Personally Speaking - Summer 2018

Personally SPEAKING

THE ELGIN ACA D E M Y M A G A Z I N E SPECIAL 162 ND C O M M E N C E M E N T E D I T I O N SUMMER 2018

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Graduation Speeches Distinguished Honors Academic and Athletic Awards

Personally Speaking, the magazine of Elgin Academy, is published by the Office of Strategic Marketing & Communications for the Elgin Academy community.

Its mission is to tell the school’s remarkable taking learning personally stories and capture the history, values, and culture of Elgin Academy through objective coverage.

Editor Lynn Martin Director of Strategic Marketing & Communications Head of School Seth Hanford Contributors Doug Sept, Upper School Director Rick Williams, Athletic Director

350 PARK STREET ELGIN, IL 60120 847.695.0300 elginacademy.org

Photographer David Kathrein Designer Kristin Brown

IN this

issue

2 Greetings From Our Head of School 4 Meet the Class of 2018 6 Welcome to the 162nd Commencement 8 Steve Hilsabeck Addresses the Graduates 10 Valedictorian Delivers the Final Farewell 12 Salutatorian Speaks at Baccalaureate Dinner 14 Our Most Distinguished Honors 16 Recognizing High Achievement at Honors Convocation 22 Achieving Awards Beyond Campus 26 Spotlighting Honorary Organizations 28 Saluting Victorious Academic Competition Teams 29 Meet the Male and Female Athletes of the Year 30 Celebrating Spring Athletic Honors 32 Elgin Academy Legacies 162nd commencement

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Greetings

From our head of school

Dear Elgin Academy Community,

This publication has been put together to celebrate the Class of 2018. We recognize that graduation and the events preceding it go by quickly. We hope that our recent graduates will take the time to read the many speeches that were given in their honor and to reflect on the words of those on campus who knew them best.

At commencement, I shared the quote, “pressure is a privilege,� spoken by athlete and civil rights advocate Billie Jean King. In my estimation, the quote was perfect for the Class of 2018. With the granting of diplomas, we sent our thirty-one graduates on their next journey with the expectation that they will shine academically, serve others, and not only solve problems but understand their causes and thus eliminate them, ultimately making the world better.

We are proud of all that our graduates are, and we are excited for all that they will continue to become. ~Seth Hanford

I am confident that if our graduates will embrace this pressure and see it as the privilege it is, then they will achieve amazing results. They are ready to meet what lies ahead. They are conscientious and mindful young people who care enough to change the plight of the world around them. Their native ability and the knowledge, skills, and habits they have acquired here at Elgin Academy will serve them well as they face new challenges. We are proud of all that our graduates are, and we are excited for all that they will continue to become.

At the end of this publication, you will find a list of key events for the 20182019 academic year. We hope that members of the Class of 2018, and others reading these words, will join us on campus whenever possible to celebrate our wonderful students and the heritage of our beloved school.

Sincerely,

Seth Hanford, Head of School

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is the Fox River Valley’s preschool through grade 12 independent school where taking learning personally defines the collective ethos and covenant that unites all students and teachers, parents and staff members, administrators and trustees.

Within intentionally small-scaled classrooms, Elgin Academy students learn to be secure in themselves,

disciplined in their thinking, creative in their collaboration, compassionate toward others, and dedicated in their efforts as they contribute as thinkers and doers in school and the community.

Families from across Chicago’s northwestern suburbs and exurbs find at Elgin Academy a cherished oasis from the perceived impersonality and over-scaled local public schools.

Elgin Academy students in every division pursue active learning, testing new ideas and securing trust with each other and their teachers as they try out new pursuits, assume leadership roles, and take calculated intellectual risks to see what resonates and moves them toward mastery.

Elgin Academy graduates make discerning college choices based on not only prestige, but also personal fit, and enroll at a diverse array of colleges and universities nationwide and worldwide, equipped with the know-how and self-confidence that stems from coming of age in this individually attuned community.

They go forth as productive, conscientious, and mindful young people who continue to hone their understanding of world and self— a lifelong process that stands as the abiding gift of their Elgin Academy education.

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Class

of 2018

Elgin Academy’s 162nd Commencement June 2, 2018 Our thirty-one graduates go forth as productive, conscientious, and mindful young people who continue to hone their understanding of world and self--a lifelong process that stands as the abiding gift of their Elgin Academy education.

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Simon Dietrich Balisi Batavia University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

Yinuo (Krystal) Cui Elgin and Xi’an, Shaanxi, China University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign

Maxton A. Bromet North Barrington Iowa State University

Preston Evan Desch Sleepy Hollow Ithaca College

Thomas John Cain Geneva The University of Iowa

Morgan Paige Donahue Elgin Lawrence University

Hy K. Chau Pingree Grove San Diego State University

Haley Amanda Dulabaum Elgin Augustana College

Jonathan William Cruz Elgin Wabash Valley College

Sharene Gould Dulabaum Elgin Grinnell College

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Karan Gowda Algonquin Northwestern University Prudhvie Raj Gudapati South Barrington University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Arman Cyrus Gueyikian Inverness Boston University Jordan Alan Hare Elgin Rhodes College Connor Douglas Jaworski Elgin The College of Wooster Siyong (Bryan) Leng Elgin and Shenzhen, Guangdong, China New York University Xinran (Merlinda) Liu Barrington and Dunhuang, Gansu, China Ithaca University

Alexander James Mead West Dundee Marquette University

Benjamin Sandy Simon Geneva Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences

Teagan C. Moore Elgin Knox College

Madeline Rose Sporina Sleepy Hollow Marquette University

Jinyeop (Paul) Park Inverness and Daegu, South Korea University of Illinois at Chicago

Madison Thiede Elgin The University of Iowa

Michelle Jennie Peyton Saint Charles Colorado State University

Katherine (Kyle) Wall Hoffman Estates Elgin Community College

Jialong (Kyrie) Xu West Dundee and Ningbo Zhejiang, China The University of California, Santa Cruz Ruichao (Richard) Zhang Elgin and Qingdao, Shandong, China Purdue University

Pranav Sai Gilberts Colorado College Cara Bridget Shanahan Geneva Macalester College Caitlin Padma Sharma Elgin Tulane University Neha Shyamani Palatine Washington University in St. Louis

We cherish our “lifers,� those students who have been solely educated at Elgin Academy, starting as preschool students and finishing as 12th graders in the Upper School.

Lifers from the Class of 2018 (left to right): Connor Jaworski, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Madeline Sporina, Preston Desch.

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Welcome

to the 162nd Commencement

By Doug Sept, Upper School Director

To the Class of 2018, I take very seriously the responsibility of being one of the last members of the Elgin Academy community who gets to speak to you as a whole. During my time at Elgin Academy, I have become fond of stating that one of our goals in the Upper School is to help students learn to advocate for themselves during their high school years so that they are ready for success once they leave Elgin Academy and home. We help students work toward that goal in the Upper School by giving them the opportunities to make choices. They choose their classes and their co-curricular activities; They decide how they use their open time during the day and how and when they approach teachers and other adults for help. I am a firm believer that the only way to help students learn to make the best choices is first to allow them to make as many choices as possible, experience personal successes, and work through personal setbacks.

What I don’t always mention about this process of helping students become advocates for themselves is perhaps the most powerful tool in this development: the parents’ willingness to step back gradually and let their child begin to lead more of their own life. I believe that Elgin Academy parents do an amazing job in this area 6

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even though doing so is one of the toughest endeavors a parent can ever do. It is difficult to watch your child struggle and fail, whether that means falling on the playground at a young age, having to work through the natural consequences that lead from procrastinating on a project or a paper, or navigating how to create and maintain healthy relationships with peers. Parents can easily step in and try to fix most of these issues, but doing so would mean that the child doesn’t learn valuable problem-solving skills. I appreciate that I don’t experience that at Elgin Academy.

I have recently been reading the book The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed by Jessica Lahey. While I am not finished yet, I decided to skip ahead to the section focused on the transition to college since I wanted to read what Ms. Lahey has to say that is most pertinent to this time in your lives. While most of her advice is geared toward parents, the ideas she presents are equally crucial to graduates because, for a parent to be able to step back fully, it helps for them to have confidence that their child is ready to push ahead without them. Therefore, I’d like to paraphrase some of Ms. Lahey’s thoughts that she has for the parents of graduates, while at the same time

interspersing ideas for the members of the Class of 2018 so that you can help your parents be successful in this upcoming transition.

