Governor Rauner Announces Top Students to be Honored by The Lincoln Academy of Illinois

Ceremony at Old State Capitol Recognizes the Top Students from Each College and University in Illinois

SPRINGFIELD - Governor Bruce Rauner today announced this year's outstanding college students who will be honored by the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. The Academy will recognize the following students during the annual Student Laureate Convocation at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 7 at the Old State Capitol in Springfield.

"Civic engagement, as exemplified by President Lincoln, is crucial to our democracy and the process of our government," said Governor Rauner. "The young men and women receiving this recognition today embody the spirit of President Lincoln through their hard work and dedication to their schools and communities."

The Lincoln Academy's Abraham Lincoln Civic Engagement Awards are presented for excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities to seniors from each of the state's four-year, degree-granting colleges and universities, and one student from the community colleges in Illinois.  At the Student Laureate Convocation, each student will receive a Student Laureate Medallion, along with a $1,000 educational grant and a certificate of achievement. This is the 41st year Lincoln Academy has celebrated students' excellence in Illinois.

Student Laureate Cynthia J. Avila of the University of Chicago will speak on behalf of all the Laureates.  The invocation will be delivered by Dr. Stanley R. Liberty, Interim President of Bradley University, and the benediction will be delivered by Eureka College President J. David Arnold.  The Sangamon Woodwind Consort will provide music, and a luncheon at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel will follow the Student Laureate Convocation.

The Lincoln Academy, unique among the 50 states, was established more than 50 years ago to honor distinguished citizens with the state's highest award, the Order of Lincoln.  The 52nd Annual Convocation and Investiture of Laureates of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois will take place Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the historic Marriott Pere Marquette Hotel in Peoria.

STUDENT LAUREATES

School                         Student                                Home Town 

Augustana College                                Aubrey Waddick                        Algonquin, IL

Aurora University                                Sherry A. Maschmeyer                                 Frankfort, IL

Benedictine University                     Dana V. Cairns                                Lombard, IL

Blackburn College                                Sarah Collman                                 New Douglas, IL

Bradley University                                Kristin Kreher                                Smithton, IL

Columbia College - Chicago                           Lance T. Cox                                 Rockford, IL

Concordia University Chicago                     Kayla E. Lohman                                Kirkwood, MO

DePaul University                                Nicole May                                Lemont, IL

Dominican University                                Cutberto Aguayo                                Chicago, IL

Eastern Illinois University                          Shirmeen Ahmad                                 Romeoville, IL

East-West University                                Ghada M. Morrar                                Chicago, IL

Elmhurst College                                Angil J. Tate                                Atlanta, GA

Eureka College                        Michael A. Sain, II                                Reynoldsburg, OH

Governors State University                            Jerry Davis el                                Richton Park, IL

Greenville College                                Nathan Kriebel                                Brookston, IN

Illinois College                                Kavita K. Patel                                Princeton, IL

Illinois Institute of Technology                     Pooja Agarwal                        Chicago, IL

Illinois State University                         Maureen R. Christensen                                Normal, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University                    Nicole M. Jovicevice                                Des Plaines, IL

Judson University                                Ethan R. Adams                                 Springfield, IL

Knox College                                Sophia D. Croll                                Cambridge, MA

Lake Forest College                                Benjamin Labaschin                      Northbrook, IL

Lewis University                     Jessica L. Tennant                        Burr Ridge, IL

Lincoln College                        Cody R. Garretson                      New Holland, IL

Loyola University Chicago                        Ashley Rogers                         Evergreen Park, IL

MacMurray College                        Shannon M. Young                          Carmel, IN

McKendree University                     Kenneth O'Dell Jr.                            Carlyle, IL

Millikin University                     Alexander H. Koulos                         Naperville, IL

Monmouth College                        Drake A. Decker                         Davenport, IA

National Louis University                     Jeanette Kyle                           Chicago, IL

North Central College                        Jack A. Ryan                           Oswego, IL

North Park University                     Carmen Velazquez-Alvarez              Hanford, CA

Northeastern Illinois University               Emily Fioramonti                     Chicago, IL

Northern Illinois University                     Kiranjit Gill                           Palatine, IL

Olivet Nazarene University                     Chelsea Risinger                       Tremont, IL

Principia College                        Shontee M. Pant                           Coppell, TX

Quincy University                     Catherine Richards                       Quincy, IL

Rock Valley College                        Matilyn N. Bindl                          Belvidere, IL

Rockford University                     Angela Martinez                       Rockford, IL

Roosevelt University                     Lacy N. Reyna                          Winterest, IA

St. Xavier University                     Anna E. Goldman                        Eagan, MN

School of the Art Institute of Chicago         Florian Palluci                        Berwyn, IL

Southern Illinois Univ. Carbondale        Savannah L. McCord                         St. Louis, MO

Southern Illinois Univ. Edwardsville      Joshua G. Pritsolas                      Glen Carbon, IL

The University of Chicago                        Cynthia J. Avila                          Chicago, IL

Trinity Christian College                        Halie A. Wisse                          Oostburg, WI

Trinity International University                 Richard J. Davis                          Arlington Heights, IL

University of Illinois Chicago                       Taylor R. Casino                         Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Springfield                    Hannah Cave                           Esmond, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign  Monica S. Chen                           Buffalo Grove, IL

University of St. Francis                        Laura Muñoz Lopez                          Simpsonville, SC

VanderCook College of Music                      Kendall C. Jones                          Lake Villa, IL

Western Illinois University                     Hannah F. Drake                          Charleston, IL

Wheaton College                        Kyle L. Mellinger                      Ladera Ranch, CA