The Downers Grove South High School band performs. Courtesy of Downers Grove South
Downers Grove South High School students perform "Legally Blonde." Courtesy of Downers Grove South
Seniors at Downers Grove South High School start the 2021-22 school year. Courtesy of Downers Grove South
The Downers Grove South High School speech team won second place in state. Courtesy of Downers Grove South
Downers Grove South High School. Joe Lewnard | Staff Photographer
Graduation ceremony: Friday, May 20, at South High School Football Stadium
Distinguished Honors (cumulative 4.4 or higher weighted grade-point average): Adam Ahmed, Jessica Alcantara, Kelsey Casella, Leka Davis, Marley Davis, Allison Ford, Dean Golminas, Haley Hurst, Matthew Hyman, Alex Johnson, Aidan Kljucanin, Renee Kowalski, Gillian Krughoff, Patrick Laurich, Sophia McNerney, Timothy Neumann, Katherine Opila, Ysabel Pakowski, Maxwell Paschall, Cassandra Repole, Ashley Reynolds, Ryan Rosignal, Olivia Roti, Lillian Ryan, Maya Santos, Christian Schloneger, Clarissa Sigale, Emilia Swierzb, Luca Veriotti, Esther Wang and Hailey Welp.
National Merit Scholars: Leka Davis, Brendan Gibbons, Dean Golminas, Alex Johnson, Timothy Neumann, Shiven Patel, Ashley Reynolds, Olivia Roti, Emilia Swierzb and Luca Veriotti.
National Merit Commended Scholars: Renee Kowalski and Clarissa Sigale
• Six students earned awards at the State Speech Competition; Individual Speech State Champion Gwendolynne Royle in Prose.
• Speech Team placed 2nd at State
• Five students earned awards at the State Journalism Competition
• 18 students earned awards at the State DECA Competition; Individual DECA State Champion Jenna Majshrazak in Principles of Marketing
• 25 students earned awards at the State SkillsUSA Competition. SkillsUSA State Champions include: Ryan Pierson and Troy Graveen in 3D Design & Animation; Robert Grogan in Architectural Drawing; Kameron Jones, Leka Davis and Nathan Atseff in Engineering Technology Design
• 10 students performed in the 2021-22 Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State bands, orchestras, choirs, jazz bands and vocal jazz ensembles, including seniors Katherine Opila -- Trombone; Kassem Ossman -- Tenor I; Ryan Rosignal -- Tenor I; Gwendolynne Royle -- Soprano II; Andrew Brandt -- Trombone; James Clemens -- Bass Trombone; Philip Okunev -- Violin; and Olivia Roti -- Viola.
• Girls Cross Country, Regional Champions
• Boys Wrestling, Regional Champions
• Downers Grove North and South CO-OP Gymnastics, Regional and Sectional Champions
• Children's Play, "Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. "
• Fall Play, "Laughing Stock"
• Winter Play, "Rose and the Rime"
• Black History Play, "Blood at the Root"
What challenges did the Class of 2022 face as they returned to in-person school full time, and how did they overcome them: The completion of Master Facility Plan renovations was the perfect way to welcome back our students on the first day of school. Students explored new learning spaces, the collaborative learning commons and the outdoor patio. Additionally, our students continued to thrive in the academic and extracurricular activities. We're proud to share that our DGS Key Club hosted the first in-person philanthropy event in three years. The Mustang Trot 5K Walk/Run welcomed more than 150 runners and walkers and raised $2,000 to support our veterans through Honor Flight Chicago.
What was new in 2021-22: Thanks to the investment by our community, District 99 completed the multiyear comprehensive Master Facility Plan in August 2021 -- on time and on budget. The significant improvements modernized our buildings and will positively impact students for generations to come.
Congratulations to the Class of 2022! After enduring the challenges of a pandemic, multiyear construction and various school schedules, our senior class is truly resilient. Our staff has worked diligently to create as close to a normal school year as possible. This spring, we hosted Spirit Week with various events which reminded us of how Mustang Country should be. For the first time since 2019, we hosted our first in-person all-school assembly. The enthusiasm was at an all-time high especially as the senior class won the coveted Spirit Jug. We're proud of each of our graduating seniors and we wish you all the best.