Excellence In Education 2022 by Sinikka Mondini

Excellence in Education

School Year 2021-2022

Naperville Community School District 203

Naperville 203 BOARD OF EDUCATION Kristin Fitzgerald, President Kristine Gericke, Vice President Tony Casey Charles Cush Joseph Kozminski Amanda McMillen Donna Wandke OUR MISSION Our mission is to educate students to be… Self-directed learners Collaborative workers Complex thinkers Quality producers, and Community contributors OUR BELIEFS Naperville Community Unit School District 203 believes an exemplary school district…  Values the dignity and uniqueness of each individual  Promotes responsible citizenship  Is the result of a collective partnership of students, staff, parents and community A very special thank you to Tracy Rootham (NCHS) and Jill Myatt (NNHS).

Honored Influential Educators Samantha Allen NCHS, Social Sciences Andy Anderson Lyric Opera, Bassist Nicole Ashwin Dunecrest American School, Program Coord. Lily Barcelona NNHS, Spanish Jacquelyn Barker NCHS, Chemistry Katherine Barr Kennedy Junior HS, Language Arts Jeromy Bentley NCHS, Chemistry Seth Brady NCHS, Social Studies Timothy Brown NNHS, Mathematics Elizabeth Brucker NNHS, Science Patrick Burns NNHS, Communication Arts Matthew Callaghan NNHS, CTE Department Keith Carlson NCHS, Communication Arts & Newspaper Advisor Daniela Cirone NCHS, Art Stacy Cunningham NCHS, Latin Ana Rosa Diaz NCHS, Spanish

Nathan Dille NCHS, Physics Lisa Dinon NNHS, World & Classical Language Dept. Chair Sarah Eclavea NNHS, Biology Nikole Epstein NCHS, Business Education Nicole Figi NCHS, English Mark Florence NCHS, Athletic Trainer Dan Goldstein NCHS, School Counselor Amy Hastings NCHS, Biology Helena Hitzeman NNHS, Language Arts Dave Hollander Kennedy Junior HS, Social Science Todd Holmberg NCHS, Cultural Anthropology & Asst. Varsity Volleyball Coach Brian Horner Meadow Glens Elementary, Gifted/PI+ Jerry Jay Ranchview Elementary, Fourth Grade Edward Joyce NNHS, Latin Brian Kessler Highlands Elementary, Fifth Grade John Klein-Collins Kennedy Junior HS, Language Arts

Honored Influential Educators Janelle Kreiling Elmwood Elementary, PI & Honors Math Jeremy Lin NCHS, English Timothy Madden NNHS, Mathematics Mitch Martin NNHS, English Elizabeth Moore NNHS, Mathematics Danielle Moravec NNHS, English & Spanish Terry Morenus NNHS, Business Education Hans Muehsler NCHS, Physics Brad Neubauer NCHS, Business Education Michael Ortiz NCHS, Spanish Sandy Parato NNHS, Language Arts Thomas Parry NNHS, English Michelle Pitts NNHS, Spanish & Debate Team Coach Megan Plackett NCHS, AP Literature Marissa Rakes NCHS, Mathematics & Mathematics Team Coach Mark Rowzee NNHS, Physics

Geoffrey Schmit NNHS, Business Education Pam Seubold NNHS, School Nurse & JSA Club Sponsor Jennifer Smith NNHS, Communication Arts Matthew Sniadecki Kennedy Junior HS, PI+, Language Arts & Social Studies Nicholas Straka NCHS, Mathematics Josh Stumpenhorst Lincoln Junior HS, Librarian Sandy Toczylowski NNHS, Communication Arts Michael Ulreich NCHS, Social Studies Robert Vanecek Jefferson Junior HS, Exploratory Holly Welsh NNHS, Social Studies Steven Wiesbrook NCHS, Retired, Chemistry Michael Wilson NCHS, Social Studies

Honored Students The Excellence in Education Banquet celebrates seniors who have distinguished themselves academically and their most influential educators. Each Influential Educator is chosen by the student because they inspired them academically and have been an inspiration in the student’s life. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 and The Board of Education congratulates our student honorees, their families and the Influential Educators.

