Mount Prospect, IL– On Thursday, April 23rd the Northwest Suburban United Way honored three talented students with the George Gattas Scholarship at the 14th annual Golf Classic held at the Arboretum Club in Buffalo Grove. The students were chosen for the scholarship based on their demonstrated educational excellence, participation in co-curricular activities and their commitment to their community. The young scholars received a total of $6,000 to aid them as they continue on to higher education.
Monica Repiscak, a senior at Bartlett High School, was chosen to receive the highest valued scholarship of$4,000. Monica upholds a 4.56 GPA and participates in several extracurricular activities including French club, varsity badminton and tennis. In addition to this, Monica also serves as a religious education teacher to a first grade class. She plans to study Civil Engineering in college so she can continue giving back to her community and the rest of the world.
Lisa Koenig and Juan Rubio both received $1,000 scholarships to help them achieve their dreams. Lisa attends William Fremd High School in Palatine where she is 1st in her class of 747 students. She is a member of Student Counsel and National Honors Society amongst other activities. Most impressively, Lisa began her own charity during her junior year, the Thai Your Shoes Foundation, to benefit an orphanage she visited in Pattaya, Thailand. Thai Your Shoes began as a shoe drive and has since grown to include several fundraisers that have raised more than $9,000.
Juan Rubio has worked hard to constantly improve his grades throughout his time at Rolling Meadows High School where he now holds a 4.58 GPA and is enrolled in several advanced placement classes. Juan is not only dedicated to his studies; he is also an accomplished athlete. He is a member of the swimming and wrestling teams and serves as captain of the soccer and water polo teams. In addition to this, Juan also serves his community by volunteering for several service organizations including Special Olympics, Feed the Children and Project Linus.
“We are very proud of this year’s scholarship winners,” said Marcia McMahon, chief professional officer of the Northwest Suburban United Way. “They have shown great achievement at such a young age and are perfect examples of how we can all Live UNITED and make a difference in this world.”
