(Minooka, IL) – Minooka Community High School (MCHS) Principal Jamie Soliman is pleased to announce that 87 students from the graduating class of 2026 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars. Illinois State Scholars possess strong academic potential and are chosen based on a combination of exemplary ACT/SAT test scores and sixth semester class rank and are recognized for their exceptional academic achievement.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state’s college access and financial aid agency, confers this important recognition of academic achievement to exceptional Illinois high school students annually. This year, they join the other outstanding students who have been honored since the designation was first introduced in 1958.
The following Minooka Community High School students were named 2025-2026 Illinois State Scholars: Eli Battaglia, Nicholas Behnke, Emma Best, Benjamin Bormet, Amelia Bryjak, William Buchanan, Jacob Buczko, Natalie Ciancanelli, Nicolas Cimino, Atreyu Collins-Davis, Ethan Conquest, Holli Coughlen, Ava Crites, Benjamin Cyrkiel, Aubrey Davis, Ryan Deluca, Allison Devereux, Alla Dobrovolska, Lydia Dondlinger, Ahnika Dudley, Therese Escano, Wesley Evans, Colton Fitzgerald, Alexander Foster, Alexandra Foster, Leslie Franco Gomez, Zachary Ganster, Zoey Gawthorp, Madison Govoni, Lacey Grozik, Chelsea Gutierrez, Elias Heabel, Ryan Hoge, Kyah Homerding, Noa Johnson, Chloe Juskiewicz, Ryan Keener, Cody King, Andrew Kittler, Preston Klug, Ava Knutsen, Margaret Kolpak, Olayemi Kupoluyi, Lukas Kwiatkowski, Aiden Lamont, Victoria Lehotan, Sofia Loustaunau, Matthew Maffeo, Edie Mareci, Aimee Marklund, Niko Martinez, Breleigh Mauk, Andrew Maxfield, Maddie Mcbride, Adelina Memedoska, Todd Miller, Emma Morton, Robert Murphy, Alexander Null, Barrett Pennington, Isabella Pitcher, Hunter Poe, Laney Przybyla, Avery Reda, Sophia Reda, Jessica Robbins, Ezra Rodriguez, Giana Schrementi, Matthew Sergeant, Jayden Sola, Aron Souvannasot, Kara Stoedter, Justin Stone, Leah Stonich, Natalie Stuart, Wyatt Stupak, Parker Sukley, Alexandra Tomlinson, Madison Torres, Stephanie Ulm, Abigail Underhill, Wendy Valdivia, Samuel Von Holten, Ethan Walsh, Reanna Wells, Zachary Witcofski, Madison Zabala, and Adriana Zid.
While this distinguished recognition is a non-monetary award, recipients will receive a congratulatory letter and a Certificate of Achievement. Additionally, awardees can download an official Illinois State Scholar Program badge to display on their online profiles, social media platforms, and share with their high school counselors, on college applications and scholarships, employers, family members and others.
In addition, students and their parents should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or in some cases, the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid (Alternative Application) when the applications become available in December.
Students and families can visit the ISAC website, and in particular the ISAC Student Portal, for free tools and resources to help with college and scholarship search and career exploration. They can also contact the ISACorps, a group of recent college graduates who are trained to serve as near peer mentors. The First-Generation Scholars Network offers support and resources to students transitioning to and in their first year of college who will be the first in their family to earn a college degree. Learn more at https://www.isac.org/.