Schools

Lemont High School Names November Students of the Month

Shannon O'Donnell, Jaron Fay, Savannah Brija, and Phil Zukowski were honored by the District 210 Board of Education this month.

Four students received Student of the Month accolades this month for their outstanding work and dedication to community.

Shannon O’Donnell, Jaron Fay, Savannah Brija, and Phil Zukowski were all honored as November Students of the Month at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education.

As part of the honor, Brad Grcevic, of Edward Jones Investments 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 the Lemont Food Pantry 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.

November Honorees

Shannon O’Donnell, Freshman
Shannon O’Donnell was selected as the Freshman Student of the Month by the Science Department. She notes that her favorite classes include Accelerated Algebra II Honors, Biology Honors, and Introduction to Drawing & Painting. Shannon is described as a model student for her classmates, as she maintains a superior level of academic achievement while also dedicating a great deal of time to extra-curricular activities. An honor roll student as a middle schooler, she has involved herself in a number of activities, including Interact, Mathletes, Foreign Language Club and the girls’ volleyball program. She also has achieved something not many student-athletes accomplish, which is to be rostered on the varsity girls’ basketball squad as a freshman. Shannon hopes to earn a scholarship to attend college.

Jaron Fay, Sophomore
The Business Department picked Jaron Fay as the Sophomore Student of the Month. A high honor roll performer, Jaron notes that his favorite class is Personal Finance, and that his experience in that course has encouraged him to take other Business classes in future years. His teachers describe him as an exemplary person who demonstrates respect, leadership and ambition. Jaron has taken part in cross country, basketball, and track and field so far in his high school career, and also has involved himself in Future Business Leaders of America, Foreign Language Club, Bass Fishing Club and Interact. He hopes to major in finance at Northern Illinois University and become a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Financial Planner, or own his own business. He enjoys playing street hockey and collecting coins in his spare time.

Savannah Brija, Junior
Savannah Brija was named the Junior Student of the Month by the Mathematics Department. She is a high honor roll student whose favorite classes include U.S. History and Advanced Placement Calculus BC. Savannah utilizes her natural ability and strong work ethic to make sense of difficult concepts, which has made her one of her class’s top mathematics students. A member of the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society, Interact and Mathletes, Savannah also is an all-conference soccer player who helped the Indians to a fourth-place finish in the 2013 IHSA Class 2A Girls’ Soccer State Finals. She plans on majoring in athletic training in college and becoming certified in strength and conditioning, with an ultimate goal of becoming a trainer. In her free time, she plays club soccer and serves both as a math tutor and soccer referee.

Phil Zukowski, Senior
The Music Department tabbed Phil Zukowski as the Senior Student of the Month. A high honor roll student, Phil’s favorite subjects include chemistry, physics and music. The band directors note that he is a great example of what the band program can offer students. He demonstrated leadership skills as the head drum major in the Marching Band; plays oboe in the Honors Symphonic Band; and plays saxophone in the Honors Jazz Band. His drive and desire to be the best musician he can helps lead other students in the same direction. Besides his work in the school’s bands, Phil also is a National Honor Society student and a member of the Mu Alpha Theta math honor society. He plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering, and has his sights set on a doctorate in nuclear engineering. In his spare time, he plays in the DuPage Community Band and has done work in Argonne National Laboratory’s High Energy Physics division.


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