Achievements

• The 2008 recipients of the Accepting the Challenge of Excellence awards were: Tarkpoh Kollie and Jessica Vazquez of Mooseheart High School; Bradley Bork and Rachel Coleman of Geneva High School; Iliana Trujillo and Melissa VerVynck of St. Charles East High School; Samantha Balleto and Lauren Criss of St. Charles North High School; and Jeremy Hicks and Tasha Stritesky of Mades Johnstone Center. The Tri-Cities Exchange Club honored these students from area high schools for overcoming obstacles in their lives to reach their goal of graduation. Their teachers or counselors at the high schools nominated the students, who have overcome physical, emotional or social problems to excel in school.

• Emily Wegemer of Geneva has received the Sandrene Schutt Award for proficiency in literature from Hope College in Holland, Mich. The award is presented to the senior who has shown exceptional proficiency in English literature and who expresses the intention of teaching English literature.

Dean’s list

• Karla Barrera, Kimberly Conolty, Dawn Hummel, Samantha Johnson, Olivia Lindquist, Kevin Martin, Nicole Meister, Betsalia Nieto, Beth Norberg, Leann Soderquist, Heather Taylor, Amy Weissenburger, Phillip Winecke of Batavia; Stefanie Blacksmith, Eileen Flanagan, Maggie Kluck, Lindsey Marshall, Lauren Seghi, Catherine Smith, Abigail Whittington of Geneva; and Erica Abangan, Aileen Hoyne, Lynette Rosenberg of St. Charles have been named on the dean’s list for the spring 2008 semester at Illinois State University. Students who make the dean’s list have achieved grade-point averages that place them in the top 10 percent of their respective colleges at the university.

• Christin Alterie, Barbara Cordes, Jamie Cortesi, Michael Johnson, Erin Labuda, Jacob Miller, Karen Nilles, David Siedal, and Alise Svoboda of Batavia; Tony Felbab, Jillian Johnsen, Andrew Johnson, Jeffrey Johnson, Julie Lord, Megan Mills, and Amanda Nelson of Geneva; Kyle Herreras and Joshua Zielinski of St Charles were named to the 2008 Spring dean’s list at Western Illinois University in Macomb. To receive this award, a student must earn at least a 3.6 grade point average on a scale of 4.0 equals an A in 12 credit hours of graded courses.

Military notes

• Army National Guard Pfc. Justin Holland is currently deployed overseas at a forward operating base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Holland, a signal support systems specialist with more than one year of military service, is assigned to the 996th Area Support Medical Company, Tempe, Ariz. He is the son of Diana Holland of Geneva and Kevin Holland of Fort Myers, Fla. Operation Iraqi Freedom is the official name given to military operations involving members of the U.S. armed forces and coalition forces participating in efforts to free and secure Iraq.

• Air Force Airman Courtney Pearson has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations. In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Pearson is a 2007 graduate of Geneva Community High School. She is the daughter of Jana Pearson of Geneva.

Graduates

• Erica Vierthaler of St. Charles received her Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, and Carrie Pearson of Batavia received her Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville May 10 in SIUE’s Vadalabene Center. 

• Maggie Griffin of St. Charles received a Bachelor of Science in business administration degree with high distinction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln commencement exercises on May 10.