Gardner South-Wilmington students receive honors

Taylor Bartels recently was honored with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Good Citizen Award for Gardner-South Wilmington High School. She is the daughter of Robert and Patricia Bartels of Braceville.

The Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award honors an outstanding senior who exhibits the qualities of dependability, leadership, service and patriotism. The selection was voted on by the faculty and staff.

Taylor serves as the president of the National Honor Society and is a student ambassador, peer tutor and crew trainer at McDonald’s, where she works. Taylor was named the 2018 Student of the Year at GSW and has had perfect attendance all four years. Taylor is involved with the Math Team, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Youth Philanthropy and Pantherette Spiritline.

Being the recipient of the DAR Good Citizen Award, Taylor has completed an essay that will have the opportunity to advance through state and national levels of judging. The DAR Good Citizens program and scholarship contest is sponsored by the Illini Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Additionally, Claire Hennessy and Easton Ashley, both sophomores at GSW, have been selected to represent GSW School at the 2020 Hugh O’Brian Leadership Conference Leadership Seminar (HOBY). The seminar is designed for high school sophomores to recognize their leadership talents and apply them in becoming effective, ethical leaders in their home, schools, work-place and community.

The students will participate in hands-on leadership activities and meet state leaders in such areas as business, government, education, media and the non-profit sector.

Each September, every accredited public, private and charter high school in the country is invited to select and register outstanding sophomores as representatives to their local state seminar. Currently, nearly 9,000 sophomores, representing as many high schools nationwide, attend HOBY Leadership Seminars annually.

Claire Hennessy is the daughter of Bryan and Betsy Hennessy of Gardner, and Easton Ashley is the son of Michael and Kristen Ashley of South Wilmington.

All GSW High School sophomore students were invited to pick up applications and submit essays for the opportunity to attend this seminar.