1. Parents - support your child in setting goals for the first year. Ask your child what they imagine their first year of college might look like, and then ask them what they can do to turn that perfect fantasy year into reality. Next, support them in narrowing and prioritizing those goals.

Keep in mind that these discussions should be supportive and in the spirit of guidance rather than dictatorial and controlling. Graduates - to help your parents, take charge of these discussions. These next years of your life will have a significant influence on who you become.

Entering this phase without planning can lead to wasted time and money. Therefore, set goals, discuss them with your parents, ask them for advice, and keep them updated on your progress, negative or positive.

2. Parents - help your child identify allies on in their new community. As your child settles into campus, support them in identifying advisors, professors, and deans who are equipped to help and provide advice so that they don’t have to call you in a panic about academic or social situations. Graduates - don’t call your parents in a panic about academic or social situations. There are people on campus dedicated to supporting your academic, social, and emotional needs. Make use of these resources. Now, it is good to keep your parents informed, but they will appreciate receiving a call from you stating “Here is what is happening, and here is what I am doing about it” rather than “Here is what is happening, and I have no idea what to do. Please solve it for me.”

3. Parents - Professors don’t want parental input. Do not get involved in disputes over grades, seating, scheduling, or incompletes. Ever. Not if your child is shy, not if your child is failing, and certainly not if your child says that they are too busy to deal with it. Students need the experience of reasoning with other adults maturely and competently. Professors will lose respect for you and your child if you interfere. Graduates - you have hopefully honed the skills of advocating for yourself while at Elgin Academy. While you will be starting in a community where you don’t have the same relationships you have here right now, remember that your professors want you to succeed, but they also want you to work hard to earn that success. Choose your seat wisely on the first day of class, especially if you are in a large lecture hall. Pay attention when you get that class’s syllabus; note your professor’s office hours. Even if you don’t have a reason to see them early in the term, I encourage you to stop by just to introduce yourself. That way, should questions or issues arise during their class, you have laid the foundation for a relationship in which you can seek guidance. As with before, should problems arise, feel

free to inform your parents as necessary, but be sure to let them also know how you are working through it.

4. Parents - Your children will ask for help when they need it. Trust that your child will call (or text) you when they need you and that the frequency might not be as often as you would like. Keep in mind that they will call you more often if you are not the type of parent to jump straight into an inquiry of grades, assignments, and whether or not your child made that appointment with their professor, you encouraged them to make last week.

Graduates - call your parents. You have been the light of their life for 18 years, and they will miss you dearly. Have honest, trusting conversations with them. Provide them insights into your experiences. Tell them you love them and miss them, and thank them for playing a valuable role in helping you become who you are.

Graduates, you have exciting journeys ahead of you.

From my experience of having worked with your families for the past four years, I have confidence that your parents are ready to move forward in giving you control over your destinies. Remember, however, that you will make this process much easier for them if, when you go to college, you make mostly wise choices and strive to rectify the poor ones you make without asking them to step in and solve your issues. Finally, if you feel that your parent is taking more control than you need, remember that they are doing so primarily out of love for you. Just as each of you graduates high school and matriculates to college only once in your life, they only get to do this once as a parent with you, so they are learning as they go along as well. You are blessed that you get to share this experience together as a family.

Class of 2018 students and parents, thank you for sharing this stage of your life with us. Congratulations on reaching this moment. I am honored to help award you your diplomas today. elgin academy

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Steve Hilsabeck Addresses the

graduates

Steve Hilsabeck returned to campus to address the graduates at our 162nd Commencement. Mr. Hilsabeck retired in June 2017 after 12 years at Elgin Academy. He came to EA after a long career at New Trier High School, and his discussion-based classroom style and passion for American studies were a great fit for our students. During his time on our campus, Mr. Hilsabeck taught United States History and Advanced Placement United States History as well as other social studies and English courses. He was also an Upper School Advisor, sponsor of many clubs and activities, and active supporter of student life on campus.

Condensed Remarks from Mr. Hilsabeck’s Commencement Address: I wanted these remarks to be practical by way of offering some suggestions about your life next year rather than attempt to draft a sweeping, awe-inspiring assessment of the state of the world.

It is a mistake to judge people too quickly. That’s the first thing I want you to consider. There will be many opportunities next year to pass judgment: on your peers, on your professors, on office personnel, on speakers.

We all know about first impressions but even first impressions are snapshots, tiny moments in time that may or may not be a sound basis for making a judgment.

The second thing to consider is your interaction with 8

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the people in your orbit: Listen more; talk less. Or at the very least, listen more; text, tweet, and post less. You, as students, have to continue to be better listeners. We all do. You don’t really learn anything when you’re talking; you have to first listen in order to formulate what you want to say.

Texting, tweeting, and posting are particular kinds of talking and only rarely contribute to greater learning and understanding. And I would hazard to say that often when we text, tweet, or post it doesn’t bring us any joy.

If anything, it raises your blood pressure and ramps up the anger – whether the subject is personal or political drama. If you do listen, it will create in other people the need to hear you. Listening is a way of creating and strengthening relationships. Listening is way of creating the circumstances in which YOU will be heard.

What about the actual physical space, the environment in which you find yourself? This is the third thing I’d like you to consider. I’ve been reading a lot in retirement.

One book I found fascinating was The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Her work was a two-year project looking at the scientific research into the effects that nature has on us. A variety of botanists, neuroscientists, psychologists, and physicians are now working to measure the effects that being outside, being in the wild, have on our physical, mental, emotional, and cognitive health. There is a growing body of evidence-based research that reminds us of the power of being outside.

The power to lower your blood pressure – to lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol in your blood. In an era when security concerns make many people retreat into indoor cocoons and when digital technology makes the idea of free-range childhoods increasingly rare, you need to seek out opportunities, as Florence Williams puts it in her book, to “Go outside, often, sometimes in wild places. Bring friends or not. Breathe.” You’ll be in school but don’t always be in your head; encounter the world in all of its natural beauty. You should remember recess... and so should school reformers. You will be happier, healthier, and more productive.

Finally, one last thing I’d like you to think about. I was a history teacher for forty-five years and the coin of the realm for historians is context. What is the meaning of a particular event or development or movement in the larger historical context of time? Whether you believe the universe continues to deteriorate or whether you believe that life continues to improve thanks to the efforts of fallible but very humane beings – how you think about this has a powerful impact on how you live

your life, what you choose to do, how you think about the present moment, your happiness. So, remember to put yourself in historical context. Not as an excuse to sit back and be glad you don’t live in 1600s but as another way of understanding your own time.

Finally...one could take these four notions (don’t judge, listen more, get outside, think big picture) as a prescription for a kind of passive disengagement--sit back, be by yourself, understand the long arc of history from afar. On the contrary, these are all elements required for and useful in a full-scale engagement with the challenges of today. Refraining from knee jerk judgment and listening first will mean you learn and understand more. Regular walks in the woods will help you be more creative, less anxious, more open to possibilities. Not to mention healthier. Grasping context/the big picture will not only foster gratitude in you but the reassurance that the hard work of many others who came before you produced measurable progress for the world.

Please do not surrender your power by giving into the cynicism and pessimism that actually takes away your power. We need your voice, your participation, and your commitment urgently. It is your responsibility, it is your generation’s responsibility, to carry the torch even further – continuing the noble endeavor to make the world safe for human flourishing.

Congratulations to each of you in the class of 2018. Good luck wherever next year takes you. And thank you again for the opportunity to be part of this old tradition, here on the hill.

It is your responsibility, it is your generation’s responsibility, to carry the torch even further – continuing the noble endeavor to make the world safe for human flourishing. ~Steve Hilsabeck

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Valedictorian Delivers the Final

farewell

Seth Hanford, Head of School, recognized Sharene as valedictorian at Honors Convocation on Friday, June 1, 2018. Below is an excerpt from his remarks: Sharene’s academic record is astounding, boasting a remarkable 4.19 GPA in an incredibly challenging course load. She has taken thirteen courses in her Upper School years listed as honors, accelerated, AP and AP prep, a fact that makes that stupefying GPA even more impressive. She has taken these classes in many different departments and supplemented these courses with coursework outside our curriculum at the community college level just because of her interests.

