Vol. 59, Issue 7--Senior Issue

Department Awards

CTE Business Education Award Timothy Nelson

CTE Family & Consumer Sciences

Franko Alesi

English Award Michael Kelly

Mathematics Award Karl Rizzo

Music Award Alex Wille

Physical Education Award Dylon Tworek

Speech/Drama/ Broadcasting Award Riley Gibson Science Award Colleen Compton

Art Award Nick Martinez

Applied Technology Award Declan Colleran

World Languages Award Yasmin Davidov

Social Science Award Katrina Hassman

2023 of the class of RECOGNITION

Art Club Scholarship Natalia

Kowaleski, Athletic Booster

Scholarship Julia Beck, Jack Jerger, Alexander Wille, Betty Houlihan Memorial

Scholarship Vinny Tran, Margaret Hershey, Alexander Wille, Brett J. Harman

Endowment Fund Nathan Beltran, Chris Harris Memorial

Scholarship Michael Kelly, Iota Sigma Pi Outstanding Young Women in Chemistry

Olivia Killian, Jim Kilburg Memorial Scholarship Dylan

Neill, Christina Paxhia, Ken Reese Senior Service Award

Colleen Compton, Lloyd Spear

Scholarship Finley Pullano, Maine Scholars Colette Gordon, Katrina Hassman, Emily Keller, Sara Mietus, Alexandra Shapkarov, Ivan Shapkarov, Maine South Music Boosters

Kyungsoo Chon, Ava Barru , Katrina Hassman, Isabella Staar, John Skutch, Tyson Keller, Logan Maurer, Timothy Nelson, Isabella Landerghini, Maine South Outstanding Female and Male Athletes Angela Lee, Bartolomej Kubis, Thomas

Zeimek Memorial Scholarship

Filip Michniewicz, Thomas

Porrello, Maine South Parents’

Scholarship Club Jandranka

Andricic, Jillian Beck, Julia

Beck, Colleen Compton, Alex

Dezelan, Jack Jerger, Aleksandra

Kajderowicz, Giancarlo DiCola, Joseph DiCola, Anthony

DiVito, Julianna Duddles, Kaya

Jakowczuk, Ryan Krischke, Luke Lesinski, Sophia Nasby, Harsh Patel, Christina Paxhia, Darko Peric, Anna Sagmeister, Neve Sullivan, Sam Taglia, Margaret Woods, Maine South Parents’ Scholarship Club: Clyde K. Watson Michael

Kelly, Maine South Parents’

Scholarship Club: Jan Cannon

Trinity Kueppers, Maine South Parents’ Scholarship Club: Martin McGovern/Scottie

Wind Chloe Bai, Vardah Khan, Kamila Leziak, Campell Micek, Tahar El Metennani, Timothy

Nelson, omas Porrello, Finbar

Stanton, Maine South Parents’

Scholarship Club: e Amina

Grace Memorial Award Morgan

Gioia, Katrina Hassman, Natalia

Kuppers, Alexander Wille, Maine

South Parents’ Scholarship

Club: e Good Food Pantry

Award Cecelia Tecu, Maine

South Parents’ Scholarship

Club: Virginia Feurer Noah

Collins, Maine South Speech,

Drama, Broadcasting Boosters

Colleen Compton, Sophia Nasby, Michael Magruder, Margaret

Hershey, Joseph Clemente, Ava

Barruffi, Logan Maurer, Riley

Gibson, Finley Pullano, Gaetano

Iannotta, Anna Widlowski, Maine 207 Foundation

Outstanding Student Tutor

Louisa Venice Baluga, Edward Starecheski, Maine Teachers

Association: Helen Dobbins

Michael Magruder, National Merit Scholarship Program:

Commended Students Lola

Bahrs, Chloe Bai, Julia Beck, Colleen Compton, Karl Jackiewicz, Georgia Kleinschmit, Joseph Mascort, Janine May, Sophia Nasby, Sara Plaza, Karl Rizzo, Ivan Shapkarov, Sean Stachorek, Edward Stareheski, Alexander Wille, Makala Wilson, National Merit Scholarship

Program: Finalists Kyungsoo

Chon, Emily Keller, National Merit Special Scholarship

Candidates Chloe Bai, Quinn Costello, Park Ridge Kiwanis Key Club Annika Sellegren, Margaret Hershey, Colette Gordon, Park Ridge Panhellenic Club Anna Wilkowski, Park Ridge Rotary: Make a Di erence Noah Collins, Maizie Pleuss, Park Ridge

Soccer - Scott Wade Memorial Soccer Scholarship Ethan Kasicki, Colin Schermerhorn, PEO Star Scholarship - Chapter DA Katrina Hassman, PEO Star Scholarship - Chapter

GZ Colette Gordon, Photo Club Scholarship Angelica

Miranda, Robert and Joan Lee Family Scholarship Aisha Arshad, Ethan Kasicki, Robert V. Simonson Award Karl Rizzo, Sophia Pichinos Scholarship

Isabella Staar, Steve and Vicki Lee Family Foundation

Scholarship Kerim Orucevic, Katrina Hassman, Bartolemej

Kubis, STROLL Park Ridge Margaret McCarthy, Campbell

Micek, The Kalo Foundation

- The Don Pegler Purchase

Scholarship Nick Martinez, The Kalo Foundation - The Don Pegler Scholarship eo Rorem, 20th Century Club of Park Ridge Sophia Hammes, Jadranka Andricic, Twenty-First Star Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution: Good Citizen Award Katrina Hassman, Twenty-First Star Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution: Peggy Ross American History Scholar Award Andre Bochat

Maine South Goodwill Award Winners

Sophia Boborci Louisa Baluga

Amanda I and Charles Lovett

Brian Denver Maria Uzquiano

Neve Sullivan

Margaret Snyder Tares Mytrofanyuk

“Oh, the Places you’ll go!”

Class of Post-Secondary Plans 2023

Alabama

Auburn University–Owen Lahart, John Stonebridge

The University of Alabama–Sloan

Shipp

Arkansas

University of Arkansas–Serra

Gerbich

Arizona

Arizona State University-Tempe–

Lindsay May

University of Arizona–Albaraa

Raeedy

California

Loyola Marymount University–

Lillian Kamienski

San Diego State University–Ben

Kappel

Scripps College–Colette Gordon

University of California-Los

Angeles–Michael Kelly

University of California-Santa

Barbara–Makala Wilson

University of California-Santa

Cruz–Alexandra Karnezis, Alexander Wille

University of Southern California–Ethan Kasicki

Colorado

Colorado School of Mines–Ryan

Krischke, James Stanisic

Colorado State University-Fort

Collins–Kayli Franz, Tessa Penn

University of Colorado Boulder–

Matthew Romano

Connecticut

Yale University–Harsh Patel

D.C.

George Washington University–Andre Bochat, Pavel Oman

Florida

Florida Atlantic University–

Natalia Kuppers

Florida State University–Milla

Bellisario

The University of Tampa–Isabella

Zagotta

University of South Florida-Main

Campus–John Fiszer

Georgia

Savannah College of Art and Design–Max Jokinen

University of Georgia–Avery Hattery

Illinois

Augustana College (IL)–Ryan

Leyden

Bradley University–Daniel Sikora City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S

Truman College–Mohamed Ouifak

Columbia College-Chicago–Rae

Robles

DePaul University–Joseph Di Cola, Marko Domazet, Riley Gibson, Nikola Gostovic, Riley Heneghan, Jack Kantner, Maja Koziara, Charles

Lovett, Isabella Murphy, Kateryna

Palii, Sukinah Rahal

Dominican University–Kaya

Jakowczuk

Illinois Institute of Technology–Natalia Bartela, Yannan He, Maria Uzquiano

Illinois State University–Franco

Alesi, Nathaniel Annes, Madison

Beyer, Devin Clarke, Derick Deleon, Michael Ellison, Thomas Gaughan, Abigail Gricius, Martin Jager, Jacob

Lakin, Michael Magruder, Natalia

Novello, Natalie Polinski, Ethan Reyes, Jack Tornabene

Illinois Wesleyan University–Michael Sebo

Lewis University–William Marinis, Aine Ronan

Loyola University Chicago

Aisha Arshad, Martin Bukoll, Joseph Figgins, Angelina Kasiyan, Yianni Korovilas, Katherine Kuja, Veronica Majchrowicz, Victoria

Majchrowicz, Stephania Prusa, Dylan Tzegiannakis, Brandon Wolak, Nicholas Zureikat

Moody Bible Institute–Deana

Dawson

North Central College–Robert

Lorenz

Northern Illinois University–Nathan Evans, Morgan Gioia

Northwestern University–Callie

Berthold, Olivia Killian, Alexandra

Stott

Oakton Community College–

Daniel Allegretti, Michal

Andrzejczak, Ryan Belz, Linsay

Benitez, Morgan Beyer, Eric Bielat, Neda Buzinskas, Irish Bryan Caneja, Isabella Demarinis, Grant Ellsworth, Adriane Erskine, Karolina Flasz,

Patryk Garbacz, Natalie Jezierny, Isabel Jimenez, Alen Kamencic,

Kassidy Kaufmann, Luka Kostur, Jude Malek, Jessica Mcaleer, Zahra

Mehrdadi, Emilio Mora, Olivier

Nalepa, Noorbi Patel, Nicole Peszko, Arham Rahman, Mary Rigoni,

Nazariy Vysotskyy, Emma Weitzel

Quincy University–Angela Lee

Roosevelt University–Brianna

Barriga

Saint Xavier University–Joseph

McDonagh

School of the Art Institute of Chicago–Theo Rorem

Triton College–Jacqueline Orellana, Nicholas Romano, Ayaan Shaik

University of Chicago–Alexandra

Shapkarov, Ivan Shapkarov

University of Illinois at Chicago–Cristel Adaya, Leah Cardenas, Kyungsoo Chon, Sabina Hodzovic, William Huddleston, Natalia