Naperville Central High School Patrick Aabram Emily Arias Ava Austin Christina Ba Amanda Blanton Kevin Cheng Anna Chi Seth Deegan Dalaeny Erwin Carmen Fleming Owen Foster Annika Fuhrer Natalie Gavin Ryan Gewin Jeffrey Huang Rebeca Jacobs Amba Kapoor Roman Kapur Uju Kim Anusha Kumar Kurtis Lee Karisa Liaw Evan Liu Brian Lu Sophia Martinez-Whitman Eve Mehl Madison Mogg

Havah Oswald Mia Park Alyssa Radman Nathra Ramrajvel Max Reiner Joseph Rubas Melissa Swiatkowski William Tong Paul Villasenor Henry Wagner Haoxiang Wang Ethan Wang Daniel Wu JonathanWu Isaac Yang Alan Zhang Lily Zhang Isabel Zhou Yiguang Zhu

Honored Students Excellence in Education celebrates seniors who have distinguished themselves academically and their most influential educators. Each Influential Educator is chosen by the student because they inspired them academically and have been an inspiration in the student’s life. Naperville Community Unit School District 203 and The Board of Education congratulates our student honorees, their families and the Influential Educators.

Naperville North High School Neev Agrawal James Ahn Arvand Azarcon Isabel Amleshi Jihoon Baek Andrew Baumgart Ria Bawiskar Safiya Bhanpuri * Nicholas Boettcher Jacob Cao Tiffany Cheng Eliana DeMale Sean Denker Reyah Doshi Ramanathan Ganesan Parker Garlough Christina Gu David Guo Reigna Hels Nithilan Kalidoss Bibiane Kan Mohammad Ahmad Khan Anaya Kotak Claire Liu Nicolas Liu Connie Lu Alexandra Mantel Evan Navar Root

Clarice Ong Emilio Perez Ibarguen Eshani Ragam Cale Rester Sourav Roy Nikhil Sathyanathan Dylan Schmit Rajvi Shah Aditya Srinivasan Mehek Taneja Joseph Tennyson David Wang Emma Wang Lucy Westlake Justin Wu Jennifer Xia William Xiao Yicheng Xiao Henry Xie Ella Xu Kevin Xu Derek Zhang Jonathan Zhang Julian Zhang William Zheng Isabella Zhou * Student information not provided

Stacey Cunningham Mrs. Cunningham's classroom is always friendly and supportive. Taking her Latin class has been a motivating force throughout my high school career.

Michael Wilson Mr. Wilson is very considerate of each one of his students’ individual situations and makes everyone feel included. He provides a safe environment for his students within his classroom and makes learning much more entertaining.

Patrick Aabram

Emily Arias

Naperville Central

Megan Plackett Mrs. Plackett has been a great role model and has pushed me to not only be a great writer, but a solid student overall. She has activated a creative side in me that I didn’t know I had, which has enabled me to reach my full potential.

Nathan Dille Even as a new teacher, Mr. Dille was able to engage us students in high level physics concepts everyday. His teaching style caused me to take interest in a brand new subject, and challenged me to develop a deeper understanding, not just earn a grade.

Amy Hastings Mrs. Hastings helped me develop my love for biology, which is what I'm planning to go into. She always shows how much she cares about her students and works very hard to help us succeed.

Ava Austin

Christina Ba

Naperville Central

Hans Muehsler Mr. Muehsler constantly encouraged me and provided resources both during class and beyond to help me explore my interests. His class was fun, collaborative, and participatory, allowing me to better grasp the course materials.

Amanda Blanton

Kevin Cheng

Naperville Central

John Klein-Collins Mr. Klein-Collins has always continuously pushed me and my classmates to dive deeper and think more critically. He has taught me to leave my comfort zone behind, and embrace uncertainty.

Dan Goldstein Mr. Goldstein was supportive and confident in what I could do and helped break through all the barriers and struggles I encountered throughout high school. I accomplished so much more than I ever anticipated because of him.

Anna Chi

Seth Deegan

Naperville Central

Mark Florence Flo has created a space for me to be myself. His training room is the least judgmental place on earth.

Brad Neubauer As someone who aspires to go into the business field, Mr. Neubauer and the BusinessINC program have made me think about business in a new and unique way that will be extremely valuable for me going forward. He challenged my view of the law in Business Law class which has really made me stop and think about the world around me.

