Harvard High School is pleased to announce that seven students from the graduating Class of 2022 have been designated Illinois State Scholars.
Congratulations to Steven J. Austin, Sandra Castaneda, Sophia C Elliott, Allan O Flores, Adeline J, Keller, Jesus Ortiz, and Nathan Rosas.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), the state’s college access and financial aid agency, presents this prestigious recognition of academic achievement to exceptional Illinois high school students annually. The Illinois State Scholar acknowledgment is a non-monetary award. Each State Scholar designee receives a congratulatory letter and Certificate of Achievement from ISAC and can download an official Illinois State Scholar badge to display on their online profiles.
In addition, Harvard High School’s Illinois State Scholar recipients will be honored at the February 2022 Board of Education meeting.
Dr. Corey Tafoya, Harvard CUSD 50 Superintendent, said, “The academic ascent of students at Harvard High School is remarkable. These students have achieved something quite difficult. I'm proud of these students and the staff at Harvard High School who have made such an honor possible. I'm thoroughly convinced we'll watch the number of Illinois State Scholars grow each year.”
Learn a little more about our State Scholars below.
Steven Austin
What makes you most proud about being named a State Scholar?
"The thing that makes me most proud about us being named State Scholars is that we fought through the adversity we experienced. COVID, online learning, and an unstable society tried to throw us off of, but we persevered."
What are your future plans and dreams after graduating from Harvard High School?
"Currently, I plan on attending the University of Iowa after graduating from HHS. I plan on studying Computer Science & Engineering to earn a Master's Degree; I also will strive to run Cross Country and Track at the collegiate level."
Sandra Castaneda
What does being named an Illinois State Scholar mean to you?
"To me, being named a State Scholar means that hard work pays off."
How will being named an Illinois State Scholar help you in the future?
"The recognition will help me with the college applications I'm currently filling out."
Sophia Elliot
What does being named an Illinois State Scholar mean to you?
"Being named an Illinois State Scholar symbolizes the work I've put into my time at the high school, and it is an honorable title that recognizes my commitment to representing Harvard High School well."
What are your future plans and dreams after graduating from Harvard High School?
"My plans for after graduation are to attend NIU and major in biomedical engineering with an emphasis in biomechanics and biomaterials."
Adeline Keller
What is your favorite memory from Harvard High School?
"My favorite memory from high school would probably be drama club and working on my Freshman year musical, The Music Man."
What makes you most proud about being named a State Scholar?
"I'm proud that I worked for it all myself. I'm glad I took the SAT prep class, and I'm glad I asked the right questions when I didn't understand things in other classes too."
Jesus Ortiz
What does being named an Illinois State Scholar mean to you?
"It's nice, I like being rewarded for flying by, but ultimately I'm hungry for something far bigger."
What makes you most proud about being named a State Scholar?
"I don't know exactly what or who motivates the other scholars, but all I've ever needed was myself and my parents. It's great to know that my motivation has never changed and that I'm still here chasing to be better than everyone."
Nathan Rosas
What makes you most proud about being named a State Scholar?
"I think the fact that I earned it. I like earning my rewards. It wasn't something that I received simply for the fun of it. I EARNED it."
What are your future plans and dreams after graduating from Harvard High School?
"I plan to go to a school that has a mechatronics engineering program and study robotics and computer science."
Allan O Flores