Jedrocha, Amina Marin

University of Illinois at Springfield–Joseph Karlesky

University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign–Ava Amabile, Vincent Anelli, Jibreel Baki, Rocco Bartucci,

Sofia Bellisario, Silvia Buti, Zachary

Chapovalov, Declan Colleran,

Quinn Costello, Lily Coyle, Joslyn

Crawford, Anthony Divito, Charles

Doubleday, Mia Dovhaychuk, Tahar El Metennani, Matthew

Figula, Kate Fogel, Margaret

Gaughan, Oliver Gutierrez, Margaret

Hershey, Theodora Horaitis, Karl

Jackiewicz, Jack Jerger, Jackson

Keenan, Emily Keller, Georgia

Kleinschmit, MaryClare Koch, Natalia Kowalewska, Kamila Leziak, Paula Malarz, Logan Maurer, Filip

Michniewicz, Michael Milanowski, Ryan Palumbo, Emily Richard,

William Rouse, Anna Sagmeister, Genevieve Scarpelli, Genevieve

Sciortino, Annika Sellergren, Finbar

Stanton, Dylon Tworek, Selim

Ulucan, Cayla Walton, Angelika

Wlodyka, Cole Zocher

Wilbur Wright College–Alexandra

Papastathis

William Rainey Harper College

Marc Martin

Indiana

Butler University–Timothy Nelson, Sam Taglia

DePauw University–Bennett Smith

Indiana State University–Anthony

Aloise

Indiana University-Bloomington

Mohammed Baasim, Anastasia

Brow, Luca Canetta, Pauline Dimeo, Ryan Gaertner, Emma Lenzini, Laura Milewska, Amelia Prater, Braden Quinn

Purdue University–Brian Denver, Anthony Desimone, Gaetano

Iannotta, Christopher Kulas, Janine

May, Ava Paloyan, Giovanni Serio

Taylor University–Wallace Tinder

University of Notre Dame–Sara Mietus, Amelia Miulli

Valparaiso University–Henry Lakin

Iowa

Iowa State University–Jacob

Cichon, Colleen Compton, Thomas Devlin, Willa Kuczura, Nora Main

Loras College–Jackson Magad

*Based on the CCRC Senior Survey self-reported data of 358 students

Mount Mercy University–Sophia

Boborci

University of Iowa–Ashley

Applebaum, Jacob Birkett, Sarah

Brough, Patrick Coyle, Brendan

Crosson, Siobhan Derrig, Liam

Dillon, Liam Doyle, Sarah Moore,

Dylan Neill, Kiara Obrien, Ronan

Obroin, Joseph Paglini, Julian Ramos,

James Rourke, Michael Sanchez,

Stephen Slabinger, Margaret Snyder,

Constantina Speron, Kaitlin Warner

Kansas

University of Kansas–Ann

Desimone, Julia Duddles, Lindsay

Majerczak

Kentucky

University of Kentucky–Noah

Collins, Charles Dohr, Amandarose

Iffland, Olivia Ogasawara, Nicole

Rybaltowski, Jason Urquhart, Lily

Wallace

Louisiana

Louisiana State University–Kailee

Hampton

Tulane University–Maya Ortiz

Massachusetts

Boston University–Sofia Martinez

Michigan

Grand Valley State University–

Daniella Lopiccolo

Michigan State University–Sofia

Alleje Remus Dumitrescu, Samuel

Henn, Liam Maloney, Ryan Pothast,

Aidan Sierra, Aladino Urbain, Phyllis

Walsh

University of Michigan-Ann

Arbor–Brock Chiovari, Joseph

Mascort, Amelia Mital, Sara Plaza

Karl Rizzo

Western Michigan University–Eric

Costa, Kyle Winckler

Minnesota

University of Minnesota-Twin

Cities–Jack Broutman, Matthew

Moskal, Madison Walker

Missouri

Saint Louis University–Moiz Alavi

University of Missouri-Columbia–

Jeniyah Brewer, Meghan Callahan,

Sean Crosson, Charles Huhta, Nel

Kupiec, Jenna Pravecek

Mississippi

University of Mississippi–Sam

Bartell, Martin Brosnan, Annastina

Lindholm, Andres Pinto, Sarah Zarn

Montana

The University of Montana–Ryen

Desmedt, Payton Ranalli

North Carolina

Davidson College–Emilia

Goldwasser

Elon University–Angelina

Piotrowski

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill–Katrina Hassman

Wake Forest University–Luke

Lesinski

Nevada

University of Nevada-Las Vegas–Reese Lawrence

New York

Marist College–Sean Mullan

Marymount Manhattan College–

Finley Pullano

Syracuse University–Niamh Duffy

The New School–Alyson Kaplan

Ohio

Bowling Green State University–Julia Hamel

Denison University–Sophia Nasby

John Carroll University–Bartolomej

Kubis

Miami University-Oxford–

Gabrielle Fisher, Isabella Godinez, Matthew Heffernan, Audrey Kirwan,

Nicolas Lospalluto, Campbell Micek, Neve Sullivan

Oberlin College–Olivia Das Gupta

Ohio University–Sofia Costa, Grace

Kelleher, Melanie Marbach, Michael

Taylor

The Ohio State University–Ryan

Shelby

University of Cincinnati–Jason

Kaplan

University of Dayton–Matthew

Bohn, Grace Duerkop, Miabella

Mastrolonardo, Michael Migon, Macy Muellner, Maizie Pleuss, Sophia Rubin, Elizabeth Stewart

Oregon

University of Oregon–Emily Cook, Claire Kallen

Pennsylvania

Bucknell University–Jack Hartung

Carnegie Mellon University–

Ljubomir Popovic

Drexel University–Margaret Woods

Mercyhurst University–Katelyn

Gleason

Pennsylvania State University–James Gurgone, Mary Sulo

Penn State Erie, The Behrend

College–Joshua Torres-Jackson

University of PittsburghPittsburgh Campus–Charles

Showalter

South Carolina

Clemson University–Ciena Metzger

College of Charleston–Ava

Malatesta

University of South CarolinaColumbia–Trinity Kueppers, Lillian Verisario

Tennessee

Vanderbilt University–Sean Stachorek

Utah

University of Utah–Kaden Karstens, Colin Schermerhorn

Virginia

College of William and Mary–

Alexandra Morley

Old Dominion University–Spencer Dow

Wisconsin

Carroll University–Alexandra Sahlincloutier

Carthage College–Kaitlyn Goff, Katie Wilhelm

Marquette University–Carly

Christopher, Alex Dezelan, Sophia Hammes, James Marcuccilli, Dominick Parrillo, Grace Placko, Liam Sultana, Morgan Timmons, John Wasielewski, Jack Wijas, Jakub

Wiktorczyk

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design–Nick Martinez, Tom Painter

University of WisconsinMadison–Jillian Beck, Julia Beck, Christopher Bottari-Tower, Aidan

Costigan, Susan Enkhjargal, Isabella Landerghini, Brady Marques, Alexandra Mital, Jacob Salvatore, Caitlin Seurynck, Benjamin Tobias

University of Wisconsin-Stevens

Point–Daniela Goldston

University of Wisconsin-Stout–Samantha Bergeron

University of WisconsinWhitewater–Madison Zuehls

Canada

The University of Winnipeg–Giovanni Garza

Military

Marine Corps–William Ogasawara

Navy–Samuel Tartan

Class of 2023 BY THE NUMBERS

421

66

going to UIUC

a 4-year college)

76

going to Oakton

(highest enrollment numbers for

(highest enrollment numbers for a 2-year college)

32

different states attended

6

Based on the most recent CCRC data of 484 students going to a fouryear college or university entering the workforce

2 enlisting in the military

167 first-generation college students

Aisha Arshad

by Maggie Hershey

Ihaveknown Aisha since middle school and have always been blown away by the deep level of care that she puts into everything she does.

She has had a passion for helping others for as long as I can remember. This has led her to pursue a career in medicine, a goal that she has been working towards since freshman year. Even during the chaos of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked tirelessly to promote career opportunities for students considering medicine. This led to the founding of a Maine South chapter of HOSA –Future Health Care Professionals. As the founder and president, she has given many students the opportunity to explore their interest in medicine. Three students in HOSA, including herself, will be competing in an international competition this summer.

In addition to the extracurricular activities, her passion for research is incredible. Aisha was involved in the Maine South Summer Research program where she studied the effects of different chemicals in cleansers, winning gold in both the Regional and State competitions. Outside of school, she has participated in two health research opportunities through Northwestern University.

Aisha worked as a research intern for SAATH, a program that researches cardiovascular health for South Asians. She also was part of a Racism Advisory Group which works to prevent racism in pediatric health care.

I have learned firsthand the ways that she puts care and energy into everything she does. She is always willing to help anyone in her class; whether that means planning study sessions or sending practice Quizlets to classmates, she is always ready to support her friends and colleagues.

Over her four years at Maine South, she has done everything to help her community and will be continuing her research at Loyola University, studying public health and working as a research assistant.

Louisa Baluga

by Natalia Kowaleweska and Maggie Woods

Filipino club president Louisa Baluga is known for her bubbly personality, kind-hearted nature, and perfect penmanship.

Not only is she the president of the Maine South Filipino club, but she is also the founder. As a leader, she has planned events to spread awareness for this ethnic group at South.

When you see her in the hall, she never fails to wear a smile. She easily lights up any room she walks into, as her positive energy is truly contagious.

Louisa strives to aid those around her in any way she possibly can. In her classes, Louisa is known for helping her peers. She frequently creates Quizlets and study-guides and does not hesitate to share them with her classmates.

This alone is truly selfless, but her museumquality handwriting is such an added bonus.

Furthermore, Louisa is always willing to read over students’ essays and provide her honest feedback.

She has volunteered countless hours as an English tutor in the ARC these past two years. In her free time, she enjoys reading poetry and classics to improve her vocabulary.

Someday soon, she will make a fantastic English teacher.