Stacy Cunningham Mrs. Cunningham is a teacher who has been amply involved in helping me reach my full academic potential through her active approach toward questions, deliberate attention to detail, and flexible approach to all forms of learning. I’m thankful that she has guided my educational values toward success as an active role model.

Steven Wiesbrook Mr. Wiesbrook was my Freshman year Chemistry teacher and he was really the one who got me into chemistry. I had so much fun in his class and he was the one who showed me how interesting chemistry was and how much more I still had to learn.

Dalaeny Erwin

Carmen Fleming

Naperville Central

Owen Foster

Janelle Kreiling For three years in elementary school, Mrs. Kreiling always pushed me and my peers to do our best in math and reading. She always encouraged me to explore my creativity and love of reading through all the projects we did, and I knew she always cared about our well-being.

Naperville Central

Annika Fuhrer Naperville Central

Jeromy Bentley Mr. Bentley was one of the best teachers I ever had. My love for science started with my freshman year chemistry class because he made it super interesting, challenging, and fun.

Natalie Gavin

Ryan Gewin

Naperville Central

Samantha Allen Ms. Allen helped me rekindle a passion for history. She made her class engaging and enriching for all of her students.

Amy Hastings Mrs. Hastings has been one of the most understanding and considerate teachers I’ve ever had. I really love her teaching style and I have learned so much from being a part of her class.

Jeffrey Huang

Rebeca Jacobs

Naperville Central

Ana Rosa Diaz Thanks to Señora Diaz, I learned what it really means to have a growth mindset. Through her care for her students and passion for teaching, she pushed me to do the best I can and inspired me to challenge my abilities so I could see the potential she always saw in me.

Stacy Cunningham Magistra Cunningham made every day of Latin class exciting, especially as she prioritized the well-being of her students over everything else. While she encouraged me to work hard and learn through a variety of creative and ridiculous ways, the most important lesson she taught me was that I should be proud of who I am.

Nicholas Straka He is a real G: provides higher math course, despite it being the most work. Very funny, thought of baking soda volcanos for NCHS.

Amba Kapoor

Roman Kapur

Naperville Central

Uju Kim Naperville Central

Amy Hastings Mrs. Hasting’s natural helpfulness and contagiously cheerful disposition brightened up the entire classroom and made learning genuinely enjoyable. I will always cherish the laughs and smiles from her biology class even long after I’ve graduated.

Kurtis Lee

Seth Brady Through my Humanities Capstone, Mr. Brady taught me what it means to be an actor for positive change and a bridge of social divide. He is someone I look up to, not only for his breadth of experience and knowledge, but for the true compassion he shows for his students - a particularly challenging ability to master in our deeply polarized world.

Jeremy Lin Mr. Lin goes out of his way to connect with each of his students on a personal level, providing them with encouraging support and challenging them to improve. He embodies excellence through his constant care for everyone and truly makes NCHS a wonderful place to be!

Naperville Central

Marissa Rakes Mrs. Rakes has always pushed me to further my understanding of mathematics. Under her tutelage, I’ve grown as a student and a mathematician.

Anusha Kumar Naperville Central

Karisa Liaw Naperville Central

Nicholas Straka Mr. Straka teaches a university course, but makes it a much better experience by adding his opinionated sections to the provided lectures. He has also spent great effort into writing a notebook of all of the MVC course lessons.

Evan Liu

Brian Lu

Naperville Central

Todd Holmberg On my volleyball team, Coach Holmberg taught me how to communicate effectively and work with my teammates towards a common goal. In the classroom, Mr. Holmberg taught me the importance of having an enhanced worldview throughout the course of my Cultural Anthropology class, allowing me to view others with a new perspective.

Josh Stumpenhorst Mr. Stumpenhorst helped foster my love for reading that I have kept throughout my high school years. He was one of the kindest and most supportive teachers I have ever had.

Sophia MartinezWhitman

Eve Mehl Naperville Central

Naperville Central Seth Brady Mr. Brady has taught me the importance of not being stuck on the transactional system of education, rather focus on becoming an academic artist. I have learned to push my boundaries to strive for something bigger than myself.

