall? It was pretty cool.”
Alison Elgass is the daughter of Jim and Tara Elgass of Downers Grove. She will attend the University of Michigan to major in applied mathematics. Alison’s favorite memory: “My senior year conference gymnastics meet. I loved being a team captain this year and I was excited to finish off the season strong at our final meet. Yet I was also worried that I might feel unsatisfied once it was all over because I had never made the varsity team. Despite my doubts though, our meet was fantastic. I competed my best routine of the season and our team blew our previous record out of the water. The younger girls were thrilled and just the look on their faces made it all worth it. I knew that although I was no Olympian, I had made a lasting impact on my team. It was a great way to end my four years.”
Megan Geraghty is the daughter of Joe and Michele Geraghty of Downers Grove. She plans to study engineering and to specialize in environmental engineering at Purdue University. Megan’s favorite memory: “Playing on the sophomore basketball team as a freshman. My favorite moment of that season is when I was appointed captain of the team and made friendships that I will cherish forever.”
Liam Morgan is the son of Vincent and Kerry Morgan of Downers Grove. He will be attending Northeastern University in Boston in the fall to major in environmental engineering. Liam’s favorite memory: “Being selected as a senior soloist this year. At the end of May, I will be performing a solo cello concerto with the District 99 orchestra for my final concert before graduation.”
Aubrey Sieve is the daughter of Dan and Gail Sieve of Lisle. Aubrey will major in biology on a pre-med track, and possibly minor in German, at St. Louis University. Aubrey’s favorite memory: “The final song of closing night the musical ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ this year. The curtain slowly lifted when the ensemble joined in and the lights went all the way up. I started tearing up a bit because I knew that this was the last time I would ever be on the stage. There was also happy tears because I knew how much work we had put into the show and that we had put on a great show.”
Hannah Thompson is the daughter of Andrew and Julie Thompson of Downers Grove. She will be attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to major in bioengineering. Hannah’s favorite memory: “Conducting the Marching Band at halftime during football games.”
Emily Wilson is the daughter of Brian and Margaret Wilson of Downers Grove. She will be attending Georgia Institute of Technology in Georgia to study architecture. Emily’s favorite memory: “Playing in the drum line for four amazing years. There's nothing better than making music with your best friends!”
South High’s top two percent of the senior class academically in 2016 includes: Front Row (l-r): Akila Shanmugham, Yvonne Szustakiewicz, Jonathan Alvarez, Joseph Shen, Megan Luckett; Back Row (l-r): Cara Wydra, Zach Scheffel, James Weiss, Maximilian O’Meara, Jonathon Meyers, Julia Poska, Principal Ed Schwartz. (Not pictured: Jack LaLonde and Swathi Pillalamarri)
South High’s top two percent of students, listed alphabetically, include:
Jonathan Alvarez is the son of Salvador and Olga Alvarez of Darien. Jonathan plans to study mathematics and computer science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the fall.
Jack LaLonde is the son of Matt and Kim LaLonde of Downers Grove. Jack will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the fall where he will study computer science. Jack’s favorite memory: “Being a part of the cross country team and placing 12th in the state as a team this past season.”
Megan Luckett is the daughter of Brian and Jill Luckett of Downers Grove. Megan plans to attend DePaul University and to study graphic design with a possible minor in marketing, and is also interested in Environmental Sciences. Megan’s favorite memory: Megan went to prom with a group of friends. “During slow dances when things got sappy, we all stood in a circle with our arms around each other and swayed from side to side while singing along to the music. To me, this was even better than dancing with a significant other because my friends have been the most important and influential piece of my high school experience.”
Jonathon Meyers is the son of Scott and Mary Jo Meyers of Woodridge. Jonathon will be attending The Ohio State University to double major in chemical engineering and mathematics, with a minor in German. Jonathon’s favorite memory: “Directing Mad Dash this year and the experiences it brought me. Not only could I ride around on a scooter in a rainbow tutu and be as weird as I wanted, I also got to develop some great relationships. But the best part was probably being able to welcome the freshman class with a fun, exciting, and positive experience, as a way to welcome them to the DGS community.”
Maximilian O’Meara is the son of Chris and Cindy O'Meara of Downers Grove. He is planning to attend Loyola University where he will major in molecular biology, biochemistry, or evolutionary biology with a minor in Spanish. Max’s favorite memory: “When I ran in the cross country state meet with all of my teammates and our team got 12th place, the best finish in school history.”
Swathi Pillalamarri is the daughter of Venkatesh and Sreevani Pillalamarri of Downers Grove. She will be attending The Ohio State University this fall to study Computer Science. Swathi’s favorite memory: “Going to Disneyland for DECA Nationals freshman year with Akila Shanmugham was a real blast!”
Julia Poska is the daughter of David and Linda Poska of Woodridge. She plans to attend the University of Iowa where she will major in Journalism and Mass Communications. Julia’s favorite memory: “Playing with the Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall.”
Zach Scheffel is the son of Randolph and Michelle Scheffel of Downers Grove. He plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and study physics. Zach’s favorite memory: “Cross Country State my senior year. It was a great experience being with the team… We even had our own cross county draft, where we each picked teams out of all the runners at state, and it made it even better that my team won. Most of all, getting to run and compete with the best runners in the state is amazing in itself.”
Akila Shanmugham is the daughter of Shankar and Minnu Shanmugham of Downers Grove. She will be attending Yale University in the fall to double major in English and Biology. Akila’s favorite memory: “Going to Disneyland for DECA Nationals freshman year with Swathi Pillalamarri was a real blast!”
Joseph Shen is the son of Xiang Shen and Hongyu Ying of Darien. He will be attending the University of Illinois at Chicago in the fall where he has been accepted into the Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) program. Joseph’s favorite memory: “Constructing my origami flower collection: a set of 230 unique designs that demonstrate the range of geometric possibilities.”
Yvonne Szustakiewicz is the daughter of Jerzy and Alexandra Szustakiewicz of Darien. She will attend the University of Pennsylvania and major in chemical engineering. Yvonne’s favorite memory: “The school-sponsored Spain trip the summer before my junior year. We had so many chances to explore on our own in small groups. Shy attempts at speaking Spanish to shop owners…Visiting another country is a great experience already, and traveling with a group of peers made it even more exciting and memorable. I learned a lot about Spain’s geography and culture.”
James Weiss is the son of Roger and Mary Weiss of Downers Grove. James plans to attend the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa and to major in either chemical or biomedical engineering, as he one day hopes to become a biomedical engineer engaged in either stem cell or cancer research. James’ favorite memory: “Homecoming my freshman year. The entire week I loved how much school spirit South students had. I loved the spirit days. I loved the Homecoming Assembly. I loved the football game. Then, when the time came for the Homecoming Dance I remember being very anxious about how my first high school dance would be, but the moment I stepped into the gym all my nerves just disappeared. I had an amazing night.”
Cara Wydra is the daughter of Robert and Donna Wydra of Downers Grove. She will be attending Miami University in Ohio and is currently undecided in what she will study. Cara’s favorite memory: “Going to Bloomington for Dance State junior year with my team was a real blast!”
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