Board Of Education Recognizes East Aurora High Senior Achievements

Press release from East Aurora School District 131:

AURORA, IL — During the EASD 131 Board of Education meeting on Monday, May 19, 2025, our Class of 2025 Student Board Members said farewell and Seniors were recognized for their Academic Achievements.

During their 2024-2025 term serving as Student Board Members, Karina Villagran and Kevin Martinez presented at each Board Meeting a “Student Shoutout,” recognizing fellow peers for their contributions and academic achievements at East Aurora High School and in the East Aurora community. It was an opportunity for them to showcase the great things students are doing and accomplishing in our district.

These exceptional “Student Shoutouts” classmates were also invited to Villagran’s and Martinez’s final Board Meeting on Monday to be recognized by them in person. This way the school board members and community could meet them and congratulate them for their academic achievements with family members in attendance!

All of the students shared the Universities they will be attending when they accepted their awards. Villagran will be heading to the University of Wisconsin/Madison to major in Mechanical Engineering and Martinez will be heading to Harvard to major in Economics and Government. A record number of three Class of 2025 EAHS graduates will be attending Harvard and for the first time since 2011, an EAHS student was accepted into the United States Naval Academy!

Both Villagran and Martinez also said their farewells and were recognized for their dedication and contributions serving as Student Board Members and their numerous academic achievements.

Thank you to all of our Class of 2025 students for setting the example and reminding our students that “¡Sí, se puede!”

Congratulations to the East Aurora High School Class of 2025 Student Shoutout Awardees:

• Kevin B. Martinez — Valedictorian, Student Board Member, Gates Scholarship and Coca-Cola Scholarship recipient, Harvard University, Major: Economics & Government
• Karina Villagran — Student Board Member, University of Wisconsin/Madison, Major: Mechanical Engineering
• Paul J. Perez — Salutatorian, Gates Scholarship Recipient, Harvard University, Major: Applied Mathematics
• Hector Montellano-Bahena — Top 10 Student (#4), Harvard University, Major: Political Science & Business
• Valerie Figueroa — University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Raul Garcia — Aurora University
• Geovannhy A. Gonzalez — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Jesus Gonzalez — Gates Scholarship Recipient, University of Miami
• Audrey Naster — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Luis R. Ortiz — University of Michigan
• Jeremy Perez — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Isaac E. Sanchez — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Karina Zuniga Perez — United States Naval Academy, Major: Engineering (Branch into Aviation Service)

This press release was produced by East Aurora School District 131. The views expressed here are the author’s own.