Oak Park and River Forest High School graduates Nick Kelsey and Claire E. Ojala graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine on May 14 with Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. Kelsey, who won the American Animal Hospital Association Award for proficiency in small animal medicine and surgery, will complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. Ojala, who ranked second in her class academically, will practice veterinary medicine at Animal Hospital of Streamwood, located in northern Illinois.
That’s Mr. C to you
Oak Park and River Forest High School graduate Jayson Todd Czarnecki of River Forest graduated from Illinois State University on May 13 with a Bachelor of Science degree in education. He will become a middle school teacher.
Better than the Da Vinci code
Lake Forest College student Elizabeth Carroll of Oak Park presented a research project titled “Paul of Tarsus: Follower of Christ or Founder of Christianity?” in the College’s ninth annual Student Symposium.
Bon Voyage
Outrider Press’s new anthology of poetry, essays, and short fiction from across the nation, Vacations: the Good, the Bad & the Ugly, includes work by Oak Park residents Marcy Darin and Susan Messer.
Drama queen
Beloit College senior Maggie Koller of Oak Park received the Delta Psi Delta Prize for her outstanding work in theatre arts and the Guy Allen Tawney Prize for academic excellence in psychology at the College’s Honors Day Convocation on May 3.
Intelligent design
Local designer Gini Hopkins, a lifelong resident of the Oak Park area, has joined Designs of the Interior, the full-service interior design studio and showroom on Lake Street. (Photo included)
The sky’s the limit
Syracuse sophomore Jordan Geddis, an aerospace engineering major, was honored for academic and leadership excellence in fall 2005 at a reception held on February 19.
Communication is key
Donald J. Heimburger of River Forest has received the 2006 University of Illinois Constituent Leadership Award for his exceptional support of the College of Communications, where he received his degree in 1969. Heimburger has helped organize alumni events for the college both on and off campus, including the annual Chicago Alumni Gathering and the Homecoming Tent Party. He has also coordinated Journalism Career Night on campus for the past 10 years, bringing dozens of journalists back to campus to meet with students.
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The American Cancer Society has chosen Oak Park residents Eileen Dolan and Yvonne Hipps-Cisco to represent Congressional District 7 at Celebration on the Hill 2006, September 19-20 in Washington, D.C. They will join 10,000 Celebration ambassadors, cancer survivors, and volunteers from every congressional district in the country to encourage members of Congress to fund cancer research.
