New Trier Township High School is soliciting nominees for its 2012 Alumni Achievement Awards in recognition of New Trier graduates who have made significant contributions to their fields and to their communities.
The nomination period is open from now until July 15. Nomination forms and online nominations are available here, or through the Department of Communications and Alumni Relations. Anyone can nominate a New Trier graduate, and those chosen to receive an award also will be inducted into the New Trier Hall of Honor and recognized through a permanent display at New Trier Township High School.
New Trier launched the recognition program during the 2010-2011 school year, and the first 10 inductees were honored at a dinner hosted by the New Trier Educational Foundation in March. Seven of the 10 attended and also visited New Trier’s two campuses to speak to students during the week of the event.
“Our students learned so much from their discussions with our amazing first group of honorees, which included doctors, business leaders, government officials, performers, scientists, and philanthropists,” said Linda Yonke, Superintendent of New Trier Township High School District 203. “We were thrilled to see the connections they made between their experiences at New Trier and the lives they have spent devoted to service since their high school graduation.”
Recipients of the New Trier Township High School Alumni Achievement Awards must be graduates of New Trier who have had outstanding careers, resulting in a direct and significant impact in their fields for a minimum of five years. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding leadership, character, and service to the community. Their school and career records must reflect incorporation of the values of the New Trier motto: “To commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion, and lives to the service of humanity.” Nominations may be posthumous.
Nominators are asked to provide detailed biographical and career information about nominees, as well as a statement in support of the nomination that includes specifics on their service activities.
The New Trier Educational Foundation, an independent non-profit organization that funds educational opportunities for New Trier students and faculty funded in part or not at all by the District 203 budget, partnered with the school to welcome the honorees back this school year with a dinner and program at Sunset Ridge Country Club. At that event, the Foundation pledged $100,000 toward creating two new innovative classrooms at New Trier in the next two school years. The Foundation presented the first $50,000 to the Board of Education at its May 16 Board meeting.
A committee of community members, alumni, New Trier faculty, staff, and students, and representatives from the Educational Foundation will review the nominations and select the 2012 inductees. Honorees will be announced early next school year.
