2014-2015 Lake County Academic Team

Athithan Ambikkumar

Athithan (Athy) Ambikkumar

Warren Twp. High School

Hometown: Gurnee

Parents: Ambi Sitha & Sutha Ambikkumar

Sponsor: Gail Triveline, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 4.75 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 35

Planned major: Biomedical engineering

Awards, honors: AP Scholar with Distinction; North-Suburban All-Conference Award; National Merit Commended Scholar

Personal statement: "Combining my interests in robotics and biomedical engineering to medicine, I aspire to stretch our limits and create solutions to existing, unsolved problems. With every research endeavor, I aim to create a steppingstone for upcoming generations and catalyze advancements in modern health."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Few students possess Athy's determination, discipline and intelligence. These are simply a few, among many, admirable qualities that have accelerated him to his current level of academic excellence. If he is not directly presented with a learning opportunity, he will take the initiative to seek one out on his own with an exhaustive effort."

Noel Brindise

Noel Brindise

Lake Zurich High School

Hometown: Deer Park

Parents: Charles & Michelle Brindise

Sponsor: Lauren Kasdorf, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 5.11 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2340

Planned major: Engineering/Germanic languages

Awards, honors: Goethe Institut German Olympics national finalist; National Merit Finalist; AP Scholar With Distinction

Personal statement: "Over time, I've recognized that life is lived from a fishbowl; I can look around and see plenty, but in a way, I'm alone. Try as I might, I can't pass through the distorted glass walls and fully understand another person's view. The best we humans can do is try to communicate, take in whatever clumsy words we give each other and attempt to account for the unique background they're coming from."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Noel is intuitive, quirky and wise beyond her years. She knows what is important in life, and focuses on the goals she has set for herself. She is grounded, modest and incredibly likable. She is also the only student that I've had who is the midst of completing her first novel."

Tara Gill

Tara Gill

Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart

Hometown: Libertyville

Parents: Dr. Nader Gill & Dr. Navjit Gill

Sponsor: Madonna Lee Edmunds, principal

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 5.45 on a weighted 5.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 34

Planned major: Biology, emphasis on genetics

Awards, honors: Honor Award (9-12), for the highest GPA; Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award; AP Calculus First Honor Award

Personal statement: "On the whole, I did not work for academics throughout my high school career; I let it work for me and steer me on the path to becoming well-rounded. Along the way, I have constructed a diversified base of knowledge and found my passion, which is the key to fulfilling my lifelong goals."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Both her interest and her imagination are readily engaged. She is articulate, witty and compassionate. Her vision of the world is a global one. ... Although she carries a rigorous academic load, this is a young woman who has learned to find balance in her life."

Nicole Hefner

Nicole Hefner

Carmel Catholic High School

Hometown: Lincolnshire

Parents: Drs. George & Denise Hefner

Sponsor: Paul Emerson, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 4.52 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2380

Planned major: Biomedical engineering

Awards, honors: National Merit Finalist; AP Scholar with Honor; Valedictorian, sophomore class

Personal statement: "Having gone to school and been raised in an environment that values service, I hope in my lifetime to be able to help people less fortunate than myself. The accomplishments I have achieved academically have started me on the path to a life as a biomedical engineer that will allow me both personally and professionally to give of myself to those in need."

Sponsor's endorsement: "More than anything else, what stands out to me about Nicole is her assuredness toward her future and commitment toward reaching her career-related goals. Nicole is passionate about the field of science and has gone out of her way to obtain real world experience ... to look for opportunities to grow as a person and an up-and-coming professional both within and outside school."

Gretchen Metzger

Gretchen Metzger

Lakes Community High School

Hometown: Lindenhurst

Parents: Joseph & Kristi Metzger

Sponsor: Katie Carney, counselor

Class rank: 1st out of 378

GPA: 4.738 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 31

Planned major: Biological engineering with a medical emphasis

Awards, honors: All Suburban All Academic Award for golf and soccer; SALT; North Suburban Leadership Conference; part of interviewing teams for a new guidance counselor, principal and vice principal

Personal statement: "I have to study. At the start of high school, jealousy made me bitter, and I found myself mad at students who scored higher than me without trying. (But) I used that anger to motivate myself to work harder, and it paid off. I developed a work ethic I would not have otherwise, and achieving that A feels so much better."

Sponsor's endorsement: "There is no question that Gretchen is a young woman with tremendous abilities and subtle confidence who has truly taken advantage of her opportunities not only at Lakes, but in life."

