Zoe Morris and Nicholas Pearse named Oglesby Elks Teens of the Month for January

The Oglesby Elks January Teens of the Month are Zoe Morris and Nicholas Pearse.

Morris, a senior at Hall High School, is the daughter of Tracy and Michael Morris. She currently is third in her class and has been on the high honor roll since her freshman year. She also has been in the National Honor Society since her junior year and is an Illinois State Scholar.

Morris was in volleyball, basketball and softball all four years. She was a co-captain for basketball as a senior and for the JV volleyball team her freshman year. Her 2019-20 basketball team received statewide academic honors, and she received all-conference honorable mention in basketball her junior year. Morris was a NewsTribune all-area softball honorable mention her sophomore year and an all-area honorable mention girls basketball her junior year.

Morris was in Student Council beginning sophomore year, first as a class representative her sophomore and junior years, becoming treasurer her senior year. She was in Spanish Club all four years, becoming secretary her junior year. She was on the yearbook staff her senior year, where she also was the photo editor. She was in Pep Club her freshman and sophomore years. As a freshman, she was in chorus.

Morris volunteered by helping with Santa’s on the Run 5K her sophomore and junior years. She also helped with “Pack the Bus” Hy-Vee food drive her sophomore and junior years. As a freshman through junior years, she helped with Compassionate Friends Memorial Walk. She also volunteered at the Spring Valley United Church of Christ spaghetti dinner her freshman and sophomore years. She volunteered at the youth basketball concession stands her sophomore and junior years and at the Spring Valley UCC Bible School as an assistant her freshman year.

Morris enjoys spending time with her friends and family, babysitting, exercising and playing sports and photography.

Pearse, a senior at St. Bede Academy, is the son of Keith and Gerri Lynn Pearse. He is ninth in his class and has been on the honor roll all four years.

He was in Student Council his junior and senior years, becoming treasurer as a senior. He also was the treasurer of his class as a senior.

He played baseball, football, tennis, basketball and golf. He played baseball as a freshman and then switched to tennis for the rest of his time in high school. He was a co-captain for tennis as a senior. Nicholas was all-conference academics in football his sophomore and junior years and was all-state academic kicker his sophomore and junior years. As a sophomore and junior, he was TRAC all-conference first team kicker, NewsTribune all-area football team kicker and Bureau County Republican all-area football kicker.

Pearse was in chorus as a freshman. He was involved all four years in Spanish Club and InterACT. He was a World Youth in Science and Engineering as a junior. He was also given the Sophomore Development Award for his outstanding performance on the ACT.

He has been volunteering at Holy Family Church by serving, lecturing and being a Eucharistic minister all four years and then since his sophomore year at St. Bede Abbey. As a freshman, he helped with baseball, the Knights of Columbus and Baker’s Lake fishing. He helped with the annual SBA auction, golf and basketball during his freshman and sophomore years, and volunteered to help with basketball bookkeeping his sophomore year.

Pearse enjoys watching and playing soccer, rugby and football. He is also fascinated by different cultures and countries which gave him the desire to hopefully travel a lot to experience them. He also loves outdoor activities including hiking, biking and surfing to name a few.