Naperville News Digest: Rotary Club of Naperville awards scholarships to high school seniors; Élan Dance Company Showcase to feature a variety of dance styles; Naperville School District 203 authorizes purchase of 14 new buses

by dap | May 8, 2024 | Chicago Tribune

Rotary Club of Naperville awards scholarships to high school seniors

The Rotary Club of Naperville awarded scholarships to 14 area high school seniors at a ceremony May 2 at the Meson Sabika restaurant.

The awards were given in six categories.

Receiving the At Hope Scholarship were: Emerson Fatzinger, Noelle Banas, Bryce Jordan, Grace Stubitz, and Ainsley Atwater. These five students demonstrated remarkable resilience and hope in overcoming significant challenges during their high school careers, Rotary Club officials said. The scholarship celebrates their commitment to personal success and community service.

Adam Al Shekha and Zack Heneghan received the Frank Slocumb Scholarship. The award supports students attending local community colleges.

Recipients of the North Central College Make A Difference Scholarship include Brayden Groenenboom, Adiva Sayed, and Yichen Huangfu. The award is given to students who plan to attend North Central College and have shown a commitment to leadership and service, Rotary Club officials said.

Athena Chen and Harshee Shah were awarded the Service Above Self Scholarship, which recognizes the commitment to serving others, which is a Rotary Club core value.

Akshay Baid received the Gene Drendel Scholarship, which is given to a student who has shown exceptional achievements in academics, athletics and service to school and community.

Elsa Jacob received the Sunrise Rotary Above and Beyond Scholarship for her exemplary service history and commitment to positively impacting others, Rotary Club officials said.

Élan Dance Company Showcase to feature a variety of dance styles

The Élan Dance Company will hold its 2024 Showcase at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 31, at Pfeiffer Hall, 310 E. Benton Ave.

The showcase will feature a mix of dancing styles, including hip hop, jazz and ballet, Naperville Park District officials said in a news release. The community is invited to attend. Tickets are not needed but seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The dance company provides a fundamental foundation in dance performance, officials said. It offers a competitive team and a performance-only team, and both companies participate in several performances throughout the year.

Auditions for the company’s 2024-25 season will be held from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 28, at the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center, 305 W. Jackson Ave.

Dancers must be 6 years old by Sept. 1 to audition. To audition, register at www.napervilleparks.org/dance .

Naperville School District 203 authorizes purchase of 14 new buses

The Naperville District 203 School Board has approved buying 14 new school buses, including four electric buses, to replace some of its older vehicles.

The four new electric buses would double the number of electric buses owned by the district. Four electric buses were ordered last year and went into use about two months ago.

“It is a board priority to do what we can as far as getting more electric buses in our fleet,” board President Kristine Gericke said.

Superintendent Dan Bridges said the district still needs to use diesel-fueled buses to take longer trips as well as to travel to areas that may not be equipped with charging stations.

The district has applied for state and federal grants to buy electric buses, but has not been successful, Bridges said.

Each bus in the fleet is kept for about eight years, and the district plans to trade in 14 of its oldest buses, he said.

The total cost of the new buses is about $2.9 million, according to board documents.

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