National Merit Scholars

List of 5 items.

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  Jenna Crosswhite

  Grade School: Wilmette Jr. High
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  What cocurricular activities have you been involved with at Loyola?

  Adventure games, Theater for freshman and sophomore year, Certamen this year, Classics Club, EGaming Club, Loyola Alliance, and a few others!

   

  What is your favorite class at LA?

  Chemistry or any level of Latin. Faith and Justice was also a good one.

   

  What service experiences have you participated in whether at Loyola or outside of school?

  Arrupe with Madonna Mission and Our Place. 
  

   

  Do you have any special hobbies, interests, or talents?

  I love to write poetry, read all sorts of books, sketch, and play Dungeons and Dragons! I am also in the Loyola Chambers Choir as a soprano. I love to sing. 

   

  Have you thought about what you might want to study in college and where you might be applying?

  I've been thinking about chemical engineering. I'm applying to a bunch of schools in the northeast. 
  

   

  How has Loyola and your experience here helped you develop your talents?

  Loyola has exposed me to so many new subject matters that I wouldn't have even considered before. I found my love for science, developed my love for classics, and found a fantastic new creative outlet all through Loyola (thank you American Lit poetry contest!). I've met so many new people and heard so many perspectives that are all unique and different from my own. I've also taken on a couple of leadership roles, which is something I never could have imagined doing as a freshman. Loyola has helped me grow as a person quite a bit, and for that I am grateful — no matter how much I may complain about the work.
• 

  Olivia Galiano

  Grade School: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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  What cocurricular activities have you been involved with at Loyola?

  Math Team, Band, Jazz Band, Clavius Scholars, Arrupe, Student Ambassadors, National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society

   

  What is your favorite class at LA?

  My favorite class that I have taken at Loyola has been AP Literature with Mr. Van Howe. Each class we dove deep into the novels we were reading through analyzing and discussing with one another. It further showed me, because there is rarely only one right answer in literature, the value of this conversation and various interpretations involved.

   

  What service experiences have you participated in whether at Loyola or outside of school?

  Through the Arrupe program, I have had the opportunity to volunteer at Glencoe Youth Services, where I interacted with the children at the after school program and planned future events. Additionally, I will be beginning my third year tutoring a student who I have been able to build a relationship with through a program called Tutoring Chicago. The exchange of being able to provide tutoring for him while seeing his growth and excitement has been a greatly rewarding experience.
  

   

  Do you have any special hobbies, interests, or talents?

  One of my main interests is reading. I enjoy being able to visit different bookstores and libraries in a variety of locations/cities. Viewing the different selection of books and discovering more in their surrounding locations has become an activity I have really enjoyed.

   

  Have you thought about what you might want to study in college and where you might be applying?

  I currently plan on studying engineering in college with a minor in World Literature. I am still solidifying my final list, but I hope to be able to attend a school with a strong engineering program.
  

   

  How has Loyola and your experience here helped you develop your talents?

  The values that Loyola is rooted in have pushed me to expand both academically and as a person. Throughout the years, the relationships that I have been able to form with teachers, friends, and through the opportunities that I have been a part of have allowed me to develop as a whole person. I am incredibly grateful for all of the support they have provided me.
• 

  Julianne (JuJu) Miller

  Grade School: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
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  What cocurricular activities have you been involved with at Loyola?

  Softball, Student Council, DECA, Arrupe, Campus Ministry, Clavius, National Honor Society

   

  What is your favorite class at LA?

  Economics with Mr. Ceplecha, AP Lit with Ms. Tell, or Physics C with Mr. Lowe

   

  What service experiences have you participated in whether at Loyola or outside of school?

  I have done Our Place since sophomore year and am doing Special Gifts theatre this year!  I also planned an event between Buddy Ball and Loyola softball where we taught kids who have disabilities to play softball.  I have also done environmental service in the Clavius garden.
  

   

  Do you have any special hobbies, interests, or talents?

  I can juggle softballs.

   

  Have you thought about what you might want to study in college and where you might be applying?

  I would like to study biomedical engineering in college so that I can help with cancer research and improving people's lives.
  

   

  How has Loyola and your experience here helped you develop your talents?

  At Loyola, the people have seriously made the place.  All of my teachers have genuinely wanted me to grow—not just in their subject, but as a person.  My friends are amazing people whom I love and will be friends with for the rest of my life!  Hanging out and laughing with them is the thing I will remember most about Loyola.  There are also other people throughout the school who have been so supportive such as my counselor Ms. Ackron or the campus ministers.  Loyola has not just given me an education; it has taught me the purpose of education and how to use it well.
• 

  Bennett (Ben) Olsen

  Grade School: St. Juliana
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  What cocurricular activities have you been involved with at Loyola?

  Dumbach Scholars, Certamen, Thespians, Theater Lighting and Construction, Latin and Greek Honors Society, National Honor Society, Novice Crew, Philosphy Club, Arrupe, Classics Club, and Adventure Games. 

   

  What is your favorite class at LA?

  For me it's a tie between AP Art History and Latin; two classes that inspired me to think of learning as something that continues beyond the classroom.

   

  What service experiences have you participated in whether at Loyola or outside of school?

  Through Arrupe, I was a volunteer at Evanston Vineyard Food Pantry, where we organized food and talked to customers.
  

   

  Do you have any special hobbies, interests, or talents?

  I love playing the guitar and piano— namely jazz— in my free time, but when I’m not playing music I study languages! I know my way around Latin and Italian, but I’m also working on Ancient Greek, Spanish, and Swedish.

   

  Have you thought about what you might want to study in college and where you might be applying?

  I want to pursue a career in Secondary Education, along with hopefully studying Linguistics or the Classics. I am applying to the Universities of Michigan and Iowa.
  

   

  How has Loyola and your experience here helped you develop your talents?

  Loyola has provided me with a platform to meet tons of interesting people! I truly believe I would not be the person I am today without the teachers and friends that have opened me up to such areas of study as theater, language, art, and music.
• 

  Alexander (Alex) Persohn

  Grade School: Our Lady of Perpetual Help
  More Info
  What cocurricular activities have you been involved with at Loyola?

  Football, Baseball, Quantum Computing Club, Clavius, Insignis, National Honors Society, Spanish Honors Society, Pax Christi, Finance Club

   

  What is your favorite class at LA?

  Physics C

   

  What service experiences have you participated in whether at Loyola or outside of school?

  Pax Christi, Insignis, Care for Real, Emily Oaks Nature Center, Unity Gardens, Cleaning trash around Laramie with the football team, Morning Mass and service
  

   

  Do you have any special hobbies, interests, or talents?

  I am interested in learning about different technology including AI and Quantum Computing. I also really like spending my free time hanging out with my friends and listening to music.

   

  Have you thought about what you might want to study in college and where you might be applying?

  I am still deciding between engineering and business. I will be applying mostly to schools across the midwest and east coast.
  

   

  How has Loyola and your experience here helped you develop your talents?

  The teachers and community foster a collaborative yet challenging environment that encourages students to push each other. There are so many ways to get involved at Loyola that allow me to pursue my interests.