North Cook News

Students from each of the Maine Township high schools were awarded a District 207’s Best Award at the Feb. 6 school board meeting, with this month’s category being Technology Innovator and Leaders.

Main West principal Dr. Eileen McMahon awarded Daniel Roque with the award. He is a cadet in the Civilian Air Patrol and uses his knowledge in physics, technology and aviation to help others, she said. Roque is interested in getting involved in search and rescue missions or photography missions for storm damage assessments after natural disasters. He has a number of interests and extracurricular activities, and his teachers and coaches praise him for his dedication and hard work. He plans to attend the Colorado School of Mines to study aerospace engineering and might also enlist in the ROTC program to join the Air Force.

“He is all in on learning, all in on community,” said McMahon. “He tried fencing, fell in love with the community, and worked hard to become a varsity captain. He loves the balance between team commitment and self-reliance. He loves the community of his engineering and design class, specifically their work on the high mileage vehicle competition. Working together with friends on teams has been the highlight of Daniel's experiences at Main West. That's how he overcame the social anxiety he experienced as a freshman to become a prominent leader and friend in our senior class, in marching band, where he is a section leader, in link crew, in fencing, where he's a captain, in Chess club, New Alpha Theta National Honor Society, Pi Sigma Pi, Scholastic Ball, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, and Math Team.”

For Maine East, Wolfgang Gustaveson was awarded for his work with CTE and robotics, leading him to discover a passion for cars and auto service. Principal Dr. Melissa Pikul shared how he came to school each day with a positive attitude and ready to learn and engage. His teachers reportedly love to have him in their classes as he is always ready to step in and help.

From Maine South, Maria Uzquiano was recognized for her interest in engineering and her recent internships. She has worked in architectural firms, attended student conferences and worked on designing floor plans for apartment buildings and schools. Principal Dr. Ben Collins made the presentation, saying that when she took CAD classes during her freshman year she discovered a passion for design and engineering. She plans to follow in her father’s footsteps as a design engineer. Uzquiano is also involved in Spanish and the National honors Society, and her teachers were amazed at how she takes advantage of opportunities that come her way to learn. She has plans to attend Illinois Institute of Technology to study architecture next year.