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Aarna Patel ‘25 was recently awarded the Ted Brattin Civic Youth Award by the Aurora Rotary Club. Aarna’s passion for helping others through her SIR research in advanced dermatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine is what sets her apart. Aarna’s research focuses on skin barrier functions and developing treatments for chronic skin conditions, chemical burns, and UV damage.
Aarna has also founded her own skincare line that donates profits and products to domestic violence shelters and supports victims of acid attacks. Through a partnership with WING (Women in Need Growing Stronger), Aarna has donated over 500 products, raised more than $2,000, and reached over 3,500 supporters in her mission to empower women and raise awareness of domestic violence and acid burns—both in the U.S. and internationally.
Well earned and well deserved, Aarna!
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Students at Aurora Christian High School have their artwork displayed as part of the "Winter Garden of Youth" exhibit, put on by Aurora Public Art.
The Work of Owen Niedzwiecki, Naiya Mojica, Sayra Urratia, Grace Potapenko, and Talia Cakmak will be on display through January 11 at 20 E. Downer Place. Well done, student artists!
The Kaneland Madrigals, led by Music Specialist Bryan Kunstman, performed the National Anthem at the 2024 Join Annual Conference, hosted by the Illinois Association of School Boards, School Administrators, and School Business Officials in Chicago.
Their rendition of the National Anthem was heard by thousands of attendees. Well done!
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Aurora Central Catholic has 13 State Scholars in the Class of 2025! State Scholars are chosen each year by the Illinois Student Assistance Commision. Students are recognized based on their ACT or SAT test scores and their sixth semester unweighted class rank.
Congratulations to Sarah Beggs, Joseph Escobedo, Ryan Etheridge, Peter Galer, Christian Ginocchio, Cameron Johnson, Caroline Kuttner, Sebastian Majchrowicz, Sophia Rufa, Addison Sajdak, Liam Schwartz, Stahler Szweistis, and Juan-Pablo Valencia.
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Nine middle and high school students from District 204 recently received Youth Service Awards from the City of Naperville and KidsMatter. This award recognizes and honors outstanding volunteer efforts by local students.
Congratulations to Molly Rintoul (Gregory Middle School); Olivia Huff, Monisha Malla, Anirudh Saravanan (Metea Valley High School); Advit Arora, Lily Bradley, Shrey Patel, Sylvia Steger (Neuqua Valley High School), and Yagnesh Lokesh (Waubonsie Valley High School).
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This month, Batavia High School will host 150 students from Inagakuen Sogo High School in Tokyo, Japan for a Unity Concert at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre.
The group is one of Japan’s finest wind ensembles, winner of the Vienna Grand Prix, and a 15-time Gold-Medalist at the All-Japan Band Contest. They will be coming to Chicago for the 2024 Midwest International Band Clinic and will begin their sojourn with a special cultural exchange visit at Batavia High School. Ensembles from Batavia High School will join in these exciting pops displays and presentation.
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Oswego Community Unit School District 308
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Only 45 individuals from the entire state were named Student Art Ambassadors for K-12 Art Curriculum in Illinois at the Illinois Art Education Association (IAEA) annual fall conference.
Of those 45 individuals, Oswego High School had the following four (4) students earn recognition: Maximiliano Ballesteros, Kaitlin Russell, Jenna Allen, and Shyann Beasley, while Oswego East High School had two (2) students who also earned that honor: Shia Love and Payton Lustrup.
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 Waubonsee Community College students Briana Harris and Kevin Bustamante Fontanel took 2nd place at the worldwide Mechanical Science and Engineering competition, "Reimagine Our Future: Undergraduate Sustainability" at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
These students did WCC and Aurora proud. Congratulations!
Senior student Olivia Buzzelli '25 was named a recipient of the Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Award. Buzzelli is a political Science, Public Policy, and Sport Management major, representing Aurora University as a Student Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois.
She joins top students from 49 colleges and universities across the state of Illinois who were selected to receive this annual award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in both academic and extracurricular pursuits.
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East Aurora High School’s NJROTC had their Annual Military Inspection late last month...and passed with honors!
Tomcat cadets were recognized with various awards, including Cadet of the Quarter and the Commander’s Award, as well as the 2024-2025 Distinguished Unit with Honors Designation. The Annual Military Inspection (AMI) is a yearly evaluation conducted by a higher military authority to assess a unit’s readiness, compliance with standards, and overall operational effectiveness.
Congratulations to all East Aurora cadets and the entire NJROTC program—the largest conventional program in the Midwest!
Rosary High School has much to celebrate! The school earned Gold Status in College Culture in College Board’s 2024 Advanced Placement School Honor Roll and Platinum Status in College Credit in College Board’s 2024 Advanced Placement School Honor Roll.
79% of Rosary’s Class of 2024 took an Advanced Placement exam during their high school career, while 68% scored a 3 or better on any Advanced Placement exam during their high school career!
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Marmion Academy’s December 2024 Blessed Columbia Marmion Award recognizes students who embody the Benedictine hallmarks and values of Marmion.
Congratulations to Nicholas De Leon, Diego Castillo-Sanchez, Jack Galindo, and Averitt Dhodapkar for all they do and the example they set!
West Aurora High School student Lincoln Majersky was selected as a Rotary Club of Aurora United’s Ted Brattin Youth Service Award recipient. Lincoln’s hours of service giving back to his school community was well recognized. Congratulations!
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