Madison Mogg Naperville Central

Janelle Kreiling Mrs. Kreiling was the first teacher to inspire a love of learning in me. Although I was much younger, I genuinely looked forward to her class and credit my persistent curiosity and drive to "strive for accuracy" to her.

Mia Park Naperville Central

Jeromy Bentley Mr. Bentley genuinely loved talking about his field. His excitement always passed down to his students, which for me was a main factor in sparking my intellectual curiosity.

Nicole Figi Mrs. Figi was my first English teacher at NCHS after moving here and was the first teacher to push and challenge me in a way that made me strive to succeed. I think she completely changed my writing in a way that has lead to many of my successes throughout high school. Without having her support from early on, I don't think I would have been as greatly prepared for college as I am now. Michael Ortiz Mr. Ortiz always worked with me and his students to make sure we fully understood the material no matter how much time and effort it took. He also took the time to know his students and you could tell he really cared for us as people not just as students which really helped us to achieve academic success because he was able to teach and cater to our needs not just the strict curriculum.

Havah Oswald Naperville Central

Alyssa Radman Naperville Central

Jacquelyn Barker Mrs. Barker inspired me to try my hardest in a challenging course, and as a result sparked my interest in chemistry. Because of her engaging teaching I am now going into chemical engineering, facilitated by the knowledge I gained in her class.

Nathra Ramrajvel

Max Reiner

Naperville Central

Megan Plackett Mrs. Plackett always truly cared about her student's success in school and in life. She was supportive, caring, and an amazing teacher.

Joseph Rubas

Nikole Epstein Mrs. Epstein is a kind and compassionate teacher who always helps her students whenever they need it. She helped me when I was struggling to understand aspects of computer programming, and she made me interested in continuing to learn computer programming in my future studies.

Naperville Central

Melissa Swiatkowski Naperville Central

Keith Carlson Mr. Carlson has helped me practice setting aside personal biases to make prudent decisions. He's always willing to lend an ear, whether I need guidance on academic, journalistic, or personal issues.

William Tong Naperville Central

Nicholas Straka Genuinely good teacher who’s also quite funny and keeps class entertaining.

Michael Ulreich Mr. Ulreich taught me more about American History than anyone else, and also went into depth on each of the topics presented to us in class because he wanted the passion he put into his instruction reflected in the quality of his student’s coursework. Even beyond the classroom, he also has been a teacher willing to help me personally and supported my efforts to obtain scholarships.

Paul Villasenor Naperville Central

Dave Hollander Mr. Hollander introduced me to historical thinking and analysis skills. My writing and speaking abilities would not be where they are today without him.

Henry Wagner

Haoxiang Wang

Naperville Central

Michael Ulreich Mr. Ulreich brought excitement and a vibrancy to the classroom. His passion for U.S. History and willingness to help students made me look forward to 2nd period every day.

Ethan Wang Naperville Central

Keith Carlson Having Mr. Carlson as a teacher really opened my eyes to the pivotal role that journalism plays in the real world. As the newspaper advisor of Central Times, he also provided the environment for me to stretch my passions across disciplines and pursue opportunities that I wouldn't have noticed before.

Daniel Wu Naperville Central

Jeremy Lin Mr. Lin has been instrumental to my education for the past two years in building my confidence and helping me trust that life will turn out alright. He demonstrates for students how to remain motivated, work hard, and be kind to everyone around him each and every day, and his impact in the community and my life cannot truly be put into words.

Michael Ulreich Mr. Ulreich helped me with my worst subject during a period of hardship (COVID). He was also very willing to write me recommendations for my college applications, and has actively kept up with what schools I have gotten into.

Jonathan Wu

Isaac Yang

Naperville Central

Jeremy Lin He has been an extremely positive guidance on my journey as a student and human.

Keith Carlson Mr. Carlson's class challenged me to think differently about news and media. The assignments I did helped me to build a more complex view of the world around me.

Alan Zhang

Lily Zhang

Naperville Central

Daniela Cirone Ms. Cirone is one of the most dedicated and inspiring teachers that I’ve had in high school. She truly cares about each and every one of her students and does not hesitate to give them resources, opportunities, or guidance.

Jerry Jay Provided support when I was learning English. Made learning fun.