Additionally, Louisa goes out of her way to make others feel heard and included. Whenever you talk to her, she actively listens to what you have to say and expresses genuine interest and feedback.

You can always count on her to congratulate you on a recent victory or check in on you when something is off.

Louisa will be pursuing further education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She intends to major in English, eventually pursuing a career in teaching. No matter the path she takes, she will put her wide variety of skills and experiences to use to become an amazing role model for others.

Michael Kelly

by Brielle Bates

Michael Kelly is the most hardworking, charismatic, and ambitious person I have ever met. From being a leader in our school's Science National Honor Society, Environmental Club, and Hawk Pride, to taking many AP classes, to working at Roosevelt’s Beyond the Bell program after school, he puts his all into everything he does.

Alongside his academic achievements, he is witty, optimistic, and wise beyond his years—three attributes that set him apart as a phenomenal leader. Friends and family have never known him to turn down an ask for help or not comfort someone when they struggle in any aspect of life, both inside of school and out.

He is described by his teachers as intelligent, resilient and dependable, which allows him to excel at all of his endeavors, and does not go unnoticed by the school staff and his peers.

From playing on Maine South's JV volleyball team during his sophomore year to being a Maine South ARC tutor, it is clear that Michael is a wellrounded member of this school community who contributes both talent and intelligence to school activities.

Time and time again, he rises above hardships and conquers challenges both in school, extracurriculars, and everyday life.

Michael is committed to the University of California - Los Angeles to study Biology, a path he has been working towards throughout his four years at Maine South. This school is ranked in the top 14% of universities globally. Both Mr. Dave Fermanich, his AP Biology teacher, and Mrs. Amy Capps, his past Accelerated Biology teacher, refer to him as an incredibly intelligent and hardworking student, from his freshman year up to his last days as a senior.

Words cannot describe how proud all of his close friends, family, and teachers are of him as a person and all of his accomplishments during his time at Maine South.

Natalia Kuppers

by Katrina Hassman

Seven years ago, I met Natalia at a babysitting class at the public library. It is only fitting that I met her at an event dedicated to caring for others. In the seven years I have known Natalia, I haven’t met a single person who loves people like she does. She epitomizes celebrating one’s differences and amplifying them for all to appreciate. Her undying positivity echoes throughout the halls of Maine South and through the streets of Park Ridge.

As an officer of Hawk Pals, Natalia has consistently spread inclusion over the past four years. She attends every club event, including football games, homecoming, lunch outings, and Special Education prom. Additionally, you can find her coaching Special Olympics bowling and dancing on Maine South’s Unified Dance team. Natalia also uses her strong social media prowess to create content spreading Hawk Pals’ message of inclusion. She has pushed hundreds of Maine South students to join Hawk Pals and Special Olympics activities. Inclusivity spreads like wildfire, and Natalia is the spark Maine South has needed.

Outside of disability advocacy, Natalia is a fierce advocate for all people in need. Most recently, Natalia organized and facilitated a Be The Match stem cell drive. She is dedicated to improving lives, not only at school, but everywhere in the world. Her desire to make positive change will make Natalia one of the greatest leaders of our generation.

Her ability to stay focused on what truly matters also contributes to what makes Natalia such a great leader. You’ll never find her stuck on negativity, only pushing past it to find even the smallest trace of positivity. Natalia exclusively posts positive content on social media, highlighting bright moments in her life and helping others find joy.

Next fall, Natalia will attend Florida Atlantic University. Majoring in health science, she has dedicated the next four years to learning how to further provide for those in need. I am amazed by Natalia’s success and beyond excited for what her future holds.

Zahra Mehrdadi

by Claire Kallen

Ihave had the pleasure of getting to know Zahra this year; her hard work, dependability, and kindness do not go unnoticed.

She is a fellow leader in the Maine South Athletic Training Club. For four years she has been tirelessly working to help care for student-athletes, taking after her older sister who was also in the program.

I first noticed Zahra’s dedication and perseverance through her journey of running for and winning a leadership role in the Spanish National Honor Society.

Zahra has dedicated a great deal of her time and hard work to starting and promoting the @collegedecisionsouth Instagram page. She has posted and continues to post hundreds of Maine South students’ college commitments on this account. Zahra has dedicated hours of her time to uploading and displaying her fellow peers’ post-high school plans. All work put into the Instagram page has been completed out of the goodness of her heart to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Maine South students.

She is also known for taking videos of the Maine South football, basketball, and girls’ aquatic sports teams. Zahra then started an Instagram account to show their hard work and commitment to their sports teams.

I have known Zahra to be a person who is very talkative, loves making new friends, and enjoys interacting with others. Zahra is someone that will go that extra mile to make everyone feel included and she will always bring a smile to your face.

Maine South is lucky to have Zahra as a positive role model in the community. She will carry on her legacy at Loyola University Chicago.

Through her dedication, commitment, and acts of kindness, Zahra deserves to be recognized as an Unsung Hero at Maine South. She has done so much for the Maine South community, continuously helping her peers and always going out of her way to provide for everyone.

Harsh Patel

by Declan Colleran

Ifyou’ve spent a lot of time in the Science and Social Science Departments, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Harsh Patel. Whether in an AP Biology class or at a Psychology club meeting, Harsh is always a leader in the room.

In every class I’ve shared with Harsh, he’s been someone that his fellow students could turn to for help. He’s always willing to put aside his work to help his classmates through a tough problem, and he never fails to show the utmost humility.

Some of Harsh’s biggest contributions to Maine South have been through his extracurricular activities. As a member of National Honor Society, Junior Class Council, Senior Class Council, and Student Council, Harsh helped plan school events such as Homecoming, the food drive, and senior week.

After taking AP Psychology in his sophomore year, Harsh helped to found Maine South’s Psychology Club, a club which he continues to lead since its founding. Additionally, he has been an officer of the Medical Careers Club throughout his junior and senior years. At a Medical Careers Club meeting earlier this year, Harsh presented some of the work that he did at his internship at the University of Chicago.

He interned at the university’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he was involved in cancer research. Together with some of the nation’s top scientists, Harsh researched the impact of fatty acids on tumor cells. The research Harsh was involved in has the ability to change the way that scientists understand cancer. His experience was also a great example to younger members of the Medical Careers club, whom he encouraged to apply for similar internships in the medical field.

In the fall, Harsh will head to Yale University, where he will study Molecular Biology, with plans to attend medical school in the future. After making such a strong contribution to Maine South during his four years, there is no doubt that Harsh will continue to be a force for good in the world.

Turning the page beyond teaching

Ms. Jill Braverman English Teacher

Alibrarycard is a passport to worlds beyond your own. And I vividly remember getting mine at the Norwood Park branch of the Chicago Public Library when I was five years old. A weekly visitor, I loaded tote bags with adventures and mysteries. Had the library offered a summer reading program, I would have been that kid who’d race to read 100 books to get an eraser, a lousy bookmark, and a voucher for a Lou Malnati’s personal pizza.

It will come as no surprise then to learn that I also loved school at an early age. While many kids were dreading the end of summer, I was awaiting the “Back-to-School” ads in the Sunday edition of The Chicago Tribune. Nothing held more promise than a new Trapper Keeper notebook and a fresh box of 24 Crayola crayons.

Not only did I relish learning at school, but I also thrived being part of a community, and I appreciated the order and security of school, which offered a reprieve from a sometimes

turbulent childhood.

Of course, the 1970s didn’t offer the distractions of today’s world. Without cable TV, computers, the internet, or cell phones, school was where we got our news, learned about the world, and connected with friends. There, we figuratively plugged in and got energized. We had nothing else to do but go to school.

Yet on some days, school was hard. I’d stand at the chalkboard struggling to solve a long division problem near a teacher who believed shouting louder was motivating. My classmates and I nervously stood up every Friday to get our new seats based on our test grades which were publicly announced. While I’d sit comfortably somewhere in the middle, I’d empathize with the students whose grades always placed them in the back row. What was school like for them? How could school improve for them?

Those questions lingered and guided me towards a career in English Education. Igniting enthusiasm for learning while offering compassion has been my goal for the last 34 years

teaching at Maine South. Working with countless students, alongside inspiring colleagues, has truly been one of the greatest joys of my life.

Nothing compares to seeing the pride when a student masters a skill or learns a new concept. Feeling bleak about the future? Sit in on a Socratic seminar and listen to teenagers critically discuss the themes of a novel with insight and a sense of responsibility for their world and for each other. Help students discover that their words have power, and prepare to be persuaded, amused, consoled, and inspired by their voices.

The humble role I played in fostering those skills, in building that confidence, in creating a safe environment for students is why I became a teacher.

Yet on some days, teaching was hard.

I’d find 32 emails in my inbox with 30 minutes left in my free period. The photocopier would break. The ungraded essays piled up. A lesson flopped. I’d be muted.

On those hard days, I relied on the

kindness of students and the humor of the English Department to reassure me and restore me to try again the next day. I hope that I did the same for them.

Teaching is a lot like life: the more you give to others, the more you receive. I am beyond grateful for my time at Maine South and all that it has given me. As I sit on the beach reading a book at the start of next school year, my heart will be full.

Watching students grow inspires a new beginning

Ms. Christiana Joyce CTE Teacher

Maine South has been through many changes since I started teaching here 26 years ago. Some changes have been incredible (such as the amazing updated building!) and some changes proved to be more challenging. Anyone in education knows that teaching requires constant flexibility with evolving curriculum, grading, assessments, attendance, and technology. Even students get a sample of the ever-changing education system simply from the difference in their older siblings attending Maine South in the previous years. But what has always stayed as a consistent anchor in my career has been the students and staff.

