Lemont High School Honors April Students of the Month

Four  students have been named "Students of the Month" for the month of April for their outstanding work and dedication to community.

Senior Ashley Barajaz, junior Paul Rachwalski, sophomore Michelle Awad and freshman Gary Lin were recognized during the April 9 meeting of the District 210 Board of Education.

As part of the honor, Brad Grcevic, of  in Lemont, makes a charitable donation on behalf of the students. Each student is encouraged to nominate a charity, and then the four must come to a consensus on which organization should receive the funds.

This month, the students chose Feed My Starving Children to receive the donation.

Only 32 students are honored as Students of the Month from October to May. Students may only be selected once during their time at Lemont High School.

April Honorees

Gary Lin, Freshman

Gary Lin was selected by the Learning Resource Center as the Freshman Student of the Month. He is a high honor roll student who enjoys his Algebra II, Cultural Geography, English I and Health Education classes. His teachers note that he is very dedicated to his success, and spends most of his time PLC mornings working in the LRC. 

Lin speaks three languages, including Mandarin Chinese. He hopes to pursue a degree in engineering. Outside the classroom, he plays trombone, performs magic, lifts weights, and plays basketball, ping-pong and badminton with friends.

Michelle Awad, Sophomore

Sophomore Michelle Awad received Student of the Month honors from the Social Studies Department. Awad is a high honor roll student who is highly motivated and exceeds expectations in the classroom. She has received a number of individual honors as a member of the school's Speech Team, and recently was part of the Group Interpretation cast .

Awad hopes to become a representative for UNICEF to be the voice of children who are often forgotten. In her free time, she enjoys running and volunteering with her church's youth group.

Paul Rachwalski, Junior

Paul Rachwalski was chosen as the junior Student of the Month by the Industrial Technology Department. A high honor roll student, Rachwalski is described by his instructors as a "team player" who is a natural leader and independent learner. His is involved in a number of extracurricular activities, including Mathletes, National Honor Society, Junior Engineering Technical Society, and the boys track and field program.

Rachwalski plans to pursue a degree in computer science. In his spare time, he works as a cashier at Chipain's, is working to become an Eagle Scout, and enjoys drawing and computer programming.

Ashley Barajaz, Senior

Ashley Barajaz was named Student of the Month by the English Department. She has two main areas of academic interest—science and English. Her teachers state that she has exhibited "tremendous growth in her analytical and writing skills" and has become a top-tier English student. Barajaz participates in a number of extracurricular activities, including Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering, National Honor Society and National English Honor Society.

Barajaz plans to attend Drake University next year and major in pre-pharmacy. In her free time, she works at Dancin' 1, and enjoys reading and hanging out with friends.