Isabel Zhou

Yiguang Zhu

Naperville Central

Timothy Brown Mr. Brown has been instrumental to my growth as a student. I had him as a teacher from my freshman year to my junior year, and he’s always worked with me to ensure that I produce the best results possible.

Neev Agrawal Naperville North

Sarah Eclavea During my sophomore year, Mrs. Eclavea was my biology teacher for a little bit, and I really enjoyed her style of teaching. It was helpful and engaging and caused my interest in biology to grow. This year, she is my teacher for Anatomy and Physiology and her resources and teaching have helped me do do well in the class and solidify my interest in going into medicine in the future.

James Ahn Naperville North

Matthew Callaghan Since my first year of high school, Mr. Callaghan has fostered the growth of my development in computer science, STEM, and life in general. I am grateful for his reliable and inspiring support both in my academics and my extracurriculars such as Robotics and Computer Science Club.

Lisa Dinon Over the last 4 years, Sra. Dinon’s continuous support and encouragement both in and outside of debate has not only made me a better debater and speaker, but a better student and leader. Through her invaluable mentorship, I’ve learned the true meaning of responsibility and leadership, and I can’t imagine where I would be today without her guidance.

Timothy Brown He helped me get an “A” in Calculus and wrote a stellar college recommendation for me.

Arvand Amleshi

Isabel Azarcon

Naperville North

Geoffrey Schmit Mr. Schmit has shown me how to approach problems innovatively and professionally. He has imbued me with a passion for STEM and a dedication to problem-solving.

Jihoon (Jimmy) Baek

Andrew Baumgart Naperville North

Naperville North

Matthew Sniadecki Mr. Sniadecki has encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and try new, enriching challenges. He has also been an outstanding, empathetic coach.

Ria Bawiskar

Safiya Bhanpuri

Naperville North

Andy Anderson I know I’ve got a lot of learning yet to do and a lot more teachers yet to meet, but I already feel sorry for them all, because Andy is a truly tough act to follow. I feel extremely blessed because Andy Anderson is a part of my education and life.

Nicholas Boettcher Naperville North

Michelle Pitts Though I never had Sra. Pitts as a teacher, she was there for me at every step in my Congressional Debate journey. From passing along permission forms to serving as a "chaperone" to joking around on freezing cold bus rides, Sra. Pitts enabled my growth not only as a debater, but as a person.

Jacob Cao Naperville North

Nicole Ashwin Though she taught me all the way back in fourth grade, Mrs. Ashwin's efforts have helped both ignite my imagination and build solid foundations in my academic career. Her consistent patience, support, and enthusiasm has been and will continue to be very valuable to all of her students!

Tiffany Cheng

Jennifer Smith I became a better writer, reader, and speaker in the classes I had with Ms. Smith. The learning environment was incredibly respectful and welcoming even when the work was difficult and I feel that was completely due to Mrs. Smith's teaching style as well as who she is as a person.

Naperville North

Robert Vanecek Mr. Vanecek played an integral role in helping me develop a passion for STEM. He gave me the opportunity to learn new skills and explore beyond the normal curriculum.

Eliana DeMale Naperville North

Mitch Martin He has encouraged me to venture out of my comfort zone in terms of writing and leadership on the school newspaper. I feel significantly more prepared to handle whatever will come after graduation for me using the skills I’ve learned in his classes.

Sean Denker

Reyah Doshi

Naperville North

Timothy Brown Being my cross country coach and math teacher, he has made me improve both academically and physically. Through him, I learned the importance of dedication, hard work, and perseverance.

Ramanathan Ganesan

Holly Welsh Taking Mrs. Welsh's AP World class freshman year completely changed my perspective on so many topics, and set me up for success in my study habits for future AP classes. I've been so grateful to have her as a JSA sponsor for all four years I've participated in it as well!

Parker Garlough Naperville North

Naperville North Brian Kessler As an elementary schooler, I had no idea all that awaited me. Mr. Kessler taught me both how to be confident in myself and my learning and to enjoy the process while doing so.

Timothy Brown Mr. Brown was such a positive influence on me during my junior year. He really took the time to go deeper into the BC Calc concepts and pushed me to succeed with his enthusiasm for teaching and down to earth nature.

