JCA Students Take On The World

JOLIET – The World Languages Department at Joliet Catholic Academy recently held its induction and honor ceremony, installing 51 students into the various honor societies and also awarding 55 medals.

The Thursday night ceremony in the co-educational high school’s chapel began with an address and a prayer and closed with a prayer by Diane Nowaczyk, JCA’s Director of Institutional Advancement.

The introduction of officers for French Club was Andrew Pultorak (Joliet) as president, Sarah Morimoto (Joliet) as first vice president, Katie Nicholson (Joliet) as second vice president and Colleen Searcy (Romeoville) as secretary; for Latin Club was Jillian Hickey (Oswego) as president, Jonathan Nonnie (Joliet) as first vice president, Austin Naal (Joliet) as second vice president and Jacob Judge (Plainfield) as secretary; and for Spanish Club was Carley Serena (Shorewood) as president, Michael Bannon (Joliet) as first vice president, Nolan Hucek (Joliet) as second vice president and Laura Gillespie (Joliet) as secretary.

Juniors inducted into Spanish NHS were Kennedy Lees (Shorewood), Taylor Madlener (Plainfield), Mallory Mangun (Joliet), Brandon Newsome (Joliet), Michael O’Neill (Joliet), Marin Pasieka (Joliet), Zach Siegfried (Bolingbrook), Luke Warpinski (Plainfield) and Jack Whalen (Joliet).

Sophomores inducted into Spanish NHS were Kayla Belofsky (Plainfield), Dominic Bertino (Lockport), Joie Bettenhausen (Joliet), Mary Bui (Joliet), J.B. Butler (Plainfield), Taylor Charley (Joliet), Marcos Diaz (Minooka), Frederick Harvey (Joliet), Ryan Hippman (Bolingbrook), Madeline Rose Kennedy (Custer Park), Jessica King (Joliet), Victoria Kinsella (Joliet), Chloe Korst (Joliet), Brady Kostecki (Joliet), Alexis Kwaben (Shorewood), Justin Malec (Joliet), Dyllan Mattea (Joliet), Moira McSteen (Channahon), Ariana Mihalakakos (Naperville), Elizabeth Minarich (Joliet), Thomas Mueller (Plainfield), Mary Nahas (Shorewood), Roberto Nunez Jr. (Joliet), Alexandra Pettenuzzo (Shorewood), Brett Pluth (Shorewood), Alexis Rotnicki (Shorewood), Ariana Ruiz (Joliet), Brandon Santos (Joliet), Claire Schmig (Joliet), Erinn Sharp (Joliet), Seth Stockl (Plainfield), Modesty Blaise Mari Tan (Joliet) and Dan Weis (Oswego).

Sophomores inducted into French NHS were Alexandra Blotnik (Shorewood), MacKenzie Brumund (Joliet), Rafael Garcia (Joliet), Nathanael Pultorak (Joliet), Alanna Wahl (Plainfield), Margaret Whalen (Joliet) and Taylor Wilson (Elwood). Sophomores inducted into Latin NHS were Julia Shemaitis (Joliet) and Lucas Tyler (Joliet).

Receiving medals for four years of a foreign language:

Spanish – Dominick Allen (Minooka), Stacy Bedore (Joliet), Joseph Caprio (Bolingbrook), Kelsie Chasten (Channahon), John Chignoli (Joliet), Stephanie Demos (Plainfield), Nicholas Fedosenko (Joliet), Kelsey Fenske (Joliet), Nicole Formhals (Joliet), Theresa Gallo (Naperville), Nolan Hucek (Joliet), Nicholas Humbles (Wilmington), Rachel Jelinek (Joliet), Kimberly Kitchell (Plainfield), Michelle LaViola (Plainfield), Jeremy Malec (Joliet), Alex Mantis (Joliet), Austin Miller (Plainfield), Anna-Marie Patrick (Joliet), Hailey Pennington (Plainfield), Courtney Powers (Channahon), Alaina Ragusa (Joliet), Lauren Randich (Joliet), Josh Rohrer (Plainfield), Brittany Rosales (Joliet), Alex Rubocki (Joliet), Rachelle Sartori (Joliet), Anne Schmig (Joliet), Carley Serena (Shorewood), Alessa Smith (Shorewood), Laurel Stofan (Joliet), Andrew Stover (Channahon), Allie Trafton (Joliet), Myra Villas (Bolingbrook), Molly Vodacek (Crest Hill), Thomas Wiffler (Bolingbrook), Stephanie Wilson (Shorewood), Eric Vanisko (Joliet) and Alexis Zelehovitis (Joliet).

French – Anna Bertani (Joliet), Erin Corcoran (Plainfield), Kelly Feigh (Plainfield), Matthew Huey (Joliet), Austin Kairis (Crest Hill), Christopher Millerin (Joliet), Sarah Morimoto (Joliet), Katie Nicholson (Joliet), Andrew Pultorak (Joliet), Daniel Rabulinski (Plainfield), Lisa Regganie (Wilmington) and Colleen Searcy (Romeoville).

Latin – Jillian Hickey (Oswego), Jacob Judge (Plainfield), Austin Naal (Joliet) and Jonathan Nonnie (Joliet).

JCA faculty members in attendance were Florence Austrums, department head, French and Spanish instructor and French Club moderator; Katie Drabik, Spanish instructor; Lauren Finaldi, Spanish instructor and Spanish Club moderator; Dr. Dennis Czerny, Latin and English instructor and Latin Club moderator; and Dea Saro, Spanish instructor.