North Cook News

The Maine Township School District School board honored three Maine High School students for their academic achievements.

“While Natalia (Barna’s) GPA is off the charts, and she has earned scores of four or five and ten AP exams in merely three years of high school, the fact that (Barna) has also excelled in the arts, in leadership and in service is truly amazing,” Principal Melissa Pikul said  (Barna) shared with me that she loves Maine East because it's challenging, tight-knit and collaborative. She said that she is inspired by the work and ideas of her peers. Without a doubt, students and staff alike are also inspired by (Barna).

The district said it offers approximately 300 courses, some of which are dual enrollment.

The first of three students honored for their academic achievements was Mishelle Wiewiora of Maine West. Beyond just stellar academics, she has also played varsity tennis and logged thousands of hours of community service in her first three years of high school. She is a member of the Student Voice committee and the principal’s leadership team. Wiewiora also was a coach and a tutor, is determined to use every opportunity that comes her way, and is looking forward to studying finance in the future.

The district will allocate approximately $4 million for interscholastic programs, which are activities like sports, in the new fiscal year.

Ben Collins, principal of Maine South, recognized Andre Bochat with the 207 Best Award for Academic Achievement. Bochat is a member of the cross country team, track team, tennis team, the French club, junior class council, and the school’s nationally ranked constitution team. Bochat says he is interested in either medicine, history, or being a pilot for his future plans. He is an avid participant in the school’s internship programs and has not earned a B since 5th grade.

The board will meet again at 6 p.m. on Oct. 3 at the District Administrative Offices on 1177 South Dee Road in Park Ridge.

From Maine East, Barna was also presented with the distinction from Pikul. Though she started high school at the most advanced level of 9th-grade mathematics, she challenged herself and taught herself Calculus BC and even earned a 4 on the AP exam. She earned 5’s on two different AP English exams.

Baran’s all-time favorite class and subject is chemistry, which she also taught to herself so that she could take all possible courses while in school. She also mentors and teaches her peers difficult concepts, which is noticed by her teachers. She was also accepted by the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra thanks to her passion for music and the violin. She wants to get dual degrees in econ and chemistry.