Throughout my career, I’ve taught all levels and ages, from preschoolers to elementary grades, and even junior high students for a brief time. While teaching each of those groups had its own rewards, there is nothing compared to the joy of teaching high school students. Teenagers finally start to understand who they are and get to experiment with who they

will become. They start trying out new fashion styles, new looks, and new lifestyles. They try out different hobbies like drama, sports, musicals, clubs, or student government. They are trying to find out what they like, who they are, and what they might want to become. As teachers, we love being on this journey with them, and guiding them when we can. We enjoy watching them grow from freshman year to senior year, seeing how they mature, change, and

become an adult by graduation. That senior year is so special and exciting— especially the second semester—when all the great things happen like college acceptance, Great America, senior honors night, prom, and graduation. It’s an incredibly rewarding job to witness the success of your students, even though many people think we’re a bit crazy to be with teenagers all day. But they keep us young! No, not every day is perfect—every job comes with challenges. But we always have many more good days than bad and those good days are the reason we keep coming to school every day to teach.

As with any job, your colleagues are one of the most important things because they can make your life truly enjoyable. Like your friends, they are there day-in and day-out listening, helping, and giving great advice when you need it. They are your mental health, they are your army, and they are the shoulder you cry on when you don’t have that great day. Because of them, you grow and stay sane. They are different from your friends outside of work because they understand your everyday struggles

and accomplishments because they understand the ins and outs of your job. Some day, all of you will have jobs and careers. Even if you work fully remote, you will still most likely end up working with colleagues, and I only hope that you are able to create friendships like I have with my department. We are truly friends in and outside of work, always providing each other support. I hope you all get to experience the joy of a workplace filled with friendship and laughter as I have.

When you have colleagues like that and students like I have had for the past 26 years, you start to get a little sad about not being with them every day. I will miss seeing the growth, the accomplishments, and the joy I see from my students every day. I will miss the laughs and the support from my colleagues every day. When choosing a career path, they say do something you love and it is never considered work. Well, it was still work, but the relationships I created here during my time at Maine South have made all the difference. Thank you for such an incredible adventure.

Prepared to explore the world outside of teaching

Ms. Heidi Bowbin Science Teacher

child deserves a champion—an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.”

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. My father was a high school teacher and growing up I was inspired by the impact he had on his students and athletes. This impact is what moved me to choose education as a career and what has fueled my 34 years as a teacher and coach. To do what I can in the time I have with each student to help them achieve their potential has been my guiding light.

I absolutely love teaching science. Science requires students to engage in the world around them. It requires curiosity and wonder. It requires ruling out that which cannot be to arrive at a solution based on sound reasoning and principles. It is beautiful in its symmetry.

For 34 years I have taught all realms of chemistry, from Experimental Methods to AP Chemistry and Crime Science. It is my hope that I sparked my students’ interests in the world around them and helped prepare those who have gone on to college for the rigors of science at the university level. I will let you in on a little secret, however: while I do enjoy teaching chemistry, my true passion has been teaching students to persevere

when the going gets tough.

What I did not expect after over three decades of teaching is to have learned as much from my students as they have learned from me. To have achieved this balanced equation after 34 years has been serendipitous and sustaining.

Working in the Science Department at Maine South with a wondrous, motley, and beautiful cast of characters has been a privilege and joy. When people ask me how I do it, I say all things are possible when you work with colleagues who at their core are kind, generous in heart, and courageous. Thank you, Maine South Science for your compassion, your humor, and friendship all these years. I have had the good fortune of making lifelong friends who have been with me through all of life’s ups and downs. I am in your debt. You are all champions.

Gymnastics has been a part of my life since I was four years old, and I competed at a high level through high school and college. I was so grateful back in 1989 when I was not only hired as a teacher, but also as the Head Girls’ Gymnastics Coach. I coached for 10 years, stepped back to raise my family, returned as assistant coach six years ago, and then took over the program as Head Coach two years later. It truly has been a full-circle experience for me. There is nothing like the relationship you have as a coach with student athletes. I cherish the relationships I have had with the gymnasts I have coached over the years. They have taught

me resilience, kept me young, and added a special spark to my time at Maine South. I will forever be grateful to have had the opportunity to help shape their lives.

While the days at times have seemed long, the years have been short—and these 34 years have sped by in a bleary blink of an eye. As my teaching journey comes to an end, I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to have played a part in the lives of students, student-athletes and colleagues. In the classroom and the arena, I have been blessed in more ways than I can count. Thank you for being my champion.

Leaving with memorable advice for students

Mr. Robert Tortorelli Counselor

Stopwork and put your pencil down. Congratulations, you have just completed the 2022-2023 school year. What does that mean? Was this a test? Completing the 2022 -2023 school year will have a different outcome for each of us. For me, it is my last of 28 years at Maine South. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful, talented, and interesting students and staff members over the years. I do have some insight and advice to share with my current students regarding the end of this school year and what the future may bring.

For my freshman: I hardly knew ye, but I like what I see. You did it. Your first year of high school is over. You have learned a great deal and you are ready for more. Well done. Now that you know what you’re doing, don’t screw it up.

Sophomores: your high school experience is at the midpoint. It has been a pleasure seeing you halfway there. Exciting opportunities await you in your second half. Seek out challenges and embrace them. You are ready to be upperclassmen, but don’t let it go to your head.

Juniors: you started high school during the pandemic. You adapted and responded well. In a way, I feel like we have unfinished business. I am sorry to leave the party early on you, but I am confident you will finish strong next year. Leadership

awaits you. Make your senior year the best.

Seniors: congratulations class of 2023 as you complete your final year of high school. It seems like a long time ago that you started at Maine South, pre-pandemic, in Freshman Focus—that fun place where we made you feel comfortable in high school by getting you out of your comfort zone. Then the world changed with the pandemic, and the challenges of isolation that went along with it. Finally, you helped to establish the new Maine South upon your return to the building. Your four - year high school experience has been like no other. You passed the test. Take what you

have learned at Maine South and move forward with confidence, creativity, purpose, and passion.

So, what about me? This final year has been especially rewarding, but I have great memories going way back to attending Maine West High School, the University of Illinois, and then teaching before starting my career as a school counselor at Maine South. Counselors give advice, but we also need to listen. I have really enjoyed listening to and getting to know my students. I have learned a great deal from you and I admire your resilience. Watching awkward freshman mature into young adults ready to take on the world is an amazing show and one that I will miss. I will miss listening to your stories, your struggles, and your triumphs. I will miss seeing students at after school competitions and performances. I will also miss my Irish Club friends and the culture, the food, the music, and even the Gaelic football games that we have enjoyed together. I will miss the Hawk Links helping our transfer students. Side note: be nice to everyone, especially transfer students. I will not miss being asked about parking passes, but I will miss you all.

If I am going to miss so much, why am I retiring? Sometimes, it’s just time, and as I begin my journey on to new adventures, I do so with much gratitude, appreciation and wonderful memories from my time at Maine South. Wishing you all the best.

“Every

– Rita Pierson

It’s the final quarter, but I’m forever a Hawk

Mr. David Inserra Physical Education Teacher

In 1972, at the age of five, I entered the Maine South gymnasium for the very first time. As the youngest of seven kids, the next nine years were filled with girls’ sports, as my sisters were part of the drive of Title IX. I also attended plays, musicals, V-shows, Orchesis dance shows and choir ensembles to watch my brothers and sisters perform. My older brothers played football, basketball & baseball, so Wilson Field and our baseball fields were also part of my weekly rituals. As maybe many of you may have experienced, Maine South was something I yearned for at a young age. My heroes, besides my siblings, were the athletes donning the Hawks uniform. The coaches at Maine South represented the very best in our state.

I graduated from Maine South in 1985. My years here were entrenched in the gyms and the fields of play. I played football for legendary hall of famer Phil Hopkins in his very first season as head coach. Also playing four years of basketball and baseball shaped most of my memories and the tight bonds I still have today with many of my tremendous friends/ teammates. I was fortunate enough

to be in the very first male Physical Education Leaders Program (male and female P.E. was taught separately back then). My coaches were so instrumental in helping shape the future I wanted to have. The reverence for the adults in our building was out of respect and pride for everything they did for our school. I could think of doing nothing else for my career.

Attending Illinois State University, everything I did was to better my chances of one day returning to the Hawks. A fantastic teaching school, my education professors were outstanding and prepared me for hopeful future success. I kept in contact with my Maine South teachers and coaches, and upon graduating from ISU in December of 1989, I was hired at Maine South one month later—a dream come true.

Thirty-three-and-a-half years later, I can honestly say I have enjoyed 99.5% of my career. I met and married the best teacher in the school, my wife Stephanie. Two of my children, and hopefully two more, get to experience the treasured hallways, classrooms and extracurricular spaces forming the phenomenal Maine South experience. My siblings took full advantage, I know I did the same, and we have encouraged our children to do even

more so. My fellow staff—you are the aunts and uncles of this village. Maine South is a building, a newly renovated, really cool one. It needs to be cared for and taken care of—that is Hawk Pride. The people inside the building make it such a great place—we are so lucky to have everyone.

I have to thank my Physical Education colleagues for all the support, great stories, movie lines, dad jokes, huge laughs, and office dodgeball. The food and professionalism was pretty good too. My fellow coaches know the long hours it takes to strive to be great. Feeding off each other, learning from each other, and competing for each other has strengthened our teams and our school. Keep up the fantastic work. The experiences you help create are truly lifelong memories.

The students I have directly taught,

over 6,000, and the athletes I have coached, nearly 2,500, have been the reason for so much of the joy, grateful tears, elation, happy days and wonderful friendships that have created 33 and a half years of Hawks flying together! Junior/Senior Leaders, you are one of a kind, and I am blessed to have helped guide you. I have learned daily from you, and hopefully you have picked up on some of my wisdom. TBC—what can I say: game day, baby! Since 1990, football has brought us 6 IHSA State Championships, over 300 victories, 27 CSL Championships and the largest crowds to attend any Maine South events. Friday Night Lights is something spectacular, and all of Maine South and Park Ridge can be proud. Football has provided the opportunity for us to play in seven states, for me to coach in Europe four times, and has allowed me to represent our Hawks in ten more states. All of these experiences cannot surpass the daily practices and off-season workouts that amass to an average of 250 of the 365 days in a year. I am so thankful to be able to steer this football ship, and to my players, you have given me so much more than I could ever have asked for.