Her teachers note her strong work ethic, calling her “incredibly hard-working and focused,” and laud her for not only leading class discussions but also, and maybe more importantly, for asking good questions, completely understanding the importance of the right question at the right time to everyone’s comprehension. All evidence is that she does this not for the good grades, although that has been obviously a result of her habits, but rather for her own gratification. Sharene is done when she is satisfied and not before. She is a true academic, learning for the sake of learning.

Sharene Gould Dulabaum’s Valedictory Address Mr. Rauschenberger, esteemed trustees, Mr. Hanford, faculty, Mr. Hilsabeck, parents, guests, friends, and most importantly, members of the Class of 2018: Thank you for the opportunity to speak at today’s commencement ceremony.

When reflecting on high school this past week as I sat at home unsure of whether or not I had strep throat -- I don’t have it, so you don’t have to worry -- I realized that the moments I will cherish the most were those when faculty members, fellow students, and Elgin Academy families were compassionate toward me and others. Countless times, teachers were willing to meet with me and other students outside of class to answer questions and showed genuine concern about our lives, and students across grade levels offered assistance whether it was helping with a question in a problem set, sending instructions about a homework assignment, or providing support during the ups and downs of life.

I believe that every member of the Class of 2018 can think of at least one moment when someone showed them thought and consideration these past four years, and the Class of 2018 has also succeeded in demonstrating the same toward others.

This is illustrated by our grade’s service through local volunteer work at PADS and Soup Kitchen and through countless individual initiatives; service trips to Nicaragua and the Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation; mentorship through Big Brother Big Sister; involvement in the tutoring program; and the simple acts of kindness that occurred every day.

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Each and every one of us has proven capable of effecting positive change, and I hope we all exemplify this wherever we go. ~Sharene Gould Dulabaum

This same compassion is desperately needed in the world right now. Divisions, both in our country and across the world, prevent constructive dialogue and hinder unity and positive change; I could go on and list existing and emerging injustices and crises, but I won’t. Instead, I want to emphasize that we need more compassion. As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Compassion is a muscle that gets stronger with use.” Compassion is not simply kindness; it requires the willingness to look beyond oneself, to really consider another person’s perspective, and to understand.

With that, cooperation is essential. This world needs more problem solvers who are willing to work together, and we, the Class of 2018, have proven ourselves capable of doing just that as well. Through collaboration in advisory competitions during Spring Carnival and the Week of Sustainability; clubs ranging from Art for a Cause to WYSE; musical and theatrical productions; athletic teams that succeeded at local, regional, and state levels; and even group projects and partner tests, each and every one of us has accomplished something worthwhile with the help of others.

However, the Class of 2018 would laugh if I pretended that we are perfect or as if these past four years have elapsed without any trials and tribulations. The Class of 2018 knows how all the good accomplished from compassion and collaboration can be jeopardized by misunderstanding, selfishness, fear, and hatred.

Therefore, with anything, we have a choice. According to a Native American elder quoted by Dr. Rick Hanson in his book on practical neuroscience, “In my heart, there are two wolves: a wolf of love and a wolf of hate. It all depends on which one I feed each day.” As we enter this new chapter of our lives, I challenge us all to choose love and empathy over misjudgment and animosity and cooperation over greed and frustration. Each and every one of us has proven capable of effecting positive change, and I hope we all exemplify this wherever we go.

I sincerely believe in the Class of 2018, and I look forward to seeing the good that arises from our compassion and collaboration over the next four years and beyond. Thank you.

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Salutatorian

Speaks at

Baccalaureate Dinner At Elgin Academy, the salutatorian addresses classmates and their families at Baccalaureate Dinner, the Wednesday before Commencement. Mr. Doug Sept, Upper School Director, introduced Karan Gowda as the 2018 salutatorian.

Below are excerpts from Mr. Sept’s remarks about Karan: Karan Gowda has been a model of remarkable academic consistency throughout his education. During his four years in the Upper School, his gradepoint average has not wavered more than seven-hundredths of a point. All the while, he has taken increasingly tougher classes, culminating in a record that includes capstone courses such as AP Chemistry, AP Biology, Honors Mathematical Physics, AP Calculus AB, Advanced Topics in Calculus and Mathematics, two years of Computer Science courses, AP U.S. History, and AP prep in Latin IV. Karan has honed his academic talents outside of the classroom as a key participant in this year’s 1st-place State WYSE team and the IHSA Regionals Champion / NAQT State Nationals Qualifying / Masonic Runner-Up Sectionals and State Scholastic Bowl team.

Beyond academics, Karan has been an stellar athlete, earning all-conference mention and several school awards in soccer. Karan had a very successful college process, culminating in his early-decision acceptance to Northwestern University. We celebrate all that you have done to make the most of your opportunities at Elgin Academy, Karan, and ask that you please come forward and accept your plaque in recognition of being named the Salutatorian of the Class of 2018.

Condensed Remarks from Karan Gowda’s Address Using the supposed formative four years of high school, especially at this school, we have to look into ourselves and find ourselves in what goal we want, heading into college and beyond. High school is a time where we tried many things that failed and succeeded. In the grand scheme of things, a Physics test on torque has no bearing on the rest of our lives. Yet, in that moment, it seemed like so. High school is a microcosm for what is going to befall us in the rest of our lives. At Elgin Academy, we have been taught to be good learners, listeners, etc. But more than that, we have been taught to be good people, who respect one another and the offerings of the vast absurd world around us.

Jean-Paul Sartre, a famous existentialist philosopher, once said, “No finite point has meaning without an infinite reference point.” Everybody knows that in high school we make mistakes. It’s commonplace. Everyone is prone to it. If there is a point to that, then it has to be what does this mean for the rest of your life. That is our infinite reference point. How do we want to be remembered? How do we use 12

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what we have been so graciously given here to better ourselves and the world around us? Do we want to be remembered as the people who don’t clap when their peers give a speech just because they dislike the person or do we want to be remembered as the people who use conflicts and disagreements in our world to reform our society and activate social change, using the coupled power of our words and actions?

Like it or not, we are the new leaders of the world. We have a great foundation already. We have our parents, who gave us this opportunity of an education like no other and we have Elgin Academy, a place where everybody finds their inroads to prosper. I have been told that the class of 2018 is one of the best classes in Elgin Academy history. Our divisions can only make us stronger. Harping on these will only make us weaker. I am genuinely excited to see how everyone will prosper and I challenge everybody to use the rest of their nickels of time as fully as possible. I would just like to use this time to say a tremendous thank you to all the teachers, staff, and administration at Elgin Academy who have so graciously provided me with the opportunity of a high quality education.

Like it or not, we are the new leaders of the world. ~Karan Gowda

Thank you and congratulations to the class of 2018.

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Our Most Distinguished

honors

Two awards are presented at Commencement to the female and male graduates who “best typify the ideals and character of Elgin Academy.” The Mother-Daughter Award and the Ora L. Pelton Award are determined in the spring by faculty vote in a closed ballot, and the recipient remains secret until the announcement at commencement.

The Mother Daughter Award At Commencement, Seth Hanford, Head of School, presented the Mother-Daughter Award to Sharene Gould Dulabaum. Below are his remarks about Sharene: This year’s winner has married a high level of academic success with tremendous service to others, both in and out of the classroom. She has a remarkable list of academic accomplishments, internal and external awards that span the disciplines, co-curricular activities, and an innate desire to serve others.

This service has taken many forms. She is a “questioner,” someone who asks things to better those around her. She might be asking something we ourselves don’t know, she may make a query we haven’t even yet considered, and in all cases, she is likely asking a question that will help someone else in some way, either today or tomorrow.

At the same time, she is a “doer,” someone who leads others by example, always willing to get her hands dirty, sometimes literally, to pave the way for meaningful change.

She is above all an example for those around her. All of her questioning and doing ultimately serves the community around her by pushing us, helping us gather information, and making us think.

