Area Students Recognized for Achievements

Area students graduated and/or have been recognized for the following achievements:

• Mackenzi Jacobs, of Lake In The Hills, IL, was recognized for outstanding academic achievement at Buffalo State's 55th annual Honors Convocation on April 19. Jacobs is a childhood education and mathematics major at Buffalo State. To qualify, students must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 or higher and have accumulated a minimum of 45 credit hours. Buffalo State's Honors Convocation is held each spring to celebrate students who have achieved this level of academic excellence.
• Jacobs High School Swimmer Alexander Elston signed his letter of intent on Thursday, April 26 at Jacobs High School. He accepted a scholarship package for Lewis University-Romeoville.

• Lauren Dollar of Lake in the Hills—a Robert Morris University student—was a part of the was part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the Gamma Omega Chapter of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society with a ceremony in the auditorium at the Chicago campus on April 26. Tau Sigma is an honor society that recognizes and promotes the academic excellence and involvement of transfer students. Provost Mablene Krueger and chapter advisers Katie Langesen and Adam Morris welcomed students, family members and friends.
• Stephanie Morgan, of Lake in the Hills, IL, recently received the Susan Fulton Welty Award at Beloit College's Honors Day Convocation on May 2. Morgan is a First-year. The Honors Day Convocation is an annual event held to honor outstanding Beloit College students and their accomplishments.
• The University of Evansville is proud to announce that Lauren Westerman, a native of Lake in the Hill, IL, has graduated with the degree of Doctor of Physical Therapy. Westerman, who majored in Physical Therapy, graduated during UE's 154th Commencement, held Saturday, May 5 at the Ford Center in downtown Evansville. The University awarded 529 degrees to 515 graduates during the ceremony.

• Lewis University Mock Trial member Cary Hansing of Algonquin, Ill. recently competed in the National Undergraduate Diversity Mock Trial tournament at John Marshall Law School in Chicago. For the second consecutive year, the Lewis team earned honors as the top school with the Platinum Award at the competition of 59 individuals from 22 teams. The award is for the institution with the most team points from the top three individuals of the school. The competition is unlike other mock trial competitions, where students compete on teams for their respective schools. In this competition, the students from a variety of schools are randomly placed together on teams with students from other schools. Scholarships are awarded to the top four teams and top four individuals. Hansing won a total of $27,000 in scholarships-a $9,000 scholarship from each institution