Thank you Maine South—it’s a wonderful life!!!

Maine South alumna’s last calculation

Ms. Monique Clark Math Teacher

About 50 years ago, the trajectory of my life took a turn when my family moved to Park Ridge, and in Park Ridge, Maine South looms large. The theater, sports, car-wash fundraisers, homecoming parade down Belle Plaine Avenue, neighbors and sisters getting ready for dances, all entered my life before I entered high school. Then, I was a freshman, and the four years flew by.

College revealed how well my teachers at Maine South prepared me to be curious, to formulate probing questions, and empowered me to be a lifelong learner. They were my first teacher role models. I wanted to engender the same characteristics in my students that they did in me, and I wanted to do it through the beautiful subject of math. Having worked in various schools before coming back to Maine South as a teacher, I saw the difference a school makes. By “school”

I mean the community of teachers,

students, the adults who make the school run, and the expectations of everyone in the building, as well as a rigorous and engaging curriculum.

Coming back almost 20 years later as a teacher, and staying for another 23, some things seem to have remained the same, but many have not. When I started teaching, the graphing calculator (TI-81) was the latest technology and the big discussion was if and how to use them. The internet was in its infancy and Google didn’t exist. We still used physical textbooks, grades were not

accessible through the internet, and students didn’t have cell phones. Everyone in the building had to wear a photo ID at all times. We didn’t ask students to put their phones in the phone pouch, we asked them to put on their ID’s. All doors to the building were unlocked (they became locked after 9/11). Quizzes and homework counted in the grade calculation, there were no retakes, and the grading scale used percentages from 0%-100%.

When I think of the students over the years, I know in my head they too have changed, but in my heart they have not. They always feed my teacher soul with their energy and joie de vivre; with their unexpected comments and questions; with their humor and insights; and with their expectant optimism as they start on the road of young adulthood. Being a teenager and young adult has its share of major struggles, yet it’s a time when you start making your own decisions about what kind of person you want

to be. To have had a positive impact in any way on a student as they begin this journey is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a teacher.

I leave Maine South with meaningful memories. The ones that will loom large are working, socializing, laughing, and, at times, crying with colleagues/friends and students. Then there is the marching band playing the fight song through the hallways—the best! But my favorite overall memory will be those times when I’ve been a bystander in one of my classes when the students are working together, asking each other questions, answering them, and seemingly enjoying each other, math, and the feeling of those brain synapses firing away. In times like that, I feel I did my job. I sit back and watch them take responsibility for their learning and have a good time doing it.

Thank you Maine South for all the experiences that have helped form me as a student, a teacher, and a human being.

Walk down memory lane, and reminisce about key moments, features, and changes at Maine South from the past four years.

ACROSS

4. You can climb the impossible inflatable ladder at this annual festival the last week of school.

Across

7. The Italian ice business that opened a location in Park Ridge in 2021.

4. : You can climb the impossible inflatable ladder at this annual festival the last week of school

10. This area became the HPL, TRX Room, and dance studio after our freshman year.

7. : The loved shaved ice business that opened a location in Park Ridge in 2021

13. The former title of the Maine South Dance Company.

10. : This area has since been replaced b HPL, wrestling dojo, and dance studio

14. Turn left off this street to enter the athletic lot at Maine South.

15. Last name of Maine South’s school resource officer.

13. : The former title of the Maine South Dance Company

17. This family sitcom features a Maine South, Roosevelt, and Lincoln alumni.

14. : Turn left off this street to enter the athletic lot at Maine South

18. The last name of the Maine South administrator who was nominated for the Golden Apple award in the 2022-2023 school year.

15. : Maine South’s school resource officer

20. The D207 academy located at the corner of Dee road and Devon Avenue.

21. Heyyy ____, say what! Go Hawks!

https://crosswordlabs.com/view/senior-448

22. The location of the only vending machine that sells the Bublr energy drinks.

23. The official name of the school’s football field.

SENIOR

DOWN

C R O S S W O R D

1. The name for the infamous paper cranes scattered around the school.

2. The newest sport at Maine South.

3. The theme for the V-Show our freshman year.

5. The precursor for advisory was formerly known as freshman ____.

Down

: The name for the infamous paper cranes scattered around the school

: The newest sport at Maine South

6. This Field, Emerson Junior High, and Maine South alumna ran for the highest office in the country.

: The theme for the V-Show our freshman year

8. School day on March 14, following districtwide state testing.

: The precursor for advisory was formerly known as freshman ____

9. The first word in the Hawk PRIDE acronym.

11. The last name of the Assistant Principal hired during our junior year.

: This Field, Emerson Junior High, and Maine an in the 2016 presidential election y on March 14th, following district-

12. The namesake of our school auditorium.

16. Park Ridge establishment featured in an episode of “Chicago Fire.”

25. The spring musical of our junior year.

9. : The first word in the Hawk PRIDE acronym

19. This is the last area of the school still under construction.

17. : This family sitcom features a Maine South, Roosevelt, and Lincoln alumni

26. This month includes the spirit week leading up to spring break all about respect and disability awareness.

11. : This Assistant Principal was hired during our junior year

28. For the first time ever, this Maine South sport fielded a frosh-soph team during the 2023 season.

31. The game for seniors involving Nerf Guns.

32. Marching Band theme sophomore year.

24. Last name of the security guard who served in Vietnam.

25. Our freshman homecoming theme.

27. The previous acronym for the SST office.

29. One of the Park Ridge community magazines.

30. The beloved anonymous furry representative for Maine South.

All grown up: former preschoolers return

Students who attended the Maine South preschool have their former preschool teacher again in high school

Caitlin Vengazo Entertainment Editor

It’srare that someone outside of your close friends and family gets to watch you grow through multiple stages of life. In her 26 years at Maine South, however, Ms. Christiana Joyce has had this experience with multiple students through the preschool program.

The preschool program allows four-year-olds in the community to attend preschool at Maine South, and junior and senior students are taught and trained how to be their teachers through the Preschool Practicum class. Although she does not currently teach it, Ms. Joyce taught the preschool program for 22 years, but she does not take credit for its achievements.

“The program is very successful, and it’s not because of me or Ms. Melinauskas, who teaches it now; it’s because of the high schoolers,” Ms. Joyce said.

Ms. Joyce calls these students “teachers” to establish authority and responsibility in the classroom.

“I told the students, ‘We’re going to call you teachers because that’s what the preschoolers are going to see you as, and I want the parents to understand that you’re not just a high school student—you’re their child’s teacher,’” Ms. Joyce said. “When you call a student a teacher, they tend to take more ownership, and that was the big thing: we wanted high schoolers to take ownership of the program.”

Ms. Joyce enjoys watching relationships form between the preschoolers and the preschool teachers.

“It’s not so much me with the four-year-olds; it’s watching the high schoolers with the four-year-olds,” Ms. Joyce said. “The preschoolers just worship the high schoolers. It’s a perfect fit, and it’s been an absolute joy all these years.”

Sophomore Katie Barker can still

remember the great time she had in the preschool program over ten years ago.

“I remember every day I would have so much fun with all of the different high schoolers that were teaching us,” Barker said. “I don’t even know why; it was just so much fun, and I would totally recommend it.”

Since Ms. Joyce taught the preschool program for so many years, she now occasionally teaches former preschool students as high schoolers.

“I would say I usually had about 16 preschoolers, and I probably have 10-15% of them as high school students,” Ms. Joyce said.

Freshman Blythe Ellsworth, who takes Early Childhood Development with Ms. Joyce, is one of these former preschool students.

“As a preschooler, I always looked up to the high schoolers and

thought [high school] was so far away,” Ellsworth said. “Now, being here, walking through the halls, I sometimes see the preschoolers, and it’s so weird how the situation flips.”

Despite the number of students she has taught and the time that has gone by, Ms. Joyce always remembers her preschool students.

“I kept the preschoolers’ applications from every year I taught it, and sometimes when I have somebody in my class, I will look them up and show them the application their parents did when they were in the preschool,” Ms. Joyce said. “It’s fun going back and remembering them. They were cute—four-yearolds are the best age.”

After having sophomore Kate Dunleavy in the preschool class when Dunleavy’s sister Jaclynn (‘13) was a preschool teacher in 2011, Ms. Joyce has influenced Dunleavy, who is now

in her Early Childhood Development class, to become a preschool teacher in the upcoming school year.

“When I was in preschool, I thought the high schoolers were so cool, so I want to be that role model because of Ms. Joyce showing that opportunity to me and my sisters so long ago,” Dunleavy said.

Ms. Joyce will be retiring this year, but her passion and devotion to her career remain inspiring to her students.

“I was always thinking about being a teacher as a kid,” Ellsworth said. “Seeing how much fun [Ms. Joyce] has, you can tell she really enjoys her job and that she loves what she does. I think I would love to have a job that I enjoy going to like she does.”

That relationship and understanding that Ellsworth witnessed is what makes it all worth it to Ms. Joyce.

“I like preschooolers—preschoolers are awesome—but I love high schoolers,” Ms. Joyce said. “You get to build a relationship with them…I get to come to school every day and my classes are great; who could ask for more?”

LOOKING BACK Sophomore Kate Dunleavy (lower-middle) was a preschooler in Ms. Joyce’s (upper-middle) class while her older sister Jaclynn (‘13) (right) was a high school student in the preschool teaching program in 2011. Dunleavy will be a teacher in the preschool program next year and attributes her interest in the program to Ms. Joyce.

“I like preschooolers— preschoolers are awesome—but I love high schoolers.”

-Ms. Christiana Joyce

Embrace your high school experience

Campbell Micek Commentary Editor

Iwasintimidated by the red lockers, dark brick, and the dust that showed in unentered hallways, and the idea of 2,000 unknown faces.

I was told that I would have pennies thrown at me, to try the lunch line paninis, and not to wear my backpack too high. I didn’t have an older sibling to ask for advice, and it felt like I was going to the first day of school blindly.