This year’s winner has shone on our courts, on our stages, and in our classrooms for her entire Upper School career. Quotes from her advisor letters, even those penned when she was much younger, demonstrate exactly who this most sincere young woman is, both in our community and outside of it. They refer to her “customary positivity and involvement,” her consistency, her humility, and her “deep sense of commitment.” Even back in ninth grade, her teachers saw her “enthusiasm for learning, her involvement in many activities, and her kind demeanor towards others.”

Sharene Gould Dulabaum has been remarkable since before she arrived in our Upper School and she remains so to this day. She has earned a list of awards and 14

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accolades so long that it challenged Ms. Fluegel to fit them on her transcript. These awards cover her studies specifically in French, music, science, theater and her general academic aptitude and achievement. In addition, she has won awards for her leadership, community service and journalism. There is barely an area in which Sharene has not been recognized.

But, in such a sincere way, we know that Sharene cares not at all about those awards. She cares, in the way we all should, about what they represent. She cares about the change that her leadership will affect, the help her questions will provide, and the music her voice will create.

She is, in the words of one of our teachers, “the best kind of ensemble member-- always prepared, and incredibly patient and compassionate...Her work ethic and her sense of community are beautifully combined.”

Sharene, we are all honored to have been part of your ensemble, and we know that Grinnell College will benefit from becoming your next community. We cannot wait to celebrate the change you and your ever-growing ensemble will make in our world community.

This young man is dedicated in his efforts: He enjoys engaging in such intellectual endeavors such as Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering and the Scholastic Bowl team, spending hours upon hours studying and practicing not only for his benefit but also for that of his teammates.

This young man is creative in his collaboration: One of his teachers noted that he has a willingness to think out loud and work through complex questions with others. He has collaborated successfully with peers in his classes as well as with the Elgin Academy soccer and tennis teams, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, and even this last semester of his Upper School career as a member of the Encore singing ensemble.

The Ora L. Pelton Award When Doug Sept, Upper School Director, presented the Ora L. Pelton Award to Simon Balisi at Commencement, he cleverly used a mathematical proof to demonstrate Simon’s appropriateness for the award. See Mr. Sept’s proof below: For any proof, we first need a given statement. The tenets from Elgin Academy’s Portrait of a Hilltopper will be our starting point. According to this credo, a Hilltopper is secure in themselves, disciplined in thinking, creative in collaboration, compassionate toward others, and dedicated in efforts. I will now begin to prove why this student best typifies these ideals, using his accomplishments as well as comments from his teachers as the postulates and theorems to support my arguments.

This young man is disciplined in his thinking: While a transcript is not the only nor even the best indicator of disciplined thinking, I posit that one needs to possess it in order to achieve the accomplishments of this student.

He has taken some of the most challenging courses that we offer, including our highest classes in mathematics, science, the humanities, and computer science. All the while, he has continually achieved grades that have left him with a grade-point average that is among the highest in this class.

This young man is compassionate toward others: During the middle of his junior year, one of his teachers noted that he is “one of the nicest, kindest, and most productive students that we have had.” Later that year, another teacher shared the comment that “[he] was ‘everyone’s favorite partner to work with’ partly because [he] is ‘respectful when listening to others’ ideas and sharing [his] own.” Listening to others is a skill that must be developed, and unfortunately, we live in a time when many people would rather do the talking than listening.

It takes compassion to value what other people have to say, and it speaks highly of this young man that his peers recognize him for this honed skill.

This young man is secure in himself: Transitioning to a new school can be daunting; this is magnified if that transition is during the middle of a school year and especially if you attended a school on a scheduling system that does not mesh well with ours. However, this young man had the maturity and security to make this transition as well as any student I have seen. As one of his ninth-grade teachers noted, “[He] seems to be adjusting easily to our school. He is interacting socially, is attentive in class and is willing to backtrack a little to make-up for some background knowledge that he didn’t get in the first semester.” Fast forward to this year when that same teacher, now his advisor, noted: “Around school, he is known to be very mellow, an excellent student that doesn’t stress so much on his grades but is more interested in all there is to learn and understand.”

Finally, I wish to add one more section to my proof: accomplishments. This young man has earned the following accolades and awards during his time in the Upper School: he is a member of the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society, a twotime Elgin Rotary Club Straight “A” Award recipient, an AP Scholar with Distinction, an Illinois State Scholar, and a National Merit Commended Scholar. He was the MVP of this year’s Boys’ Tennis Team as well as this year’s Scholastic Bowl team. He is a four-time National French Exam Gold Medalist. Last night, he was honored with School Excellence awards in both French and Mathematics.

So now comes the time to conclude my proof. If this was a flow proof, I would now draw arrows from each of the five tenets of the Portrait of a Hilltopper, add a sixth arrow from his accomplishments, and have them all point toward the statement that I have been attempting to prove: that Simon Balisi is the worthy recipient of the 2018 Ora L. Pelton III Award. Simon, please join me at the podium to accept this honor.

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Honors convocation

Recognizes Student Achievement Honors Convocation, held on the eve of Commencement, is a gathering of the soon-tobe graduates, their families, friends, faculty, and administrators. Top performing Academy students are lauded in a variety of categories. Below, we share a brief explanation of each award and an excerpt from the presenter’s remarks.

Humanities Awards The Excellence in English Award goes to a Senior who demonstrates an interest and aptitude in the study of literature, proficiency in written and oral expression, and a mature critical thinking ability as demonstrated in literary studies.

Karan Gowda’s work in the English classroom stands out because of his commitment to seeing and using language and human literary imagination itself as a means of finding truth.

This truth that Karan seeks is not simply an abstraction. As at home as he might be with abstract ideas, his questions almost always lead to some practical ethical application. ~Mr. Jorge Sánchez, English Teacher The Excellence in U.S. History Award goes to a Junior who displays a genuine interest and curiosity about history and the American experience and a deep commitment to the core values embedded in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The student demonstrates an increasingly sophisticated set of historical thinking, reading, and writing skills – all of which are necessary for full and productive citizenship in a democratic society.

Muskaan Siddique is a driving force in class discussions and is not afraid to dive into sensitive topics. She absorbs the material and has a keen eye for details in writing and images. She possesses an incredible mind for facts and the overall narrative of American History. ~Mr. Dan Raffety, Social Studies Teacher 16

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The University of Rochester Frederick Douglass & Susan B. Anthony Award in Humanities and Social Studies honors two American authors and activists, who were essential to the fulfillment of the promises of the U.S. Constitution. The University of Rochester sponsors this award for a student who has strong grades in rigorous courses taken in the humanities and social sciences, shown leadership and dedication to community action, and demonstrated a commitment to understanding and addressing difficult social issues.

Madigan Boborci has distinguished herself not only as a high-achieving student but also as someone who engages with ideas at a very high level. An enthusiastic student of literature and history, her written work is mature and sophisticated, and her ability to look into a text and see its subtexts and implications is excellent. ~Dr. Frank Hering, English Teacher The Excellence in Social Studies Award goes to a Senior who for four years has demonstrated a keen interest in social studies. Excellent academic work in all social studies classes is required and evidenced by course grades, exam achievement, writing, and class participation.

Arman Gueyikian is a deep thinker who does not go for the surface explanation. He does an excellent job of pulling information from a variety of sources to build his knowledge. His comments enlightened us. His sense of history extends beyond classroom content; he has a broad sense of music/pop-culture and sports history (especially the NBA) as well. ~Ms. Kietzmann, AP Psychology Teacher, Mr. Raffety, U.S. Social Studies Teacher WORLD LANGUAGE AWARDS The Excellence in Latin Award goes to a Senior who has shown dedication, distinction, consistency, and passion for the Classics in their Latin career at Elgin Academy.

Tommy Cain chose to continue his studies even after completing a strenuous year in AP Latin.

He takes a particular interest in and has extensive knowledge of ancient mythology but combines that with a fun and “meme-y” way of telling those stories to us. He has a knack for transforming the stories we read into something silly and fun while simultaneously maintaining accuracy and technical proficiency. ~Ms. Susan Howe, Latin Teacher The Excellence in French Award goes to a Senior who has excelled in the study of French language and culture.

Simon Balisi is a student who is very comfortable in his skin (à l’aise dans la peau), one who can feel united with the intricacies of the French language, feeling the vibrations of the sounds, internalizing the mechanics of the grammar which hold the sentences together.

