36 Local High Schoolers Begin STEAM Scholars Program With Lab Visit

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — Three dozen students from north and northwest suburban high schools began a year of immersive science and technology experiences with a visit to the virology lab at Abbott Laboratories.

Representing 14 schools from across Lake, Cook and McHenry counties, the local high schoolers are the newest participants in their congressman’s STEAM Scholars program.

“I’m thrilled to announce 36 new STEAM Scholars who, over the next few months, will have a valuable opportunity to meet with some of Lake, Cook, and McHenry counties’ technology leaders to explore different professional paths they might want to pursue after high school,” 10th District U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider said in a statement.

Launched in 2018, the STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics — Scholars program offers motivated high school students hands-on learning experiences in fields related to their academic and professional interests throughout the course of an academic year.

“The 10th district is home to many world-class industries and institutions that offer exceptional career opportunities,” Schneider said.

“Our first stop at Abbott Laboratories gave students a chance to see scientists working in the virology lab researching infectious diseases and hear how they are working to prevent the next pandemic,” he said.

During the program, students visit four local STEAM-focused businesses and institutions to connect with professionals, educators and business leaders.

The scholars selected for this year’s program represent a range of schools and communities across the district, including:

Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Amritha Praveen, Samarth Donapati, Rhubyn Letuchy, Shivaani Sivaraman

Antioch Community High School
Jack Johnson, Samantha Pickard

Carmel Catholic High School
Katherine Anen

Deerfield High School
Charlie Marks, Jesse Feldman, Ella Gil, Sarah Holzman

Glenbrook North High School
Jake Semmelhack, Liora Kalinovskiy, Paul Sever, Luke Davidson

Grant Community High School
Nicole Sak, Vani Patel, Sophie Lelchuk, Izabela Podgorski

Grayslake Central High School
Evelyn White

Johnsburg High School
Joshua Kaunas

Lake Forest High School
Katherine McCann, Jimena Garcia De Leaniz Hernandez, Emerson Brown

Lakes Community High School
Aurelia Carraro, Daniel Garcia

New Trier High School
Cooper Cohen, Kate Kang, Jack Fisher, Connall Gill

Vernon Hills High School
Kyle Kim, Ryan Stukel, Laasya Manikonda

Warren Township High School
Jiya Shah

Round Lake High School
Julian Amador, Briseia Ortega

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Last month, Schneider was reelected to his sixth term in Congress and subsequently picked by his colleagues to chair the New Democrat coalition, which is made up of over a hundred centrist House Democrats.

“This past election, New Dems showed how Democrats can connect with voters and win in states all across the country,” he said after the vote.

“New Dem members and candidates held swing-district seats and flipped red seats blue, narrowing what was already one of the thinnest GOP majorities in history,” Schneider added. “When Congress reconvenes in January, New Dems will number at least 108 members, counting more than half of the Democratic Caucus in our ranks.“