College Credits: Students Participate In Charity Dance Marathon

HOMER GLEN-LOCKPORT, IL — We're sharing the news of all the major higher education accomplishments of area students from Lemont, Lockport, Homer Glen, Frankfort and New Lenox. College students across the country have faced challenges from the coronavirus pandemic, and have still earned achievements like making the Dean's List, earning a spot on an athletics team or participating in charitable events.

You can send your submissions to andrea.earnest@patch.com.

The following information was provided by Merit Pages News

Lockport's Hollatz Earns Spot on 2021 UW-Whitewater Softball Roster

Mallory Hollatz, of Lockport, and a graduate of Lockport Township High School, will compete for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater softball team during the 2021 season.

Hollatz, a sophomore at UW-Whitewater, is majoring in political science.

The Warhawks last played a season in 2019, when they won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship for the third straight season, finished with a 28-14 record and reached the NCAA Whitewater Regional title game. The team's 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic before it could play a game.

Students Inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Colin Curatolo of Frankfort, and Nicole Sellig of Lemont, were recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Curatolo was initiated at Elmhurst University.

Curatolo and Sellig are among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Students Pursues Student Teaching through Challenges of Pandemic

John Downey of Lockport, will complete a student teaching assignment in winter 2021 under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Downey is an educational studies student at Knox College and plans on pursuing a teaching career.

Michael Cepolski of New Lenox, will complete a student teaching assignment in winter 2021 under the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cepolski is an educational studies student at Knox College and plans on pursuing a teaching career.

Students named to the University of Rhode Island Fall 2020 Dean's List

Maya Renfro of Homer Glen, and Angeleena Rivera of Frankfort, were named to the fall 2020 Dean's List at the University of Rhode Island.

To be included on the Dean's List, full-time students must have completed 12 or more credits for letter grades during a semester and achieved at least a 3.30 quality point average. Part-time students qualify with the accumulation of 12 or more credits for letter grades earning at least a 3.30 quality point average.

Ella Pelen of Lemont selected as strengths coach at Nebraska

Ella Pelen of Lemont is one of 50 University of Nebraska-Lincoln students selected as a new strengths coach in the College of Business' Clifton Strengths Institute. Pelen is a freshman marketing and management major at the university.

In Professional Enhancement I: Investing in Strengths, each strengths coach leads a team of 10 students in weekly meetings, facilitates one-on-one sessions and helps coordinate discussions. Required for all first-year business students, the course demonstrates how to take one's top strengths from the CliftonStrengths assessment and develop and apply them to achieve academic, personal and professional success.

Tyler Korn graduates from UW-Whitewater

Tyler Korn from New Lenox, earned a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater at winter commencement on Dec. 19, 2020.

Korn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology.

More than 846 graduates graduated in a virtual ceremony. The graduating class included 61 veterans, 6 international students and 128 nontraditional undergraduate students, defined as students who are 25 years of age or older.

Students help raise $1.4 million for UI Stead Family Children's Hospital

Haley Kachinsky of New Lenox, Hailey Timosciek of Lockport, Taylor Arthur of Frankfort, and Catherine Miles of Frankfort, were among more than 1,400 current University of Iowa students who participated in the 27th annual student-led Dance Marathon which raised more than $1.4 million for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

The final tally raised by the students -- who were inspired by the theme of this year's Dance Marathon: "Rise with Resilience" -- was $1,422,443.27, a total which pushed the amount of support generated by Dance Marathon over the course of its history to more than $31 million.

Dance Marathon's "Big Event" is the celebration of UI students' year-round dedication to the children and families who have received treatment at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Dance Marathon is the UI's largest student organization. It has raised more than $31 million since its first event in 1995. In addition to raising money, the event celebrates the lives of survivors and recognizes those lost.