When the talk stops for a moment, as one hunts for a needed vocabulary word, this student often comes to the rescue–never with arrogance, always with the desire to help extend the conversation. ~Madame Therese Vincent, French Teacher The Excellence in Spanish Award goes to a Senior who has excelled in the study of Spanish language and culture.

Prudhvie Gudapati is impressive for the ease and quickness with which he learns. He was inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society as a sophomore and has medaled all four years in the National Spanish Exam. Prudhvie has been highly motivated in his years of language study. He has been a joy to teach. ~Señora Kathleen Rusniak, Spanish Teacher

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Fine Arts Awards The Laura Davidson Sears Performing Arts Award goes to a Senior who has demonstrated continued excellence in and dedication to both music and theatre during his or her time at Elgin Academy.

Cara Shanahan’s unique combination of natural aptitude, creativity, and work ethic is rarely seen in high school students. Her musicianship and natural acting talents have raised the bar for those around her, and she has left her indelible mark on the music and theatre students she leaves behind. ~Ms. Mary Bayer, Theatre Teacher; Ms. Marie Cinquemani Thomas, Music Teacher The Excellence in Theater Award goes to a Senior who has demonstrated continued dedication to theatre both in and out of the classroom throughout their time at Elgin Academy.

In addition to acting in a variety of diverse roles, Teagan Moore has also spent countless hours working behind the scenes, building and painting scenery, running a spotlight, and helping to get technical elements to function. Teagan has been a leader of the Thespian Society and the Improv Club and reached the milestone of Honor Thespian as a junior. ~Ms. Mary Bayer, Theatre Teacher The Excellence in Music Award goes to a Senior who has demonstrated continued commitment to the music program at Elgin Academy and who has shown a genuine love of music.

Sharene Gould Dulabaum is the very definition of a team player. Sharene is incredibly supportive of her fellow singers and generous with her time and talent. Not only was Sharene a team player, but an incredibly gifted soloist as well. ~Ms. Marie Cinquemani Thomas, Music Teacher The Jane Pelton Excellence in Art Award to an individual or individuals who have demonstrated outstanding ability and ownership of craft and a quest for knowledge that can only be gained from a sincere effort, a joy for the process, and an intrinsic understanding of the medium.

Xinran (Merlinda) Liu has created some very inventive work in the last several years as an art student. Coming to another country and adapting to the culture, its people, and its institutions for learning would be a challenge for any of us. That said, completing an Advanced Placement Portfolio in Studio Art is no easy task. She chose to create a series of paintings dealing with perceived beauty, self-identity, and acceptance of one’s self–a very personal, contemporary issue. ~Mr. Joseph Stuart, Art Teacher MATHEMATICS & SCIENCE AWARDS The Frank H. Limacher Mathematics Award goes to the Senior who best demonstrates enthusiasm for learning mathematics and improving their understanding.

Cara Shanahan’s goal is to learn - to learn with meaning, to learn with connections, to learn in a way where she can recall the information in the future. To accomplish this goal, she works. This dedication to learning a topic thoroughly, from every angle, helps her to create a substantial knowledge base on which to draw upon in the future. ~Ms. Pam Gomez, Mathematics Teacher, Ms. Gina Kietzmann, Mathematics Teacher The Excellence in Mathematics Award goes to a Senior whose thinking and problem-solving abilities surpass those of other students in the discipline of Mathematics.

Simon Balisi is a very eloquent and collaborative team player who brings new ways of problemsolving into the discussion as well as exciting and engaging tangents to our studies. ~Ann O’Neill, Mathematics Teacher 18

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The Fermi Laboratory Science Award goes to a Senior student who has displayed a genuine passion for some or several disciplines of science.

Prudhvie Gudapati demonstrated a focused interest in all areas of science within our curriculum as well as having a curious intellect about what else is out there. He questions and probes teachers and peers with ideas and is willing to pursue answers to queries independent of the classroom. ~Ms. Roberta Nabor, Biology Teacher The Excellence in Science Award is a four-year award about dedication to the sciences, effort, real interest in learning, cooperation with one’s fellow students, and positive attitude in the face of difficulty/adversity.

Sharene Gould Dulabaum is a student who works to the very end, asking the good questions-the WHY questions--and always pushing the class forward toward better understanding and more learning. ~Mr. Vince Thomas, Physics Teacher The Excellence in Computer Science Award goes to a Senior who has demonstrated a keen interest in computer science. This year three students were deserving of the award.

Alexander Mead is the engineer. He loves to build things. Last year, Alex built both a binary clock and an eight-bit binary adder. This year, he compared two programming languages by building two small computers (with blinking lights!) to test how fast they ran. He loves technology, but he is also a craftsman. ~Mr. Jim Kidston, Computer Science Teacher Pranav Sai is the entrepreneur. For his independent study, he created an Uber-like iPhone app which would allow people to rent parking places instead of cars. He has also been to half a dozen hackathons (that is a good thing), and ten years from now I will be surprised if he is not running his own business. ~Mr. Jim Kidston, Computer Science Teacher In addition to excelling in Computer Science classes, Benjamin Simon has been the unofficial tech consultant for the whole Upper School, and for two years he has been one of the two student representatives on the school’s Technology Committee. ~Mr. Jim Kidston, Computer Science Teacher

Citizenship and Service Awards The Sons of the American Revolution Award honors outstanding citizenship. This award recognizes a male or female Senior who demonstrates dependability, honesty, courtesy, respect, leadership, and patriotism.

Caitlin Sharma is one of the most dependable students with whom we have worked. She has developed into a leader in the classroom as well as in co-curricular activities such as The Cupola, the school newspaper. ~Mr. Doug Sept, Upper School Director The Old Main Award goes to a Senior member of Student Council or Athletic Council who demonstrates excellent leadership within one of the organizations.

Madeline Sporina is a leader in Athletics. She has distinguished herself on the volleyball and basketball teams, earning team awards and All-Conference honors. As President of the Athletic Council, Madeline drove the organization to be a more active group that has benefitted both the Upper School and the Academy as a whole. She began a new tradition of taking sports teams and other groups to feed the needy at Soup Kitchen. ~Muskaan Siddique and Kailianne Riggott, Student Council and Athletic Council Representatives

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The Excellence in Community Service Award goes to those individuals who have shown the longevity of commitment to service at school and the community at large. This year three students have demonstrated dedication to serving the homeless of Elgin at the shelter PADS. These awards were presented by Señora Kathleen Rusniak, Community Service Coordinator. Below are the honorees remarks about service.

Jordan Hare believes he grew as a person by helping people in need. Jordan writes, “The most humbling aspect of being a leader and member of PADS is when you see the same person over and over at the shelter. Then one week you do not see that person anymore, and you find out they finally have their own place. It puts things into perspective, and I am beyond blessed to be able to help the people of our community.”

Alexander Mead believes service has changed his outlook on life. He writes “PADS means a lot to me because I get to help others who are in need and to serve people with food and a warm smile, bright and early in the morning. From that, I can give a positive outlook to their day. I will take these life lessons I have learned at PADS and apply them every day.

Madeline Sporina says that she is thankful that she has had the opportunity to impact so many lives volunteering at PADS. Madeline continues, “For me, it was all about the smiles on their faces. The simple act of us putting all the pads away and vacuuming the carpets meant so much to the people staying there. I can’t tell you how many times people came up and thanked me for taking the time out of my morning to help them, and especially for bringing them breakfast. Although we are only there for a short time every week, the impact we make on their lives, no matter how small, is timeless.”

The Outstanding Student Ambassador Award recognizes a student who is an exceptional Admission Office volunteer. The student is a role model of the principles found in the Elgin Academy’s mission and promise statements. The student demonstrates knowledge of the school and its programs and articulates the transformative qualities of an Elgin Academy education.

Christopher Kademoglou consistently provides a friendly, kind, and caring persona to prospective families. He takes the time to answer student and parent questions during a tour and shares his contact information so that families can ask him questions at a later date. He is always willing to give a tour, even with short notice. ~Dr. Diane Schael, Admission Director The Outstanding International Student Ambassador Award goes to the student who serves the vital role of liaison between the school and prospective international students and their families.