However, immediately, I was encapsulated in what would be known as Hawk Pride.

I would meet life-long friends, and I became involved in things that I wouldn’t be involved in for much longer.

I had been dancing for a while prior to high school and felt that I was on the track to try out for the Hawkettes.

While it was something I had questioned following through with before the start of high school, I felt that it was the only right thing to do.

Fast forward to my sophomore year, I was still questioning my involvement in the program.

When I decided it was no longer something I wanted to continue, I was driven to get involved in things that I found interesting.

It was during my sophomore year that I took advantage of the time off to express something I was passionate about: connecting with people.

I joined the yearbook staff during my junior year and volunteered to write more articles for

Southwords.

Simultaneously, I was an intern for the local Park Ridge magazine and hosting my own podcast.

Taking part in things that I had a genuine interest in truly solidified my career interests, too.

As a school that heavily focuses on our interests and post-secondary plans, my involvement at Maine South was huge for my success as a high school student.

Now, as a senior heading into four years of college, I encourage all younger students to take advantage of all that Maine South has to offer.

It’s intimidating to be expected to know exactly what you want to do with your life, or where you want to go the minute you get into high school.

With the assistance of many school professionals and so many clubs and organizations, the decisions are just a little bit easier and your high school experience becomes that much better.

Whether it's going to different sporting events, sitting in the student section at the football games, attending school field trips, watching the homecoming parade, or attending the musicals and plays, get involved and enjoy what there is to do.

Even staying during office hours to chat with your teachers, all of the unconventional things that you won't be able to take part in post-high school, will make your high school experience memorable.

So, embrace it for what it is.

Embrace the blood, sweat, and tears it takes for you to pass your calculus exam, embrace the mediocre cafeteria food, and embrace all the different high school activities.

It really does fly by, and you would never want to leave Maine South regretting not having done something, because you really can do it all, even in four short years.

Extracurriculars are just as educational as classes

Throughout my time at Maine South, I have participated in many extracurricular activities, from student government to golf to Constitution Team to cheerleading.

If it has taught me anything, it is that there is just as much, if not more, to be learned from these outlets as there is to be learned from classes.

Extracurriculars have genuinely taught me so much, not just about myself, but about the world.

Immersing myself in these realworld experiences, like internships, jobs, sports, clubs, and traveling, has made me more well-rounded.

All it took was recognizing that life is just a classroom.

Emotional intelligence is arguably the most important indicator when predicting a student's success on assessments and in the workplace.

In fact, public schools initially introduced extracurricular activities to give students an outlet to improve their “soft skills.” Soft skills are things

like communication, conflict management, and interpersonal connections. Essentially, being a good teammate is a valuable life skill.

It is important for Maine South students to take advantage of our many extracurriculars so they can strengthen these skills.

Although teachers at Maine South are amazing, there are just some skills that can’t be taught in a classroom setting.

You truly do learn best from experience. When you have the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in the real world, it is much more likely to stick with you, especially if you make mistakes.

This is because you have witnessed its effects firsthand.

Field trips are a great learning experience, and we should encourage them more at Maine South. My grandma was a teacher and always said that a field trip was worth three days of classroom instruction.

A student can read about animals and the zoo, but it is much easier for students to visualize an event if they have personally experienced it.

Experiential learning also strengthens students’ cognitive maps.

This was most true for me with foreign languages.

After visiting Spain this summer, I now have a much deeper understanding of Spanish culture.

Most importantly, extracurricular activities have revealed my true passions to me.

When I first came to Maine South, I was convinced that I wanted to study business and become an entrepreneur. At Maine South, I took five business classes and always excelled in them. However, it was only through my extracurricular activities like mock trial, peer jury, law, and debate club that I discovered my true passion for the legal field.

Without these activities, who knows when I would have come to this realization?

In college, I will have the luxury to participate in co-ops or paid internships while I’m a student.

I believe that Maine South should emulate this co-op model by urging more students to participate in internships and by encouraging teachers to have more field trips.

This will grant students the opportunity to apply everything they’ve learned in the classroom in a realworld setting.

More importantly, this will provide students with exposure to different fields.

DIVING DEEP My younger self had no idea that I would explore these different areas, but I dove deep and found my true passions in law and philosophy.

PLAYING DRESS UP Five-year-old me in my infamous go-to costume, the ladybug, as I would trickor-treat from house to house. Halloween is still one of my favorite holidays, and age definitely doesn’t stop me from dressing up.

Maggie Woods

Entertainment Editor

The importance of living a life without regrets

Anthony Sotto News Editor

Afewnights ago, a few friends and I were cruising along the highway, listening to music and discussing post-high school plans.

While it was fascinating to talk about our different aspirations and the diverging paths that we’d experience in a few months, it was very poignant.

In a way, it had me wishing that I could go back to freshman year and endow my past self with the knowledge I know now.

So, as I prepare to start a new chapter, I hope that my advice will resonate with those who read this.

Don’t wait until you’re older to have fun, do it now while you’re still young.

A lot of us have this preconceived notion of going to college or grad school and working thereafter to save up before we should have fun.

Life is not meant to be lived linearly, and it’s not guaranteed that the future will match your expectations.

And ironically enough, as we grow older, there are more responsibilities, less free time, and more health problems.

But despite this, people are going to dismiss these opportunities to enjoy themselves because they believe they will have time later.

Money can buy happiness, but it can’t buy fulfillment.

I find it saddening to see people suppress their

hopes and dreams in favor of money.

Many of us would rather work a job that we hate over a job that we patiently dreamed about chasing.

Think about it: one-third of your life doing something that you hate. Rolling out of bed exhausted and depressed. Every day doing something that you don’t want to do.

It just seems like an unchanged endless cycle of waking up for high school.

And while I do think the aphorism “Money can’t buy happiness” is a bit of a foolish cliche, it does hold some truth to it.

Money can buy you temporary happiness, but material wealth in itself won’t magically solve any psychological issues or relationship problem that you may have had before you garnered it.

Regret is something you can’t change.

Don’t live with regrets, and don’t take life for granted. Cherish every good and bad moment. Make sure to take responsibility for your own choices and actions. Wallowing in past regret is setting yourself up for future ones.

However, constantly worrying about past and future mistakes can make us forget about living in the now, living in the present moment.

The next year will be a formidable transition for all of us, but I’m optimistic for the future and what it has to offer.

There are going to be a lot of opportunities for us, whether it means a skill to learn or a new friend to meet.

SMALL AND HOPEFUL As a kid, I was full of possibilities, unaware of the things I could accomplish. I was proud of everything I did, and that made me into who I am today.

While we’re still young, let’s make some memories and form relationships that will last a lifetime. Let’s remember to live a life with no regrets.

Changing circumstances lead to changing course

Declan Colleran

News Editor

In a few days, I will be the last one in my family to put on the red cap and gown and traipse across the stage in Rosemont.

For the last 12 years, my parents have had to endure the morning routine of trying to get us kids to Maine South.

From trying to rouse my brother Kieran out of bed in time for the 7:45 bell, to racing across town to get Siobhan to her Healthcare Careers class at Maine East, the journey hasn’t been easy, nor has it ever been consistent.

From three different houses, we have learned the fastest and most efficient routes to get to school.

Those quick and efficient routes were especially important for Aisling and me, who tried to set our alarms for 8 a.m. and still get to school on time. We were largely unsuccessful.

Since 1st grade, I’ve been watching my siblings do the whole high school thing. Each day after school, I remember sitting in the backseat

waiting for my sister to come walking out of the fieldhouse doors.

While I sat there waiting, I used to watch all of the students passing by. At the time, high school felt so distant, like I would never get there.

But here I am, with only a few days left in my senior year, trying to find a way to sum it all up.

The first day of my freshman year, I remember being herded from classroom to classroom, playing countless icebreaker games with my classmates.

But all I cared about was soccer tryouts that afternoon. I had been training all summer in preparation, and I was ecstatic when I made the team.

The season was a blast, and the friends that I made on the soccer team defined my friend group throughout my freshman year. And then … COVID-19 happened. Looking back on it, those early stages of the pandemic were so strange.

I remember sitting in my engineering class and hearing rumors of

As that “spring break” turned from weeks to months, it became clear that COVID-19 was there to stay.

When the fall rolled around, the soccer team wasn’t allowed to compete, so I decided to try out for the golf team, but just for that year.

I was going to return to the soccer team in my junior year, but things changed. I made some great friends on the golf team, and I decided to continue playing golf during my junior and senior years.

READY

FOR CLASS

With my backpack and Cars t-shirt on, five-year-old me was eager to get to school. I couldn’t wait to meet my friends at the kindergarten doors.

school being canceled until the end of March.

When an email from administration confirmed our suspicions, the class erupted into celebration.

At the time, we thought we were just going to get a long spring break.

Aside from sports, so many things in my life have changed since my first day at Maine South. New job. New friendships. Joining Southwords . Another new job. Even a new house. You could say that things didn’t go exactly the way my freshman self envisioned them. And that’s fine.

Circumstances change, times change, and even your interests will change.

The important thing is to be confident in your decisions, and as my mom likes to say, “just go with the flow.”

Getting a B in a class will not kill you

Maggie Hershey Entertainment Editor

Many students, from the start of high school, hear how senior year is the easiest part of your high school experience.

I think the exact opposite has been true for most of this year.

Senior year has been a challenge for me; this challenge, however, has forced me to reflect on my time at Maine South.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, I shouldn’t have cared so much about certain things.

I spent my four years here getting to school early for club meetings and staying late for stage crew and then going home to spend the rest of the night studying and doing homework.

I couldn’t handle getting a grade lower than an A on any assignment, and a C would send me into a fullblown breakdown.

I tried to be a perfect club member, leader, and student while taking a very rigorous course load. Now, looking back on the years, I feel that in many ways, I wasted those years.

While others were going to parties

and concerts, I stayed home; and it has been one of my biggest regrets.

