St. Gregory the Great High School, 1677 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., is proud to present some "Students you should know" from the Class of 2005.
ANDREW BARKER: Andy moved to Chicago from Crete, IL, for sophomore year. Crete Monee HS was huge and offered opportunities little St. Gregory doesn't. Andy was not a happy camper until he discovered the daily cultural drum class. Switching from set drums to djembes, ashikos and dun-duns provided an exciting exploration of world music. From that point on, St. Greg's became home. Creatively inspired, he became an ace photographer for the yearbook. He formed his own crew of volunteers and has run the student side of events for both the church and school. He was hired by Weiss Hospital as an intern with St. Gregory's Protégé Program and works daily in the Emergency Room. In anticipation that college tuition will be his own financial responsibility, Andy set his focus and was just named Valedictorian. He will attend UIC as a chemistry/forensics major.
ANDREW PERTA: Andrew is the 6th of 16 children. He came to St. Gregory as a junior sponsored by a local group home; at 18 he now lives in his own apartment. For his whole life Andrew has had his sights set on being a writer and filmmaker. The new Protégé Program was tailor made for his emerging talent and provided an internship with Chicago Film Makers (CFM). Senior year has seen him thrive! With the support of CFM, Andrew produced their first film festival directed towards teens: Hypnotic Teen Media. Along with a classmate Andrew is working on a documentary of the last two months of senior year. Just a few weeks ago, he responded to a casting call and won a walk-on speaking part in "Il Mare," a movie being shot in Chicago with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. Andrew will attend Truman College for the first two years but has his sights set on the acclaimed film school of UCLA. Stay tuned to this young man on the rise!
KONG JOO LEE (MISHA): Misha came to St. Gregory as a freshman from Paraguay. Misha is Korean. Her family moved to Paraguay when she was two, leaving behind riots in her Korean birthplace. She attended a Japanese school in Paraguay where there is a thriving Asian population. A declining economy forced the family to move again, this time to Chicago just as she was ready for high school. The Lee family found St. Gregory through an uncle who graduated in the '60s. Misha speaks Korean, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese. By the end of freshman year, with the help of ESL, Misha was fluent in English as well! Misha is artistic, a top student and a ready volunteer. Her Protégé internship put her into the Landmark Gallery in Andersonville. Her employer is delighted with Misha because of her language fluency, a great business asset in this extraordinarily diverse neighborhood. Misha will attend Wright Community College for the first two years directing her energy into a career in the arts, perhaps design, perhaps art therapy.
CANDY ALIGAN: At 16, Candy is the youngest graduate in the class of 2005. Candy came to St. Gregory as a freshman from Central Philippine University, a place she considered returning to for college. A number of people in her family are health-care professionals; Candy too has set her direction on a career in nursing. She was accepted at two universities in her homeland but decided to stay in Chicago where she can continue to stretch her wings in a more culturally diverse environment. As an intern in the Protégé Program, Candy has been working closely with the nursing staff at Weiss Hospital. Her supervisor applauds her ability and willingness to take on varied duties and responsibilities. Early in the program, Candy was asked to prepare a body for the morgue, a patient she had visited with only days before. Describing the experience the following day, Candy said the process enlightened her to the responsibility and sensitivity required by the career she had chosen. Candy is an A student also interested in writing and journalism. She will attend Truman College for at least the first year and hopes to switch to North Park at the end of her freshman year. |
