La Salle-Peru Township High School District 120 recenlty issued the following announcement.
La Salle-Peru Township High School is pleased to announce its top 10 students after eight semesters from the class of 2018. They are listed below.
The top 10 seniors by grade point average of the LaSalle-Peru Township High School class of 2018 gathered for a photo.
Valedictorian Charmi Patel is the daughter of Narendrakumar and Renuka Patel of Peru. She is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. Patel received the Thelma Levan Mackey Memorial Scholarship, Bertusi Award for social science, Rabe Math Award, Adele Chatfield Taylor Citzenship Award, Carol Walsh Memorial Spanish Award, and Illinois Science Teachers Physics Award. At LP, she also has been a president of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Key Club, a chairman of the Renaissance committee, treasurer of the Foreign Language Club, and a member of the Math Team, Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) Team, TOPS, Link Crew, Student Board, and Student Council. Patel competed in soccer and tennis. She attended Peru Rotary Club meetings her senior year. She volunteered her time with Illinois Valley Community College, Liberty Village, Perfectly Flawed, Thirst Project, Children’s Miracle Network, March of Dimes, UNICEF – Eliminate Project, and Heifer International. Patel plans to major in finance at the University of Virginia.
Salutatorian Devanshi Patel is the daughter of Jitendrakumar and Geeta Patel of LaSalle. She is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received the Unimin Scholarship, Elizabeth J. Boyle & Richard N. Henneberry Scholarship, and Don Wilmot Award. At LP, she participated in Math Team, WYSE Team, Link Crew, and Foreign Language Club. As a senior, Patel attended LaSalle Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered in the Illinois Valley Community Hospital emergency room. Patel plans to major in biology at Illinois Valley Community College.
Tatum Pyszka, daughter of Mark and Kristin Pyszka of Peru, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received the Dr. A.J. Sellett Medical, Financial Plus Credit Union, and Booster Club scholarships. A member of the NewsTribune All-Academic team, she also received the LP Biology and Chemistry awards. She competed in volleyball and softball. Pyszka also participated on her class board. As a senior, she attended Peru Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered her time with EMT training. Carruthers plans to major in biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Rachel Hickey, daughter of Jeff and Beth Hickey of Peru, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received an Illinois State University athletic scholarship, as well as the Blow Medal/Pomatto Scholarship and Redbird Academic Scholarship. She was recognized as a member of the IHSA Academic All-State team. Athletically, as of May 18, 2018, Hickey has also been named state champion in the 800m (2016), a two-time state runner-up in the 800m, two-time All-State in the 4x400 relay, two-time All-State in Cross Country, and Academic All-Conference in Cross Country and Track for four years. She is also a three-time recipient of the NewsTribune Cross Country Runner of the Year and two-time recipient of the NewsTribune Track Athlete of the Year. Aside from track and cross country, she competed in swimming for two years. She served on LP Student Council. She also participated in Link Crew, Foreign Language Club, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As a senior, she attended LaSalle Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered as a Sunday School teacher at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Illinois Valley Falcons track coach, and at church services. Hickey plans to major in journalism and marketing at Illinois State University.
Abhi Patel, son of Himanshu and Mina Patel of Peru, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. He received Gies College of Business, Golder Investment Banking Academy, and Tirza B. Ennor scholarships. Patel competed on LP’s Personal Finance Challenge team, which placed second in the state. He also competed on the tennis and golf teams. He also participated in FBLA and Math Team. As a senior, he attended Peru Rotary Club meetings. Patel volunteered his time at the obstetrics desk at Illinois Valley Community Hospital and with the Perfectly Flawed Foundation. Patel plans to major in business-finance at the University of Illinois.