This year has made me realize how many friendships I didn’t fully develop because I was too worried about an AP Physics test or an upcoming orchestra concert.

I had to learn a lot about how to build friendships that carried through outside of the classroom during senior year—the point where I thought I would be celebrating making it through all four years with my friends.

I cannot stress enough how much I have loved all the opportunities I have been given, especially in terms of leading clubs, but I wish I was more focused on taking care of myself and enjoying my teenage years.

As someone who has a majority of friends in a lower grade, I see a lot of people who seem to be falling into a similar path of joining every honor society and taking way too many AP classes and then becoming overwhelmed with all of it.

I’ve tried to explain that by the end of high school, all those things won’t really matter, but it’s hard to understand that at such a young age.

A college isn’t looking for someone

who does everything—they’re looking for someone who loves what they do.

You don’t need to be perfect to be good enough for any college or person in your life, and if they expect perfection, then they are not truly on your side.

Get good grades and care about your classes and activities; but at the same time, get enough sleep, spend time, with friends, and do the things

that you want to do.

My biggest advice for anyone who is still in high school is to slow down. Relax.

Enjoy being at Maine South and don’t expect too much of yourself.

At the end of the day, once you throw that cap in the air, no one is going to care about the fact that you got a C in AP Biology or what your SAT score is.

Discovering my passions through pipe dreams

Olivia Das Gupta

News Editor

It started with music, something I danced to before I could speak.

Then my love landed on books, and I consumed the volumes in the school library with fervor.

Then the world of writing entered my vision, and theater and history and art and television and any other scrap I could get my hands on with some kind of story to tell.

I don’t know exactly when I realized I wanted storytelling to be my future, but I knew that I’d have to fight for it.

Artists are taught to expect failure at every turn.

Every project is a pipe dream, and the weight of those dreams threatened to bury me sometimes.

It became so unbearable during the pandemic that I finally relinquished. I had to try.

So, I wrote.

I tried my hand at dozens of different stories, and for the first time in years, I left behind the ghosts of all the same pipe dreams that came before.

I imagined new futures, created new beginnings, and I let myself dream.

But eventually, reality came, and the stories I attempted did not survive beyond a few pages.

That is, until a miracle happened.

Glued to my laptop in a fury that burned against the January sunlight, I found ten pages, twenty,

pages, all nicely organized, edited, and revised. I could hardly believe it.

While the piece was certainly not my best writing nor anything I feel compelled to share with others, those months taught me more about writing and about myself than any other experience has.

Never before had I written something so complete or complex. It challenged the way I thought about myself, and it was refreshing to see myself taking pride in a non-academic achievement.

The way my schoolwork reflected in my grades had convinced me I was not as capable as I was, that I was unmotivated, and the passion I had when I was younger for creating and learning was gone.

Finally, I realized how untrue that was.

My extreme interest in my personal projects has led me to find a college that I feel will best nurture them, and I have incredible hope for my future.

In a serendipitous twist, my college has what they call “winter term,” where each student is to create a personal project to work on independently during the month of January.

I consider it a coincidental homage to the dream that brought me here.

So, what advice do I have to give? Let yourself imagine what you could be capable of, even if it seems beyond your means. It might be closer than you think. fifty, all spilling from my head in a matter of days.

After a few months, there were over a hundred

TWINKLE TOES Wearing sparkly, pink shoes to an aquarium really shows that I was never afraid to stand out. Everyone needs their sparkly pink shoes in some way.

LIFE THROUGH A LENS I loved wearing sunglasses as a kid, which is shown through this outing with my parents. Sunglasses allowed me to be myself and express my creativity.

Maturing is realizing that nothing is ever that deep

Natalia Kowalewska Production Editor

Iwasthe type of person who would apologize at the smallest inconvenience.

I apologized for saying the wrong thing, walking the wrong way, or looking in the wrong direction.

However, now looking back on my behavior, I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

Why was I so scared? Who was I trying not to annoy?

As a senior, I no longer have that

familiar sense of fear and worry.

The curiosity of who likes me and who doesn’t no longer crosses my mind.

Recently, I came to realize that none of the little things ever really mattered.

I was the type of person that spoke each word with fragility.

Now, I’ve come to realize that no one even remembers what happened last week, let alone from freshman year.

I was the type of person who took

each test as if it was my last.

Now, with the ability to see that my hard work paid off, I can’t even remember the AP World History test I bombed freshman year.

After four years, none of the things I wasted time and energy worrying about mattered.

None of them actually harmed my future—other than causing unnecessary stress habits.

Looking back at my freshman self, I wish I could grab her by the head and knock some sense into her.

GIRLY GIRL As I grew up, I began to realize that all I truly was was a girl in a girl’s world.

Christina Paxhia Badminton

Christina Paxhia played varsity badminton for two years. As a cocaptain, she stood out because of her competitiveness and positivity. She organized pasta dinners and game nights for the team. Always one of the first to arrive at and last to leave practice, Paxhia was on the AllSectional team two years in a row. “Tina stands out athletically because she takes practice time seriously and always puts forth her best effort,” Coach Donna Schwan said. “She pushes herself and her teammates to be better each time they walk onto the court.” Paxhia will be studying Accounting at Indiana University.

Joeseph Ward Baseball

Joseph Ward was a triple threat— outfielder, pitcher, and catcher—for two years on the varsity baseball team. He had a batting average of .477 and an on-base percentage of .536, the highest of any senior player. “No matter what the situation called for, Joe was there to step up,” Coach Brian Lorenz said. “Playing multiple positions is of great value to a team and helps out the coach staff tremendously.” Ward’s teammates describe him as hard-working, caring, and passionate, according to Lorenz. He will be continuing his baseball career at Southwestern Iowa Community College.

Kaden Karstens Boys’ Basketball

Kaden Karstens was on the varsity basketball team for two years. He didn’t miss a single game or practice during his last season despite a demanding schedule. “Kaden embraced all of his new teammates with open arms,” Coach Colin Wehman said. “He routinely provided advice, encouragement and support both on and off the court for all of those within our program.” Despite this, Kaden remained humble. “His daily approach to school and athletics is centered around this humble nature and hard work,” Wehman said. Karstens will be attending the University of Utah.

Julia Beck Girls’ Basketball

Julia Beck played varsity basketball for two years as a team captain. Beck helped lead the team to win the CSL South and was Maine South’s representative for the CSL Sportsmanship Award. “Julia was an integral part of our program,” Coach Jeffrey Hamann said. “She always put the success of the team before her own. Julia also has always been one of the first to encourage her teammates when they make a positive play as well as being there for her teammates when their heads needed to be picked up after negative plays.” Beck will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Maddie Walker Cheerleading

Maddie Walker was a member of the varsity cheer team for three years as a main base, elite tumbler, and basket flyer. Walker embodied a strong positive attitude throughout her time on the team. “She was the biggest motivator for the team at practices and at competitions to continue to work hard and not give up,” Coach Stacy Pater said. “She always had a smile on her face and brought such a positive attitude to the team.” She assisted the team her sophomore and senior year to make it to the state competition. Walker will be on the Division I cheerleading team at the University of Minnesota next year.

Joseph Karlesky Boys’ Cross Country

Joseph Karlesky ran cross country for the varsity team for three years and was the team captain. He holds the fourth best time on the Maine South home course and the 27th best State time in the school’s history. He was also the Regional champion, 2nd in Conference, and 31st in State during his senior season. “Joey is always in a great mood and is positive for the team,” Coach Greg Nordahl said. “He was supportive of his teammates and consistently displayed great sportsmanship all season.” Karlesky is attending the University of Illinois Springfield, where he will run cross country and track.

Caitlin Seurynck Girls’ Cross Country

Caitlin Seurynck was on varsity cross country for three years. She placed 8th in Conference and helped the team win the Conference and Regional meets, as well as qualify for State. As a captain, she was described as determined, caring, and hardworking by the team. “Her teammates learn a great deal about how to approach a sport with dignity and class just by watching Caitlin every day,” Coach Jeff Downing said. “She is one of the very best role models and captains we have ever had in our program.” Caitlin will be attending the University of Wisconsin Madison next year.

Emmet Wolf Football

Emmet Wolf has been a defensive tackle and linebacker starter for two years on the varsity team. He was a two-time All-Conference performer and was selected as the Defensive Player of the Year in the CSL South. Emmet helped the team to win two CSL South championships, as well as make it to the 8A State finals in 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2022. “Emmet is a quiet man,” Coach David Inserra said. “He doesn’t say a word, but does all his talking with his play. He is super humble and extremely hard-working.” In the fall, he will play Division I football at the University of North Dakota.

Ryan Belz Boys’ Golf

Ryan Belz has been a starter on the varsity team for two years. During that time, Belz was a ninetime medalist. This year he also earned CSL All-Conference honors, and qualified individually for the state tournament, finishing in the top 40. The team followed last year's successful 5-2 season last year with a 5-3 record this year in head-to-head matches. Belz not only played golf, but was on the Maine Hockey team for four years as an alternate captain. He was also All-Conference this year for hockey. In the fall, Belz will be playing golf for Oakton Community College.

Margaret Woods Girls’ Golf

Margaret Woods has been on the varsity team for three years and MVP for both the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Woods placed top ten in conference for two years, and was a three-season sectional qualifier. “She has inspired younger players to work hard and improve their skills, and has set a high standard of excellence for future team members,” Coach Kayla Hansen said. “Her leadership skills were also evident, as she provided a positive example for her teammates using golf knowledge and confidence to empower herself and her team.” In the fall, Woods will be attending Drexel University.

Lindsay Majerczak Gymnastics

Lindsay Majerczak was one of the gymnastics team captains this year, often starting practices and planning team-building activities for the team. She was a top performer for the JV team, and made frequent contributions to the varsity team. This year, she was the All-Around Champion at the Niles West Star is Born Invitational. “She is always there for you no matter what is going on,” Coach Heidi Bowbin said. “She truly stepped up to the challenge of being one of this year’s team captains. She is one of the best team players there is.” Majerczak will be attending the University of Kansas.