Christina Gu

David Guo

Naperville North

Danielle Moravec Mrs. Moravec has motivated me not only to be the best student possible, but the best person possible. She inspires me to be creative, genuine, and kind.

Matthew Callaghan Mr. Callaghan encouraged me to go further in my programming CS classes with extensions to labs. He also was a big part in my involvement in CS Club with leadership and planning.

Reigna Hels

Nithilan Kalidoss

Naperville North

Timothy Brown Mr. Brown's enthusiasm never failed to brighten my day. He helped to foster my love for learning, even when it's in a class as arduous as Calculus!

Lily Barcelona Señora Barcelona has been the most impactful teacher that I had in my high school journey. She has always supported me through my academic endeavors and as an individual, and with her great care and attention in the classroom, has inspired me to grow into a strong Spanish speaker and student.

Edward Joyce His was the most enjoyable class I took at North. I learned so much more than just Latin.

Bibiane Kan

Mohammad Khan

Naperville North

Anaya Kotak Naperville North

Patrick Burns He expanded my ways of thinking by teaching us to think. This allowed me to be more open to new ideas.

Pam Seubold Even though she is not one of my core academic teachers, Ms. Seubold has taught and supported me so much in learning how to act as a leader and interact with others. These two factors are largely skills I apply in my academics and my external life, and Ms. Seubold has continued to guide me through my journey in doing so for the past four years.

Claire Liu Naperville North

Elizabeth Brucker Having taught me from freshman to junior year, Mrs. Brucker has helped me transition into high school smoothly with a newfound love for learning and chemistry. With her welcoming humor and clear, guided instructions, I looked forward to chemistry every day.

Nicolas Liu

Connie Lu

Naperville North

Timothy Brown Mr. Brown always made me excited to attend math class, whether it was because of his positive attitude, passion for teaching, or Disney trivia review games. He does an excellent job helping his students excel in math and connecting with them on a personal level. As an incredible and enthusiastic teacher, he has inspired me to approach problems with skill and positivity. Sandy Parato Mrs. Parato taught me the importance of listening to and understanding a variety of perspectives and voices especially ones that are commonly underrepresented. I've used this way of thinking in my academic studies by viewing the topic at hand from a multitude of perspectives in order to deeply understand it.

Geoffrey Schmit Mr. Schmit is an incredibly talented teacher and mentor. His lessons not only helped in his classroom, but others as well.

Alexandra Mantel

Evan Navar Root

Naperville North

Thomas Parry Since freshman year, Mr. Parry has continuously pushed be to become a better version of myself academically and beyond. Even when I lacked the self confidence to seek out what I needed, he believed in me.

Clarice Ong

Emilio Perez Ibarguen

Naperville North

Naperville North Timothy Brown If there was one constant over the last few years with the unpredictability of the pandemic and the shift to online school and back, it would be Mr. Brown's infectious positivity. His unrelenting passion for learning and naturally hopeful nature inspire me to be more enthusiastic and optimistic in every aspect of my life, especially in the face of adversity. Timothy Brown During the eLearning period of my high school career, Mr. Brown went above and beyond in making sure that all of his students understood the material he taught. He made a difficult class very manageable, even though he was teaching virtually, which I greatly appreciated.

Eshani Ragam Naperville North

Terry Morenus My first business class at Naperville North was accounting and Mrs. Morenus was such a great teacher it showed me my love for business. I am now finishing off my Naperville North career being the TA for Mrs. Morenus’ class and has helped me realize what I want to do in the future and how to do it.

Cale Rester Naperville North

Geoffrey Schmit Mr. Schmit has shown me how to lead with compassion. His dedication inspires many including myself.

Sourav Roy Naperville North

Nikhil Sathyanathan Naperville North

Mark Rowzee I've loved having Mr. Rowzee as a teacher in both Physics and STEM Capstone. His class is never boring and I love how he interacts with his students.

Geoffrey Schmit Mr. Schmit has been invaluable in providing opportunities and assistance both inside the classroom and outside of it to help me improve my technical skills. He has also taken initiative in taking feedback from our class, and his willingness to work with students for the betterment of their learning has been extremely impactful for me and my peers.

