Thirteen Plainfield School District 202 students from Crystal Lawns and Freedom elementary schools and Plainfield East High School are among 156 semi-finalists in the 2012 Illinois Fatherhood Initiative (IFI) Chicago White Sox Fatherhood Essay Contest.

The students each wrote essays explaining “What My Father Means to Me,” about the impact that their father, grandfather, stepfather or father figure has had in their lives.

Over 18,000 students from nearly 200 schools statewide entered essays in this year’s contest. Of those, 156 semi-finalists were chosen.The semi-finalists will be honored at the Chicago White Sox game on May 12, 2012 at the IFI Faces of Fatherhood Celebration.

The District 202 semi-finalists are:

• Nusrat Anwar -- Crystal Lawns Elementary, 2nd Grade
• William Beeman – Freedom Elementary, kindergarten
• Adam Gramlich – Freedom Elementary, kindergarten
• Haley Kolb – Freedom Elementary, 5th Grade
• Ariel Reynoso – PEHS, freshman
• Liana Bueno – PEHS, sophomore
• Clyde Troche – PEHS, sophomore,
• Monico Favela III – PEHS, junior
• Dave Ochoa – PEHS, junior
• Kimberly Forbes – PEHS, junior
• Amanda Fegert – PEHS, junior
• Jose Quiroz – PEHS, senior
• Takira Mack – PEHS, senior

Twelve finalists will eventually be chosen – three in each category of Father, Stepfather, Grandfather and Father Figure of the Year. The 12 Finalists will be honored at the IFI Celebration of Fatherhood Dinner on Thursday, June 14, 2012 at the Union League Club of Chicago. 

At this event, IFI will announce the Father, Stepfather, Grandfather, and Father-Figure of the Year, and will honor Chicago Bears Wide Receiver Devin Hester; Clear Channel Communications President Earl Jones and WMAQ television news personality Art Norman.