Emily Michael

Emily Michael

Lake Zurich High School

Hometown: Lake Zurich

Parents: Eric & Ruth Michael

Sponsor: Leslie Thomas, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 5.1589 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT: 2320

Planned major: Animal sciences/biochemistry on pre-veterinary track

Awards, honors: National Merit Scholarship finalist; National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists Award of Excellence; Illinois State Scholar

Personal statement: "Few children inspire their own successes; it is the teachers who ignite a passion for learning within the hearts of their students and who are the true masterminds behind many of society's most brilliant intellects. Without compassionate teachers pushing me, I would have never discovered my true academic potential."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Emily challenges herself in every pursuit, not only to better herself as a person, but because she has a deep desire to know the 'why' behind everything. She is someone who is extremely passionate about learning and this is demonstrated by her having taken the most rigorous classes we offer."

Ankur Rastogi

Ankur Rastogi

Libertyville High School

Hometown: Green Oaks

Parents: Saurabh Rastogi, Manjula Rastogi

Sponsor: John Mortillaro, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 4.719 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 36; SAT: 2390

Planned major: Biomedical engineering/bioengineering

Awards, honors: 2015 National Merit Scholar; national semifinalist, 2013 U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad; 2013 AMC, school winner and AIME qualifier.

Personal statement: "As a delegate in Model United Nations, I've learned the value in keeping a global perspective and the need to be mindful of those less fortunate. I think that's why biomedical engineering appeals to me so much. From fashioning artificial organs to developing new medical equipment, biomedical engineers exist at the tip of the spear of modern-day health care."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, 'All of life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.' That is how Ankur leads his life. He strives to explore new and exciting challenges, knowing that there may be difficulties, but never shying away from these challenges."

Alyssa Remshak

Alyssa Remshak

Grayslake Central High School

Hometown: Round Lake

Parents: Sue Remshak, Mark Remshak

Sponsor: Adrijana Bisevac, social studies teacher

Class rank: 2nd out of 363

GPA: 4.656 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 34

Planned major: Creative writing, psychology

Awards, honors: AP Scholar with Distinction; National Merit Commended Student; Salutatorian

Personal statement: "Instead of aspiring to be an engineer or design a new form of government, I am going to create my own little worlds within the pages of books. Even though I plan to write fiction, I want my stories to be infused with real life lessons, political statements and philosophies, anything that will make people talk and think, and kindle in them a desire to move the world with their minds."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Alyssa is a reminder of why I chose teaching as a profession. Her remarkable intellect, poise, maturity and character will ensure her success. She encourages excellence, not because it is expected of her, but because she expects it of herself."

Raphael Rouvinov

Raphael Rouvinov

Mundelein High School

Hometown: Mundelein

Parents: Anatoliy & Miryam Kats

Sponsor: Jimmy Ku, counselor

Class rank: 3rd out of 550

GPA: 4.49 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 34; SAT: 2210

Planned major: Computer science

Awards, honors: National Merit Finalist; AP Scholar with Distinction; qualifier, Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics state contest

Personal statement: "The future looks bright for my hopes of engaging in the more advanced fields of computer science. I've been working a long time for it, keeping a straight-A record, reading articles about technology, taking online courses and writing programs in my free time. My scholastic affairs and life goals align almost perfectly -- I'm excited to see what the future holds."

Sponsor's endorsement: "Raphael is a true Renaissance student who has interests and passions in a wide variety of areas, although the one area that truly drives him is computer programming. Even with all of his success, he isn't consumed by his grades, but focused on his desire to learn in all of his classes."

Justin Hyunwoo Yim

Justin Hyunwoo Yim

Vernon Hills High School

Hometown: Mundelein

Parents: Dai Jong & Young Hee Yim

Sponsor: Rebecca Bellito, counselor

Class rank: School does not rank

GPA: 4.714 on a weighted 4.0 scale

Test scores: ACT: 35; SAT: 2370

Planned major: Undecided

Awards, honors: USA Mathematics Olympiad qualifier; US National Chemistry Olympiad National Top 158; three-time USA Biology Olympiad semifinalist.

Personal statement: "Beyond just math or science, my academic accomplishments have left me intellectually vibrant, able to appreciate structure and find the fundamental connections and roots which define all knowledge. With analytical and critical-thinking skills, I hope to achieve my life goal of serving society. Whether through scientific research or as a lawyer, I hope to impact a world that is increasingly dynamic."

Sponsor's endorsement: "I met Justin when he was a seventh-grader who was bused here to take high school math courses. He is undoubtedly a brilliant young man; he is also humble, unassuming, polite and well-liked."