Katherine Barr Even though English wasn't my subject of choice, Mrs. Barr was one of the first teachers to help me feel confident in my abilities as a student. She also always encouraged me to advocate for myself, my opinions, and my needs!

Dylan Schmit

Rajvi Shah

Naperville North

Aditya Srinivasan Naperville North

Elizabeth Moore Mrs. Moore had a profound impact on my growth in math and as a person. Whether it be by giving advice on daily problems or thoroughly explaining confusing concepts, I’m certain that Mrs. Moore has made a difference on my development.

Sarah Eclavea Mrs. Eclavea is genuinely one of the kind of teachers that changes your perspective on learning. I've always felt that she cared about my understanding and confidence in the classroom. She's also really funny; I always look forward to her classes and I know that she's someone who will always listen, even about things in my life that go beyond the classroom. She treats the kids in her class as people, not just students.

Mehek Taneja Naperville North

Timothy Brown With his enthusiastic teaching style, Mr. Brown's attitude made learning in the classroom much more engaging. His patience explaining problems allowed me to grasp difficult concepts.

Joseph Tennyson

David Wang

Naperville North

Sandy Toczylowski Mrs. Parato changed the way I view literature, media, and the world around me. She instilled in me an insatiable curiosity for the histories, stories, and voices of others.

Mitch Martin Mr. Martin taught me how to invite the reader into my mind and give them an intimate tour. Before his guidance, my writing was forced and tentative, but now I am a confident writer.

Emma Wang

Lucy Westlake

Naperville North

Helena Hitzeman I had always treated writing as a chore and something I loathed with a passion. Mrs. Hitzeman taught me how writing could and should be an enjoyable process both in and outside the classroom.

Elizabeth Moore Mrs. Moore is a kind and attentive teacher and math team coach that both encourages and challenges me. Under her instruction, I feel like I'm able to learn more by internalizing concepts and understanding the purpose of the material being taught.

Justin Wu

Jennifer Xia

Naperville North

Elizabeth Moore I learned to really thrive under the struggle of learning in probably my hardest high school class. Mrs. Moore was always available in answering my questions, being a guiding figure that I felt had faith I could master the material.

Timothy Brown Mr. Brown is very passionate about teaching and he inspired me to pursue my interest in mathematics. I always looked forward to attend his lectures because his energetic teaching style can cheer me up.

William Xioa

Yicheng (Eason) Xiao

Naperville North

Naperville North Elizabeth Moore In Mrs. Moore’s math classes, I appreciated how she involved her students in the process of discovery, which reinvigorated my interest in math. Further, her encouragement helped me approach new events on the math team.

Henry Xie

Lily Barcelona Profesora Barcelona genuinely cares about her students' wellbeing and always tries to foster curiosity and critical thinking in class. It's because of her that I discovered the complexity of and started to appreciate foreign cultures, and will probably continue to study Spanish in the future.

Naperville North

Ella Xu Naperville North

Geoffery Schmit Mr. Schmit has had a profound effect on my high school life. Without his encouragement and the support he has provided me, I would have probably made very different choices about my future.

Geoffrey Schmit I was first introduced to the world of computer science by Mr. Schmit and my classes with him. Moreover, he has imparted on me a love of learning that has carried over into my other endeavors.

Kevin Xu

Derek Zhang

Naperville North

Timothy Madden Mr. Madden has always inspired me to "go get 'em.” He's made my freshman year a lot more enjoyable.

Michelle Pitts Señora Pitts strives to truly connect with each and every one of her students in order to make the classroom an inclusive and comfortable environment for all. She has been my mentor inside and outside of the classroom, and I would be nowhere near where I am today without her support!

John Klein-Collins In class, Mr. K-C simultaneously challenged my abilities and made me confident in them. As I've moved on from his class and gone through four years of high school, he has continued to support my growth and journey.

Jonathan Zhang

Julian Zhang

Naperville North

William Zheng Naperville North

Brian Horner With his forays into poetry and philosophy, Mr. Horner encouraged me to expand my thinking in a way that prized curiosity and personal voice, all with a genuine and humorous touch. I’ll always remember the fun I had in his (elaborately structured) classroom and his love for stories that he passed down to me.

Isabella Zhou Naperville North

Never stop learning, because life never stops teaching. ~unknown