25 Nazareth students to participate in Community Changemakers program

All 25 Nazareth juniors who applied have been chosen for the sixth annual Young Community Changemakers program (YC2).

YC2 is a leadership development program sponsored by Community Memorial Foundation and designed to educate and empower local youth to become the next generation of philanthropists.

Students from Nazareth Academy, Lyons Township, Riverside-Brookfield and Hinsdale Central high schools were selected from a pool of applicants who completed written essays on the topics of service and leadership. YC2 students meet from January through April to explore the social challenges in our community, learn about philanthropy, review grant applications, conduct site visits and ultimately award grants to local nonprofit organizations.

“The Nazareth Academy school community is enormously proud of our continued participation in Community Memorial’s YC2 program,” Nazareth Principal Therese Hawkins said in a news release. “Through this program our students have the opportunity to work with other high school students from the area and examine the critical needs of so many right in our own communities. This experience of service and philanthropy will serve our students well into their adult years.”

The following Nazareth juniors were selected:

Margaret Anos (Hinsdale), Erin Briars (Riverside), Anna Bukovac (Western Springs), Samantha Coniglio (Westchester), Alexis Connerty (Western Springs), Eric De Vera (Forest Park), Lillian Filipiak (Chicago), Natalie Finnegan (La Grange), Victoria Gonzalez (Justice), Pablo Guerrero (Berwyn), Daniel Kestler (Stickney), Bella Madonia (Westchester), Deirdre May (Western Springs), Fiona May (Western Springs), Molly McGarry (Hinsdale), Olvia Mowrer (Clarendon Hills), Sophie Nevers (Westchester), Georgia Panek (Westchester), Sean Parkes (La Grange Park), Gianna Paul (Chicago), Xavier Pekofske (Downers Grove), Andrew Rangel (Westchester), Rosaria Ricchio (Westchester), Kyle Sales (Westchester) and Clare Sandoval (Chicago)