Xinran (Merlinda) Liu served as a translator during tours and Skype interviews with international families. International students and their parents enjoyed the conversations they had with her and mentioned how she helped them understand Elgin Academy in greater depth. ~Dr. Diane Schael, Admission Director COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY AWARDS The Dartmouth College Book Award goes to a Junior who has demonstrated exceptional academic performance, intellectual leadership, and proficiency in a foreign language, and who has made a positive contribution to the extracurricular life of the school.

Madigan Boborci is the embodiment of an essential value at Elgin Academy: learning for the love of learning. She probes, analyzes, and synthesizes, and her eyes twinkle with excitement as she extends her knowledge on a variety of areas. She never shies away from tough topics of conversation and is always willing to speak her mind. She is a fierce competitor in Field Hockey who has received numerous accolades for her stellar performance on the field. She is an avid member of our theatre community. ~Mr. Dan Raffety, College Counselor; Madame Therese Vincent, French Teacher

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The George Eastman Young Leaders Award goes to a Junior who demonstrates strong leadership experience at school and in the community, earns high grades in challenging courses, and has extensive involvement in extracurricular activities.

Neha Karna quietly leads by example. While many of her peers talk, she is most often the one listening--listening to her teachers and listening to her peers. When she does speak, her words are more often than not brilliant and are usually the answers that teachers were looking for all along whether they knew it or not. ~Mr. Dan Raffety, College Counselor The St. John’s College Book Award goes to a student in recognition of a love of reading, exemplary enthusiasm for learning, and eagerness to pursue understanding through discussion.

Haolin Liu is philosophically and intellectually curious. His writing is excellent, especially for someone whose second language is English. He is currently pursuing a third language, Spanish which further demonstrates his curiosity about the world and his willingness to engage with it. ~Dan Raffety, Social Studies Teacher The St. Lawrence University Book Award goes to a Junior who is distinguished by a significant commitment to community service.

Muskaan Siddique has devoted much of her time to bringing attention to Teen Dating Abuse.

For two years now she has organized the Teen Dating Abuse Video Challenge which is sponsored by the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She has done an excellent job of eliciting ideas from her peers and encouraging them to follow through with this project. ~Mr. Dan Raffety, College Counselor

ELGIN ACADEMY REUNION

Celebrate

Save the Date

SEPTEMBER

28-29

WITH YOUR FELLOW HILLTOPPERS!

Friday, September 28 Homecoming Parade & Celebration on campus.

Saturday, September 29 Cheer on EA teams at the athletic fields then join fellow alumni for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and bocce at Pinstripes in South Barrington.

Classes that graduated in years that end in 8 or 3, we are looking for class captains to reach out to alumni. Please contact Marnie Kut, Director of Development, at mkut@elginacademy.org.

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Achieving

recognition beyond campus Presidential Awards The Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence recognizes seniors with high standardized test scores and a grade point average over 3.5. Recipients receive a certificate and a letter of recognition from the Office of the President of the United States.

National Merit Awards The National Merit Scholarship Program recognizes students for achievement on the PSAT taken during their junior year and offers scholarships to a select number of students. About 50,000 of the 1.6 million juniors taking the test receive some degree of recognition, ranging from Commended status to the highest level, National Merit Scholar.

Five members of the class of 2018 received National Merit recognition (pictured above). Congratulations to Commended students: Simon Balisi, Karan Gowda, and Pranav Sai and National Merit Finalists: Prudhvie Gudapati and Ben Simon.

Elgin Rotary “Straight A� Awards Annually, at a luncheon in May at Judson University, the Elgin Rotary Club recognizes Elgin area high school students who earn all A grades for the first semester of the school year. Pictured below.

First Year Honorees: Haolin Liu, Benjamin Simon Second Year Honorees: Simon Balisi, Yumei (Candace) Feng, Caelinn Leahy, Arman Pabani, Cara Shanahan, Jaden Tabak

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2018 recipients: Simon Balisi, Haley Dulabaum, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Connor Jaworski, Siyong (Bryan) Leng, Xinran (Merlinda) Liu, Cara Shanahan, Caitlin Sharma, Neha Shyamani, Ben Simon, Madeline Sporina, and Ruichao (Richard) Zhang The Presidential Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement recognizes seniors in a particular area of interest or those who have demonstrated outstanding educational growth, improvement, commitment, and intellectual development throughout their studies. Recipients also receive a certificate and letter of recognition from the Office of the President of the United States.

2018 recipients: Thomas Cain, Preston Desch, Arman Gueyikian, Alex Mead, and Madison Thiede.

Daily Herald Awards The Daily Herald newspaper annually offers awards for high school students who demonstrate leadership in the areas of Community Service and Academic Excellence. The Community Service Award recognizes students who show leadership and commitment in service to others. The Academic Excellence Award is given to students who demonstrate high academic performance through test scores and grades and who are actively involved in school clubs and organizations.

Third Year Honorees: Neha Karna, Caitlin Sharma

Community Service: Caitlin Sharma, Sharene Gould Dulabaum

Fourth Year Honorees: Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati

Academic Excellence: Sharene Gould Dulabaum and Karan Gowda

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Illinois State Scholars The Illinois Student Assistance Commission recognizes students for outstanding achievement on the ACT and for high Grade Point Average at the completion of their junior year. These students rank in the top 10% of the approximately 140,000 high school graduating seniors in Illinois each year. Pictured above.

2017-2018 Illinois State Scholars: Simon Balisi, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Arman Gueyikian, Pranav Sai, Cara Shanahan, Caitlin Sharma, Neha Shyamani, Ben Simon, and Madeline Sporina.

Quill & Scroll Awards Quill & Scroll is a national organization created to encourage, support, and recognize individual student initiative and achievement in scholastic journalism. This was an excellent year for our school newspaper, The Cupola, mainly thanks to the exceptional leadership, work ethic, and dedication of its co-editors in chief, Sharene Gould Dulabaum and Caitlin Sharma. The Cupola’s success is also a credit to an active staff of talented writers.

2018 Quill and Scroll certificate recipients: Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Arman Gueyikian, Caelinn Leahy, Cara Shanahan, Caitlin Sharma, Neha Shyamani, Muskaan Siddique, Benjamin Simon, and Madison Thiede

Advanced Placement Scholar Awards The College Board recognizes students who have the distinction of earning a score of three or better (out of a possible high score of five) on three or more Advanced Placement examinations. Members of the Class of 2018 were eligible for this distinction based on the scores of tests taken during their sophomore and junior years.

This year we are honored that sixteen of our students earned this recognition.

Morgan Donahue, Haley Dulabaum, Arman Gueyikian, Connor Jaworski, and Neha Shyamani were saluted as AP Scholars for receiving grades of 3 or higher on three or more tests.

Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Pranav Sai, Cara Shanahan, Caitlin Sharma, Ben Simon, Madeline Sporina, and Richard Zhang were named AP Scholars with Honor for an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, including scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

Congratulations to Simon Balisi, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, and Bryan Leng for earning recognition as AP Scholars with Distinction for earning an average score of 3.5 on all of their exams, as well as scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.

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Spotlighting

Honorary organizations

Cum Laude Society The Cum Laude Society is the secondary school equivalent of Phi Beta Kappa. It was founded in Maryland 110 years ago, and its mission is to recognize academic achievement in secondary schools for the purpose of promoting excellence, justice, and honor. The Elgin Academy chapter was founded in 1922. It is the oldest chapter in Illinois and the twenty-sixth oldest chapter in the Society. The Society’s Constitution authorizes each chapter to induct the top twenty percent of each year’s Senior class. At Elgin Academy, approximately ten percent are inducted as Juniors and another ten percent as Seniors.

Class of 2018, elected as Juniors: Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Karan Gowda, and Prudhvie Gudapati Class of 2018, elected as Seniors: Simon Balisi, Siyong (Bryan) Leng, Cara Shanahan, and Caitlin Sharma Class of 2019, elected as Juniors: Madigan Boborci, Yumei (Candace) Feng, and Neha Karna

National Honor Society All students in the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades with a cumulative GPA of 3.4 or higher are invited to apply for membership in this national organization, whose purpose is to recognize and honor students exhibiting the four characteristics that the society has established as criteria for membership: scholarship, character, leadership, and service.

