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CHS Class of 2020 boasts nine Illinois State Scholars

"We are very proud of our students here at CHS. We are especially proud of this exceptional group of young men and women who have gone above and beyond to represent our school and community so well. We are very excited to see what their future holds," said Chester High School counselor Adam Guebert, "This ties the biggest class of Illinois State Scholars here at CHS since I began my tenure here in 2014," he added.

The designation as an Illinois State Scholar provides no monetary award. However, as CHS Principal Missy Meyer said, it is a "prestigious" honor because typically Illinois State Scholars make up the top 10 percent of graduates from approved high schools each year.

Here's a brief look at this year's Chester honorees:

Amira Al-Jassim was born Dec. 27, 2001 in St. Louis. Her parents are Michelle Prange and Samir Al-Jassim. Amira attended Chester Grade School. At CHS Amira is a Yellow Jacket cheerleader, she was a member of the SADD group, Yellow Jacket Band, National Honor Society, Spirit Squad and Student Council. Amira's favorite class at CHS is History with Mr. Jacob Cowan. She maintains a 4.0 GPA at CHS. Her community involvement includes working at the Red Cross blood drives and the E-Cycle Program. Amira will attend the University of Mississippi.

Adeline Blechle was born June 14, 2002 at Chester Memorial Hospital. Her parents are Valerie and Chris Blechle. She attended St. John Lutheran Grade School. Adeline ran Cross Country for CHS and is a member of SADD. She is on the CHS Student Council and a member of the Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society. Adeline enjoys performing in the CHS Theatre productions, the CHS Swing Choir, "Sound Affect," and the Concert Choir. Finally, she is a member of the CHS "Green Team" and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She maintains a 4.0 GPA. Adeline's favorite classes at CHS include Swing Choir and Concert Choir and her favorite teachers are Mr. Steve Colonel and Mrs. Brenda Coop. She is a member of the St. John's Youth Group. She plans to study marketing at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri.

Jessica Handel was born Feb. 2, 2002 in Decatur. Her parents are Carl and Trish Handel. Jessica went to Chester Grade School. At CHS, Jessica is a Yellow Jacket cheerleader and she is a member of the Environmental Club. She also plays in the CHS Band and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Jessica's favorite teacher at CHS was in her freshman year when she had Mrs. Judy Wolters. Her favorite classes are Chemistry and English. In the community Jessica volunteers at the Chester Area Christian Food Pantry and she performs in the Chester Municipal Band. Jessica plans to have a career in cancer research and biomedical research. She is undecided on a college.

Zach Houghlan was born Aug. 25, 2002 in Chester. His parents are Jack and Cheryl Houghlan. Zach went to grade school at St. John Lutheran School. At CHS, he is active on the CHS WYSE Team. His favorite class is Calculus and his favorite teacher is Dwight Lochhead. He currently has a 3.8 GPA. Zach has a small lawn service in the community and after graduation, he will study Engineering at Murray State University in Kentucky.

Ashtyn Jany was born Feb. 25, 2002 at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Her parents are Jeremy and Kelly Jany. Ashtyn went to elementary school at St. Mary's Catholic School. At CHS she plays volleyball, runs track and is a Yellow Jacket cheerleader. She is also a member of the Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society. Further, Ashtyn is a member of the Art Club, Student Council, Spanish Club, SADD, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Environmental Club. Finally, Ashtyn enjoys being a part of the CHS Theatre Department Productions. Ashtyn's favorite teachers at CHS are Kristin Petrowske and Jacob Cowan and she maintains a 4.0 GPA. Ashtyn is a member of the Medical Explorers, the Memorial Hospital Pathfinders and she is a volunteer in the Memorial Hospital's Volunteer Program. She is a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and she takes part in the Recycle Program. Ashtyn plans to attend Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) where she will become a Registered Nurse. After completing her studies at SWIC, Ms. Jany plans to get a BSN through Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. She wants to eventually become a Nurse Practitioner.

Alyssa Place was born July 21, 2002 in Carbondale. Her parents are James Place and Jessica Luckhaupt. She attended Chester Grade School. At CHS, she plays golf, is a member of the Art Club and the Environmental Club "Green Team." She also plays in the CHS Band, is a member of the Academic Challenge Team and the Scholar Bowl Team. Further, Ms. Place is part of the CHS Theatre Department Productions. Alyssa plans to study Computer Science in college but is undecided where.

Jaci South was born Feb. 22, 2002 at Chester Memorial Hospital. Her parents are Jana and Jerry South. Jaci attended Chester Grade School.

At CHS she is a member of the National Honor Society and is the Editor of the school newspaper, "The Sting." She also edits the school Summit Yearbook. Jaci is the president of the GSA and she sings and dances with the CHS Swing Choir, "Sound Affect." Jaci is a member of the Environmental Club and she is the captain of the CHS Scholar Bowl Team. At CHS, her favorite classes are AP Chemistry and all of the music courses. Her favorite teachers are Carolyn Kish and Steve Colonel. In the community, Jaci is a Volunteer Assistant Manager at the Rainbow Café in Carbondale and she is a tutor.

Currently Ms. South carries a 4.07 GPA at CHS and she plans to become a Software Engineer by majoring in Computer Science.

Lauren Vasquez was born March 11, 2002 in Chester. Her parents are Trent and Angie Vasquez. She attended St. Mary's Catholic School. At CHS, she is active in volleyball, softball, Student Council, Future Farmers of America, National Honor Society, SADD, Spirit Squad and she is a member of the State Qualifying CHS Dance Team. Lauren's favorite fields of study include anything having to do with math. Her current GPA is 4.0. In the community Lauryn volunteers for the Red Cross Blood Drives and the E-Cycle Drives. Lauren plans to attend Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky where he will major in Agriculture Business with a minor in Accounting.

Destiny Williams was born Dec. 10, 2001. Her parents are Ron and Amy Williams. Destiny attended Chester Grade School. At CHS Destiny enjoys playing on the Lady Jackets basketball team. She also plays in the CHS Bands and sings in the Choir. Destiny is a member of the Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society. Destiny maintains a GPA of 4.0 and her favorite teacher is Mrs. Brenda Coop. In the community Destiny does various service projects via the CHS Student Council. Destiny plans to pursue a career in Sports Management. She also hopes to play NCAA basketball at the college of her eventual choice.