Tyler Martyn, son of Michael and Tammi Martyn of Oglesby, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. He received the St. Ambrose Trustee Scholarship, Vito A. Ricci Scholarship, Blow Medal/Pomatto Scholarship, Huby Sarver Scholarship, City Center Scholarship, and Rotary Scholarship. Athletically, he competed in baseball, basketball, and football, earning Academic All-Conference honors in all three sports. He was named All-Conference and All-Area in football and basketball, and All-State in football. He also was named a Peoria Journal-Star Athlete of the Week and an IHSA All-State Academic Team nominee. He participated in student board for four years, as well as FBLA and Link Crew. As a senior, he attended Peru Rotary Club meetings. Martyn volunteered for the Food Pantry, Project Santa and basketball team community projects. Martyn plans to major in physical therapy at St. Ambrose University.
Gabrielle Sawin, daughter of Colby and NoJo Sawin of LaSalle, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received the LP Foundation Scholarship and Iowa State University Presidential, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and McGinnus scholarships. Sawin also received the Sons of the American Revolution award and Literary Festival honors. She participated in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Science Club, Foreign Language Club, Student Council, and Math Club. She competed in soccer, cross country, and volleyball, earning All-Academic honors in soccer and cross country. As a senior, she attended LaSalle Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered her time at Grace United Methodist Church, Starved Rock Runners Youth Running Clinic, local runs, and Santa’s Workshop. Sawin plans to major in biology at Iowa State University.
Hailey Lightle, daughter of Matt and Rachel Lightle of Oglesby, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received the PQ Corporation Scholarship, Mary L. Campbell Award, Wildcat Achievement Award, National Academic Award and Kate-Munson Scholarship. She participated in Math Team, WYSE, Link Crew, and Student Board. She danced in the Cavalletes, earning All-Academic Honors. As a senior, she attended Illinois Valley Sunrise Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered her time with the Lostant Public Library. Lightle plans to major in forensic biochemistry at Northern Michigan University.
Maria Lamboley, daughter of Mark and Christina Lamboley of Peru, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received a Presidential Scholarship and the Linda Levine Memorial Scholarship. She participated in student board. She competed in volleyball, earning All-Academic honors. As a senior, she attended Peru Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered her time on a mission trip to West Virginia to assist with flood relief. She also participated in a Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation seminar. Lamboley plans to major in business-finance at the University of Illinois.
Taylor Donnell, daughter of Darin and Carrie Donnell of LaSalle, is a member of the LP Honor Society and an Illinois State Scholar. She received a Loras College Competitive Scholarship and achievement scholarship. Donnell competed in softball, tennis, Special Olympics Unified basketball, and volleyball. She was named All-Conference and All-Area in softball twice, and All-Academic in softball and tennis twice. She participated in LEAD, Foreign Language Club, and Link Crew and was a LP Superfan leader. As a senior, she attended LaSalle Rotary Club meetings. She volunteered her time with JDRF. Donnell plans to major in accounting and finance at Loras College.
LP Wagenknecht Scholars
LPHS Wagenknecht Scholarship recipients, Class of 2018.
Tammy Humpage (back row, right) of Hometown National Bank presents the top eight graduating seniors of LaSalle-Peru Township High School’s Class of 2018 with Wagenknecht Scholarships.
The Wagenknecht Scholarship was established in 1972 by the 1964 last will and testament of Frank C. Wagenknecht. The will established a trust to ensure “the income therefrom shall set up a scholarship for the student or students graduating each year from LaSalle-Peru Township High School…and attaining the highest scholastic grades in his or her class.” The scholarship award is used by the students to pay tuition and other expenses to the extent of $2,500 annually while attending a four-year course at a college or university of the student’s choice.
The first Wagenknecht Scholarships were given out in 1976. Since that time 187 scholarships, totaling more than $1.87 million, have been granted to LPHS graduates, not counting those given out this year.
This year’s LPHS recipients are salutatorian Devanshi Patel (front row, from left), valedictorian Charmi Patel, Rachel Hickey, Hailey Lightle (middle row, from left), Gabrielle Sawin, Abhi Patel, Tatum Pyszka (back row, from left), and Tyler Martyn.
Original source can be found here.
Source: La Salle-Peru Township High School District 120
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