2016 Inductees: Simon Balisi, Haley Dulabaum, Sharene Gould Dulabaum. Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Connor Jaworski, Cara Shanahan, Caitlin Sharma, Neha Shyamani, Benjamin Simon, and Madeline Sporina 24

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World Language Honor Societies The disciplines of Latin, French, and Spanish all offer membership in national honor societies as a way to rewards students for exemplary performance in their study of a language.

Latin National Honor Society: Cameron Agno, Thomas Cain, Ashley Gordon, Karan Gowda, Caelinn Leahy, Leeann Rao, Benjamin Simon, Emma Smiley, Nira Suvagia, and Madison Thiede French National Honor Society: Simon Balisi, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Caitlin Sharma, Madeline Sporina Madigan Boborci, Muskaan Siddique Elizabeth Sporina, Jaden Tabak John Arnold, Jennifer Goddard, and Hareem Rauf Spanish National Honor Society: Haley Dulabaum, Prudhvie Gudapati, Neha Shyamani Neha Karna, Cara Shanahan Caelinn Leahy, Arman Pabani, and Raphae Sami

2017 Inductees: Madigan Boborci, Arman Gueyikian, Neha Karna, Pranav Sai, and Muskaan Siddique 2018 Inductees: Cameron Agno, Yumei (Candace) Feng, Ashley Gordon, Danielle LaVigne, Caelinn Leahy, Xinran (Merlinda) Liu, Claire Noland, Arman Pabani, John Peak, Katherine Peak, Christopher Perez, Raphae Sami, Elizabeth Sporina, Jaden Tabak, and Lauryn Yost

International Thespian Society The International Thespian Society (ITS) is a student honorary organization that recognizes the achievements of high school theatre students. Since 1929, more than two million student thespians have been inducted into ITS. That number continues to grow, with more than 36,000 students from around the country being inducted each year.

Having a thespian troupe at Elgin Academy raises the profile and stature of the EA theatre program. Moreover, it provides a means for recognition of student theatrical contributions that creates within the student a sense of pride, confidence, motivation, and confirmation that their time is well spent.

Membership is granted for the performance of meritorious work in theatre arts. Once inducted students accumulate points for participation and can achieve the status of Honor Thespian and National Honor Thespian.

2015 Inductees: Morgan Donahue, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, and Teagan Moore 2016 Inductees: Madigan Boborci, Preston Desch, Haley Dulabaum, Connor Jaworski, Leeann Rao, Cara Shanahan, and Benjamin Simon 2017 Inductees: Ethan Moore, Jaden Tabak, Muskaan Siddique, and Kat Wall 2018 Inductees: John Arnold, Vansh Haridas, Katia Horn, Christopher Kademoglou, Charlene LaVigne, Danielle LaVigne, Aaron Kirk, Claire Noland, Jinyeop (Paul) Park, Katherine Peak, Nia Pegues, Emma Smiley, and Lauryn Yost 2017 Honor Thespian: Teagan Moore 2018 Honor Thespians: Madigan Boborci, Morgan Donahue, Sharene Gould Dulabaum

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Saluting Victorious Academic

competition teams

WYSE Team Takes the State Title In April, the 2017-2018 Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) team took first place in their division at the WYSE State Championships held on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. Additionally, several team members earned individual medals. The academic challenge team competed against teams from thirty-five schools by taking tests in the fields of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Graphics, English, and Physics. The team earned its way to the state competition with victories at regional and sectional competitions held at Elgin Community College and Northern Illinois University, respectively.

Coach: Jorge Sánchez State Team: Simon Balisi, Madigan Boborci, Yumei (Candace) Feng, Sharene Gould Dulabaum, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Connor Jaworski, Neha Karna, Danielle LaVigne, Haolin Liu, Pranav Sai, Benjamin Simon, and Ruichao (Richard) Zhang Individual State WYSE medal winners by categories: Biology: 5th Sharene Gould Dulabaum Chemistry: 1st Haolin Liu 2nd Karan Gowda 3rd Yumei (Candace) Feng 4th Neha Karna

Computer Science: 1st Benjamin Simon 2nd Pranav Sai 3rd Simon Balisi Mathematics: 2nd Simon Balisi 3rd Haolin Liu 5th Benjamin Simon

Inaugural Scholastic Bowl Team Meets with Success The inaugural season of Scholastic Bowl was more impressive than we expected. The team, an activity under the jurisdiction of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), qualified for both the National Academic Quiz Tournament (NAQT) State Championship and NAQT Small School Nationals. During the Masonic Academic Bowl State Tournament, the team placed second at the Somonauk Sectional and second at the State Final. Finally, during the IHSA State Series, the team was the seventh seed in the Seneca Sectional and won an upset at the Chicago Christian Regional. Advancing to the IHSA Sectional at Seneca, the team finished second in the Sectional. Finally, based on the team’s overall performance, the IHSA Scholastic Bowl Coaches Association voted the EA team as one of the most competitive teams in the state.

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Physics: 3rd (tie) Prudhvie Gudapati and Ruichao (Richard Zhang)

Coach: Jorge Sánchez Scholastic Bowl Team: Simon Balisi, Taylor Dundrant, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Connor Jaworski, Caelinn Lahey, Alexander Mead, Ethan Moore, Pranav Sai, Benjamin Simon, Elizabeth Sporina, and Mira Suvagia

Meet

the Male and Female Athletes of the Year

By Rick Williams The recipients of the Athlete of the Year embody the four cornerstones of Elgin Academy Athletics: sportsmanship, development, teamwork, and productivity. To win this award, one must be hardworking, dependable, coachable, and committed to excellence on and off the field of play! Although individual or team accolades certainly do not hurt, the athletic department focuses on honoring the process by which awards are achieved more so than the accomplishments themselves.

In the case of this year’s winners, both athletes began their journeys to the awards in the summer of 2017.

Picture this scenario: It’s a hot July afternoon, and your friends send you a snap that they are headed to the beach. You want to go, but you also know you have committed to summer workouts in the weight room and

gym to prepare for the upcoming final seasons of your high school athletic career. What do you do?

The answer to that problem is where awards are won and lost. In many cases, the decision made then is also where games are won and lost. If you choose the beach, no one will blame you. It’s hot. You are seventeen. Live a little! But then again, a commitment to excellence requires self-sacrifice! The road to success is paved with hard decisions! I can tell you first hand that both the male and female recipients made this sacrifice time and time again last summer as they frequented our newly formed weight room and went through a rigorous workout filled with sprints, jumps, hammering tires and more! That was all before the season even began!

Madeline Sporina, FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Once the games began in the fall, our Female Athlete of the Year hit the ground running and led our five-win Volleyball team with 309 Kills and 123 Blocks. Both set school records! She was selected to the First Team All-Conference in the Independent School League (ISL) and was a finalist for Player of the Year. She then went on directly to the winter season where she led our ten win Girls Basketball Team in points scored and field goal percentage. She was also selected to the ISL All-Conference Second Team! Her coaches commend her for not only her high level of play but for her consistency and leadership on and off the court. As Athletic Director, I had the pleasure of working alongside her in her role as President of Athletic Council. She demonstrated tremendous leadership abilities with an active and productive Athletic Council.

Jordan Hare, MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR Our Male Athlete of the Year is a two-sport athlete at Elgin Academy. In the winter season, he led our five-win Basketball Team in points, rebounds, blocks, steals, field goal percentage, minutes played, and pointless fouls committed! He was selected as First Team All-Conference in the ISL. In the game against Alden Hebron, he scored forty-one points in a win, the second highest point total in school history!

He followed up the basketball season with a successful baseball season as well. As a pitcher and outfielder on our ISL Conference Champion and IHSA Class 1A Regional Champion Baseball Team, he was able to earn second-team ISL All-Conference honors for the third straight year! He ended his career with a .356 batting average and holds the school record for stolen bases with 72! As Vice-President of our Athletic Council, he worked right alongside Madeline to lead our very hard working and productive organization. Finally, we are very proud that he has received a baseball scholarship to play for Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

For all the accomplishments mentioned above, Jordan Hare also received the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship, awarded through the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is an all-volunteer, non-profit foundation that is part of the great sports tradition in Elgin. Part of its mission includes awarding scholarships to students who either live in Elgin or attend high school in Elgin. Jordan received a monetary award for $1500 to be applied to college. elgin academy

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Celebrating

spring athletic Honors

Banner Year for Varsity Baseball Congratulations to Varsity Baseball on another outstanding season. The Hilltoppers finished with a 19-5 record and earned titles and honors in both the Independent School League (ISL) and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Pictured above.

