Class of 2022 takes off into their futures

While most students live about 15 minutes from school, Madyx Henning’s heart lives 12 hours away, in Alabama. The senior, who has lived in the LZ area for five years, cannot wait to go home this fall. “She’s been talking about going to University of Alabama since freshman year, and I remember that was literally the only school she applied to,” Kati Babb, senior, said. Alabama will always...

When the curtains open, they step onto the stage and music fills the hall. This is their 13th year performing “The Nutcracker.” Delilah Herzog, senior, has had a passion for ballet for as long as they could remember. “I’m obsessed with ballet because I feel like it's been constant in my life and it's something I've always been able to fall back on,” Herzog said. “Dance is just there at ...

Lots of seniors started the journey toward their futures on April 29, College Decision Day. But Jake Mack, senior, says he has spent his whole life on a journey to achieve his childhood dream job. “I think I was actually watching YouTube, and I saw a video of a carrier landing and I was like, ‘That’s so awesome.’ After that, I kind of dove into what it would actually mean to become a pilo...

“I’ve always liked cars because my dad likes cars. But probably in my sophomore year of high school I really started to get into cars. And now that’s probably one of my favorite things to do,” Nadda said. Whether it’s watching videos on cars or getting out on the track, he loves everything about them. Nadda does high performance driving or tracking, which is an exciting way to show off...

From colorful hair dye to the biggest shoes around, this super senior dresses in personality from head to toe with her/his whimsical outfits and creative ideas. “I'm trying to express myself and my views. I want to inspire other people to not be afraid to wear whatever they want,” Lena Serafino, senior who uses both she and he pronouns, said. “I'm exclaiming that I'm there and it definitely does have...

Finding a path in life can be a difficult task. Determining a way to live the ideal life can be a source of stress. But for Emilis Vaitkus, senior, the answer to this dilemma was narrowing down his passion to three key traits: generosity, intelligence, and strength. This focused approach led him right to the Naval Academy. Vaitkus says helping others has always been a passion of his, being largely in...

If someone asked him four years ago where he would be in his football career, his answer would not include being recruited to play college football with a full-ride scholarship – mostly because he never played football growing up. Aleks Popovic, senior, played basketball all throughout his childhood, but when people started telling him to play football “because [he] was a bigger kid,” Pop...

Jenna Fleita, senior, never really liked science. However, she has always loved caring for others. This love and care for other people is what drew her to the medical field. In fact, she not only enjoys it, she plans on making it her life’s work. “My whole entire life I loved home care, because I just love helping people,” Fleita said. While Fleita’s original career plan was phlebot...

From jazz to contemporary, tap to ballet, Kelly McKinley, senior, loves dancing – so much so, that she is hoping to make a career out of it. “I want to dance in a contemporary company,” McKinley said, “something like Hubbard Street Chicago, or I want to tour with a contemporary company or even tour with a musical artist for concerts. I would love to do movies, TV shows, [or] music videos.”...

Moving to a new home can be difficult; saying goodbye to neighbors, having to make new friends, adjusting to a new life. But what if you had to move across the world? Yatin Marneni, senior, is an immigrant who knows firsthand what that’s like. Born in Phoenix Arizona, he has not only lived in the states but also lived in India for 10 years before moving to Illinois.  “There were definit...

“I was four years old. I remember it so vividly. We were driving in the car and my mom was like ‘Hey, there’s this camp called Showbiz Kids, do you want to do it?’ and the rest was history,” Emily Robins, senior, said. She plans to major in Theatre Teacher Education next year at Illinois State. Robins has starred in over 30 theater productions such as Schoolhouse Rock, Alice In Wonderland, B...