"Does it ever get old?" The answer is a definite no based on the comments from seasoned ACT-SO Chairperson Dorletta Flucas-Payton, "After a week of crazy preparation there is always a surge of excitement. You see the students and their growth and you are excited about competition day." This sentiment is echoed by an exuberant grandmother in attendance to cheer on her sixth grandchild and also volunteers who return year after year. The March 18 high school competition resulted in a record for the DuPage County ACT-SO program with 18 gold medal winners advancing to compete for a national award.
ACT-SO Competition High School Students
Medal
Category
Full Name
School
Grade
Gold
Music Composition
Kyla Denwood
Willowbrook
12
Original Essay
Mariel Thompson
Naperville North
11
Poetry Written
Avia Wideman
Bolingbrook
10
Drawing
Amirah Yessoufou
Neuqua Valley
Painting
Entrepreneurship
Noah Starkey
Wheaton Academy
Biology/Microbiology
Jaylen Timms
Glenbard West
Chemistry/Biochemistry
Cristal Johnson
Computer Science
Whitney Ford
Plainfield East
Earth & Space Science
Riziki Covington
Engineering
Joshua Lambert
Glenbard East
Medicine & Health
Allyson Amegashie
Neuqua Valley North
Physics
Jalen Crump
Air Force Academy
Dramatics
Jordan Sharber
Music: Instrumental Classical
Music Vocal Classical
Ariana Smith
Timothy Christian
Music Vocal Contemporary
Oratory
Donavan Kirk
Silver
Camron Brady
Sculpture
Kayla Marshall
Imani Porter
Mariel M.J. Thompson
Nneka Onwuta
St. Charles East
Arkayla Burkes
Kevin Bryson
Alexis Johnson
Poetry Performance
Bronze
Veo Taylor
9
Short Story
Rachel Odame
Nicholas Brown
Chicago High School for the Arts
Erica Brooks
Oswego East
Symone Robinson
Reaghan Young
Veronica Lee
Downers Grove North
Trey Whitaker
John Williams
Music Instrumental Contemporary
Paige Lumpkin
HM
Photography
Adam Collins
Bryson Rivers
Eva Martinez
Sponsored by DuPage County Branch-NAACP and Lewis University
DuPage County ACT-SOP.O. Box 1546
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
chairperson@dupageact-so.org