Head Coach: Steve Shapiro Assistant Coaches: Israel Cruz, Vince Harris, Craig Pinson Team members: Cameron Agno, Jonathan Cruz, CJ Carani, Jordan Hare, Ethan Hill, Colin Konicek, Claire Noland, Ethan Plantz, Christian Rodriguez, Murtaza Shah, Derek Warren, Reece Zonts

Two-Time ISL Conference Champs The Varsity Baseball Team won their second consecutive ISL Conference title on May 5th, with twin billing wins over Francis Parker Academy. The Hilltoppers won the drama-filled first game, 4-3. Junior Colin Konicek induced a walk-off walk with two outs. Sophomore CJ Carani homered, Senior Jordan Hare doubled, and Sophomore Christian Rodriguez scored two runs. Carani also threw fifteen pitches and struck out two, allowing two hits to get the win in relief of sophomore Ethan Hill.

Elgin Academy won Game Two, 10-3. Christian Rodriguez had a four-hit day from the leadoff spot along with a double and two RBIs. The Hilltoppers cranked out fourteen hits as Ethan Plantz went three-for-five with two RBIs and two doubles while Ethan Hill (two-for-four, three RBIs) homered. Senior Jonathan Cruz and Jordan Hare each had two hits, while Cruz pitched a complete game and allowed three earned runs, six hits, four walks and nine strikeouts to get the win.

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Shapiro– Named ISL Coach of the Year Cruz– Named ISL Player of the Year Coach Steve Shapiro (73-46), in his fifth year as Head Varsity Baseball Coach, was named ISL Coach of the Year for the second time in his EA career. The honor is bestowed upon Coach Shapiro by a vote of ISL coaches. Coach Shapiro’s vision is foremost on the athlete. In his words, he strives “to keep the team playing high school baseball long into the season and to keep providing wonderful opportunities to academic athletes who want to fulfill their dreams of playing college baseball at a top academic university.”

Coach Shapiro’s excellent ability to cultivate and develop talent is reinforced by the accolades earned by his players, several players were named to the ISL First Team All-Conference and Senior Jonathan Cruz was named ISL Player of the Year. Additionally, under Coach Shapiro’s leadership, the Hilltoppers have won the ISL Conference title twice and won the IHSA Class 1A Regional title three times.

ISL First Team Honors Five Hilltoppers were named to the ISL 1st Team All-Conference. They are Johnny Cruz ‘18, Ethan Hill ‘20, Colin Konicek ‘19, Ethan Plantz ‘20 and Christian Rodriguez ‘20.

Three-Time IHSA CLASS 1A Regional Champs On May 19th, the Varsity Baseball Team won the IHSA Class 1A Walther Christian regional title--their third straight regional crown--by defeating North Shore Country Day School, 8-0. Sophomore Ethan Plantz had four hits with a double, and an RBI and Jonathan Cruz added three hits with a home run, a double, and four RBIs. Junior Colin Konicek added two hits and Jordan Hare had two RBIs for EA. Ethan Hill was the winning pitcher, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

The win advanced the Hilltoppers to the sectional semifinals where in the first round they encountered Aurora Christian Academy who went on to win the Class 1A State title. Elgin Academy concluded its season with a 19-5 record.

Jonathan Cruz and Jordan Hare Sign to Play College Ball Jonathan Cruz (above) signed to play baseball at Wabash Valley College in Illinois. Jonathan bounced back from a non-sports related injury suffered in the fall, to once again be a key team contributor as pitcher and shortstop.

His numerous accolades in 2018 include the following: IHSA Baseball Coaches Association (Class 1A) All-State Team, Fox Valley All-Area Team, Courier-News All-Area, and ISL Player of the Year.

Jordan Hare (below), pitcher, and outfielder signed to play baseball at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Jordan Hare made the ISL Second Team/Honorable Mention, and as was previously mentioned in this publication, he was the Elgin Academy Male Athlete of the Year and recipient of an Elgin Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship.

Boys Tennis is Back in Full Swing: Freshmen Advance to State Tournament The 2017-2018 Boys Tennis Team had an incredible season this spring, the likes of which have not been seen at EA in almost a decade. The team had a high number of players coming out to play, ending the season with over twenty players. Although extreme weather and scheduling issues plagued the Hilltoppers, they managed a 7-7 seasonal record and placed fifth in the ISL Conference and second in the Rockford Boylan Sectional.

The number one doubles team of Joseph Hargrave and Jonathan Yavari, both freshman, qualified for the State Tournament by placing third in the doubles division. On May 24th, the freshman duo met the number one seed for the tournament and fought remarkably, but fell short.

After winning one in the consolation round, they lost in their third match to another senior team.

We congratulate the Boys Tennis team on their stunning 2017-2018 season!

Head Coach: Janet Malecek Assistant Coaches: Sterling Perez and Greg Repede Team members: Simon Balisi, Tianyi (Roger) Chu, Karan Gowda, Prudhvie Gudapati, Joseph Hargrave, Yichen (Samuel) Hua, Connor Jaworski, Christopher Kademoglou, Aaron Kirk, Ryan Knight, Ethan Martin, Ryan Marusich, Alexander Mead, Ethan Moore, Lucas Muffitt, Jack Peak, Alexander Richardson, Danyaal Sami, Neal Shyamani, Katherine (Kyle) Wall, Dufei (Ferris) Wang, Zijia (Michael) Xu, and Jonathan Yavari

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Elgin Academy

legacies

Elgin Academy has a long and distinguished heritage and a proud tradition of attracting multiple generations from the same family.

Meet the 2018 legacy graduates and their families.

Thomas Cain, brother of Susanna Cain ‘14, son of John Cain ‘85 Preston Desch, brother of Lauren Desch ‘16 Haley Dulabaum, sister of Madeline Dulabaum ‘14 Sharene Gould Dulabaum, cousin of Madeline Dulabaum ‘14 Connor Jaworski, brother of Jackson Jaworski ‘15 Michelle Peyton, sister of Alexandra Peyton ‘14 and Rachel Peyton ‘17

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Opposite page: The Dulabaum and Gould Dulabaum families and friends- Harry Gould, Lower School Director, is the father of Sharene and the uncle of Madeline and Haley.

The Cain Family

The Desch Family

The Jaworski Family

The Peyton Family elgin academy

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we look forward to seeing

you!

There are many opportunities to visit Elgin Academy over the coming

months. Here are a few highlights of events that will take place during the 2018-2019 school year.

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September 28

Homecoming

September 29

Homecoming Games Alumni Reunion

November 30

All-School Musical Holiday Gathering

December 1

All-School Musical

December 13

Choral Concert

December 14

Candlelighting

January 4

Young Alumni Lunch

January 12

Pack the Place

February 19

Founders’ Day Tea

February 22

Founders’ Day of Service

March 1 & 2

Upper School Theatre Production

March 9

Extravaganza 42

March 13

Choral Concert

April 11

EAPA International Night

May 22

Choral Concert

June 1

Commencement

June 10

Athletic Booster Club Golf Classic

Get social

with Elgin Academy!

Want to hear about the latest campus news, celebrate alumni successes and life events, watch a video of our students in action, get a glimpse into how we learn, or read a blog from one of our community members? You’ll find all this and more on Elgin Academy’s social media sites.

facebook.com/elginacademy.us instagram.com/eahilltopper twitter.com/elginacademy

Alumni–Stay Connected!

We want your news for the Class Notes section of the next issue of Personally Speaking. Stay connected at elginacademy.org/alumns/events.

Update your address at elginacademy.org/alumns/ welcome-alumni.

elginacademy.org/about/ea-blog linkedin.com/company/elgin-academy-ilyoutube.com/user/EATVLive elgin academy

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350 Park Street Elgin, IL 60120

Taking learning

p ersonally.

Gia Joyce