Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club Honors Outstanding Students

The Downers Grove Junior Woman’s Club presented nine scholarships to local students during the Club’s 19th annual education awards ceremony March 22.

Receiving this year’s two $1,000 Fine Arts scholarships were Jaclyn Eidukas and Julianna Estall.

Eidukas is a student at Downers Grove North. She has demonstrated excellence in her artistic skills in a variety of art media, including photography, web design, ceramics, drawing and painting. Her art teacher has endorsed her high-quality art work in traditional drawing, painting and ceramic materials. She also displays exceptional skill in the digital media of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Her teachers have praised her conceptual abilities, technical skills, aptitude and character. Eidukas is planning on pursuing an art degree in the fall at either Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL or University of Illinois at Chicago.

Estall’s academic record places her in the top 1 percent of her class at Downers Grove South. Her exceptional class standing complements her visual arts resume, which includes numerous Scholastic Art Awards for drawing and painting. Estall’s art instructor notes that her sketch book demonstrates an articulate and imaginative student who writes, draws, and paints at a university level. Estall is planning to attend Cornell College and major in studio art and anthropology.

Hayley Stankiewicz and Robert Kos received the $500 Special Services scholarships; one is designated for a student at Downers Grove North, and one for a student at Downers Grove South. They are selected by the high school department chairs and teachers.

Stankiewicz’s teachers called her an standout exceptional student whose accomplishments extend beyond academics. She maintains a dynamic, positive attitude in working to tutor other students in math and reading, creating a rich environment for all those around her. In addition to class work, Stankiewicz has been on the badminton team all four years at South. She works after school at a doctor’s office and volunteers in a variety of ways within her community. She plans to attend the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater in the fall.

The teachers and staff at Downers Grove North described Kos as an outstanding student filled with enthusiasm, cooperation, honesty and leadership skills. He has taken advantage of opportunities to improve in academics and has participated in athletics all four years of high school. He has been a role model for all students, not only in excelling in classwork but also in sharing his free time volunteering in community service work. Kos has been on the honor roll and a member of the A-team, and was chosen student of the month in December. He plans to attend College of DuPage in the fall.

Hannah-Rose Murphy and Lawrence LeBlanc each received a $1,000 scholarship to Technology Center of DuPage (TCD).

Murphy attends Downers Grove North and is enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant Program at TCD. She was selected not only for her academic endeavors but for her athletic commitments, as well. She has played softball for the last 10 years and is currently on North’s track and field team. She works at Jewel, and in her spare time does community service work with Feed My Starving Children and the Salvation Army. Murphy is described as being a hard-working, innovative and compassionate individual. She plans to pursue a career in diagnostic medical imaging at College of DuPage.

LeBlanc attends Downers Grove South and is enrolled in the Emergency Medical Technician Program at the Technology Center of DuPage. His guidance counselor describes him as a mature, positive enthusiastic and caring young man. LeBlanc is considered by his teachers to be a gifted dedicated and hard-working student/athlete, with leadership potential and an intense desire to learn. In addition to his academic excellence, he has been on South’s soccer team and a member of the wrestling team for the last four years. His goal is to pursue a degree in paramedic science at Eastern Kentucky University.

Senior achievement scholarships in the amount of $1,250 each were awarded to District 99 seniors based on their grades, school activities, community service, volunteer service, recommendations and personal statement. This year’s scholarships went to Brittany Brady and Rachel Greenwood.

Brady is an outstanding student, academically ranking in the top 4 percent of her class at Downers Grove North. In particular, she excelled as a math and science student, taking challenging, fast-paced classes such as honors college algebra and trigonometry. She is described by peers and teachers as an intelligent student, a critical thinker, analytical, responsible and a mature individual who is well-liked by all who know her. Brady has participated in extracurricular activities such as orchestra and track and field. Her goal is to be a teacher, and she hopes to attend Illinois Wesleyan, Boston College or Marquette University.

Greenwood attends Downers Grove North, where she has an excellent record in academics and extracurricular activities and was selected for membership in the National Honor Society. Her many extracurricular activities include the school marching band and cross country. Greenwood has an extraordinary record of community service to her church, including many mission trips. She has raised money to participate in mission trips to Kenya, New Orleans, El Salvador, Haiti and Honduras. She has been described by one of her teachers as a hero, referring to her selfless acts of those service projects. Greenwood’s goal is to attend the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and eventually start an orphanage in an impoverished nation.

The Junior Woman’s Club presented a $1,500 Junior Alumni Scholarship, for an individual associated with or recommended by a Club member, to Danielle Brauweiler. Brauweiler was nominated by junior Carrie Schneider, who gave her a glowing recommendation as a past Juniors member on Schneider’s Education Committee a few years ago. Brauweiler is student teaching at Fairmount School and pursuing a master’s degree in education at National Louis University. She has maintained a 4.0 GPA while working as a graduate assistant and raising two young sons. She continues to be an active member in the community by volunteering with her son’s school PTA and other local organizations, as well as coaching first grade basketball.