Madison Gatz Hawkettes

Madison Gatz was a varsity Hawkette for four years, including two on varsity as captain. Throughout her four years, Gatz won a National Championship as well as Conference Championships. “Her dedication to her teammates has been nothing short of remarkable, and we are all grateful for the hard work she has put into making our team the best it can be,” Coach Casey Fritz said. “In the years to come, dancers will strive to be the leader that Madison was. She has left a lasting impression on her fellow teammates and the program.” She will be attending the University of Illinois.

Peter Koepke Boys' Hockey

Peter Koepke has been on the varsity team for three years as a defensive player. He was the captain and selected to not only be an AllConference athlete but also one of only six defensemen selected for the All-Illinois tournament team. “[Peter] couldn’t have accomplished much more as an individual this season,” Coach Greg Mrofcza said. “Peter’s impact will be felt on next season’s team as players still with the club recall his efforts and successes.” He is described as a quiet leader and a cool head under pressure. Koepke hopes to play club-level hockey while attending the University of Illinois.

Sean Mullan Boys' Lacrosse

Sean Mullan has played on the varsity team for four years. During that time, he set the record for the most goals scored in one season. Teammates would describe Mullan as hard working and talented on the field. “He leads by example everyday in practice and games,” Coach Camerin Staffel said. “Sean will do anything to help the team. Sean’s leadership and commitment to the program has pushed the program forward, since he has been a part of the lacrosse team. He has made a significant impact on and off the field.” Mullan will be playing Division I lacrosse at Marist University.

Katelyn Gleason Girls' Lacrosse

Katelyn Gleason has been on the varsity team for three years playing midfield and defense. Teammates describe her as a humble and compassionate competitor, who always has the team’s best interest in mind. She helped coach local teams and taught underclassmen how to play. In 2022, Gleason received the CSL sportsmanship award. “Katelyn has been an ambassador not only for Maine South Lacrosse, but also for the sport in general… Her passion for lacrosse is clear the minute you meet her,” Coach William Pankratz said. Gleason will be playing lacrosse at Mercyhurst University.

Antonio Grimaldi Boys' Soccer

Antonino Grimaldi was a twoyear varsity midfielder, including one year as captain. He played on the Illinois All-Sectional team, and was also chosen to be a Pioneer Press All-Area, Central Suburban AllConference, and Waubonsie Valley All-Tournament player. Antonino was also an IHSA and CSL ScholarAthlete. “Nino is a player who has quality technical skills, patience with the ball, and the vision necessary to create effective build-ups for his team,” Coach Daniel States said. Grimaldi will be attending Oakton Community College, where he will continue to play soccer.

Ryen Desmedt Girls’ Soccer

Ryen Desmedt was a four-year varsity soccer player for Maine South. She played defense and was selected to be captain by her teammates for both her junior and senior years. Desmedt was voted All-Conference for the CSL in 2022. She has always been a selfless team player, described as someone who leads by example. “She won’t ask her teammates to do things she wouldn’t be willing to do herself,” Coach JJ Crawford said. “She is selfless and willing to play for the team. She is a great teammate and considerate of others.” Desmedt will be studying Neuroscience at the University of Montana.

Samantha Bergeron Softball

Samantha Bergeron has played varsity softball for three years as a pitcher, 1st baseman, and outfielder. Bergeron is praised for her work ethic and dedication to the sport. “Samantha is everything a coach could ask for. She has done everything and more asked of her by coaches as well as teammates,” Coach Emilia Pasier said. “She may not say a lot, but she is always studying the game and is ready whenever her number is called. Sammie has taught the program that if you want something, keep working hard for it.” Bergeron will continue to play softball at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Bart Kubis Boys’ Swimming

Bart Kubis, an All-Conference and All-State swimmer as well as this year’s Sectional Champion, swam three years on varsity. He was the team captain and specialized in the breaststroke and sprint freestyle events. Over the past two seasons, he broke a total of eight school records both individually and in relays. “Bart was the heart and soul of the boys’ swim and dive team this past year,” Coach Donald Kura said. “Bart brought the absolute best effort that he could every single day, in an effort to be the best leader and athlete he could be.” Kubis is going to John Carroll University in the fall.

Chloe Bai Girls’ Swimming

Chloe Bai was on the varsity team for four years and swam freestyle, breaststroke, and IM. Bai was a team captain and played an instrumental role in helping younger members of the swim and dive team. “Chloe’s commitment to excellence every day at practice and meets helped set a tone that our underclassmen could look to follow,” Coach Donald Kura said. “Chloe showed what it truly meant to be a coachable athlete.” Bai was a medalist at both the CSL South Conference Meet and the IHSA Sectional Meet in the 100 breaststroke. She will be attending the University of Florida.

Jack Hartung Boys’Tennis

Jack Hartung played varsity tennis for four years. He competed at the top of the line-up every year, allowing him to play against the toughest players in the state. He qualified for the State tournament for doubles during his sophomore year. Jack’s teammates elected him to be a team captain because they saw him as a leader, motivator, and hard worker. “It takes tremendous focus and conditioning to be able to play at the highest level for every match,” Coach Gerald Smith said. “Jack is not only an exceptional tennis player but an even better teammate.” Hartung will be attending Bucknell University.

Eva Zaskowski Girls’ Tennis

Eva Zaskowski has been on the varsity team for four years. Zaskowski competed in both doubles and singles matches. In 2021 she qualified for State, earning second team All-State honors, and this season she was named to the CSL All- Conference team. “Not only is Eva an exceptional tennis player, she is an even better teammate. She is a great motivator and worked very hard to make everyone feel welcome, even the underclassman,” Coach Gerald Smith said. “Eva has always shown a never-quit attitude.” Zaskowski will be playing Division III tennis at North Central University.

William Huddleston Boys’ Track & Field

William Huddleston has been a member of the varsity team for two years, specializing in the 400 and 800 meter races. Huddleston has broken the state qualifying mark for the 800 meter run multiple times during the indoor season, finishing fifth at the Illinois Top Times Meet. “Will’s teammates would describe him as a dedicated and focused athlete who has set lofty goals for himself and put in the hard work needed to reach these goals,” Coach Jason Kacprowski said. This fall, Huddleston will continue to run both cross country and track at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

Girls’ Track & Field Morgan Gioia

Morgan Gioia was a three-year varsity athlete. She specialized in the 400, 800, and 1600 meter events. Gioia ran a top-ten time in Maine South history for the 800-meter race.

“Morgan really wants the entire team to succeed and is willing to help lead by example to achieve the goals that were set forth by the entire squad,” Coach Jeff Downing said. “The other athletes watch her leadership and determination and they begin to understand what it takes to be successful. She has left a legacy that hard work and determination pay off.”

Gioia will continue to run at Division I Northern Illinois University.

Adrian & Lorian Danciu

Boys’ Volleyball

Adrian and Lorian have been on the varsity team for three years. Both twins play middle hitter and have a 400-plus hitting percentage. Athletes describe the Danciu brothers as unstoppable on the court. “They are loud as thunder on the court… a great energy spark for our team,” Coach Garrett Fechner said. “Their mantra has been to outwork everybody in the gym they are also two of the most coachable players I have worked with in my almost 20 years at Maine South.” The Danciu brothers will both be attending the University of Illinois Chicago to study computer engineering.

Sophia Boborci Girls’ Volleyball

Sophia Boborci competed as a Setter for two years on varsity. She led as team captain, described by her teammates as the glue that held their team together. When games began to unravel, Sophia often started huddles to help her teammates refocus. She had the highest number of assists on the team, and also earned a spot on the All-Conference team, one of only two Maine South players to do so. “Sophia will be remembered for her amazing positive attitude and strong work ethic,” Coach Kathleen Durkin said. Boborci is continuing to play volleyball at Division II Mount Mercy University.

Joshua Torres-Jackson Boys’ Water Polo

Joshua Torres-Jackson played on varsity for three years as a goalie and driver. Beginning as a shallow-end goalie, he then progressed to a deepend goalie and finally a field-playing starter. There, he became the team’s “Hardest shooter and top scorer,” according to Coach Terrence Lyons. Lyons said that this change was unusual but highly beneficial to the team’s strategy. It also showed Torres-Jackson’s dedication to improvement. Lyons also described him as a “fun-loving and determined” athlete. Torres-Jackson will be attending Penn State-Berendt, where he will play Division III water polo.

Isabella Landerghini Girls’ Water Polo

Isabella Landerghini has played wing, point, and goalie for the varsity team this year, and she has been able to adjust to any role she is put into. She has been both a field player and a goalie for the team this season, which is not very common. Landerghini was a captain and a role model for the younger players on the team. “She is always looking for ways to help others improve both in and out of the water,” Coach Paulina Pappas said. “Her contagious laugh and smile make everyone around her feel welcome on the team.” Landerghini will be continuing her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Nathan Beltran Boys’ Wrestling

Nathan Beltran has played on the varsity team for all four years. Beltran was an IHSA State qualifier and a two-time IHSA Regional champion. Members of the team would describe Beltran as selfless and a teammate who is always there for others. “Nathan is exactly what every coach hopes to have in an athlete: he is a tremendous person, a great student and a skilled athlete,” Coach Kevin Hansen said. “He showed technique to the entire varsity team regularly. Most importantly Nathan is a person of integrity—someone you can trust to do the right thing regardless of the circumstances.”

Angela Lee Girls’ Wrestling

Angela Lee was a varsity wrestler for three years. In the sport’s first season with a separate girls’ team, she took on the role of Captain, earned a record of 30-4, and placed 5th in State. She finished 1st in multiple tournaments. She also had the honor of competing in the Illinois vs. Indiana Dual Meet. Coach Juan Diaz described Lee as “tough, hard-working, focused, and determined.” As both a CSL and IHSA Scholar-Athlete, she showed excellence both in the sport and in the classroom. She will be attending Quincy University, where she will continue wrestling competitively.