Pictured on the right are straight A seniors in the journalism class Rosalinda Diaz, Aja Williams and Emily Gonzales.

“I feel accomplished getting good grades for the whole semester. I also feel happy about my success because I know that the hard work paid off. My favorite teacher is Mr. P. [Abel Pereyra] because he explains his concepts thoroughly so that they are easy to understand.” Emily Salgado (Interview by Eli Patino)

“I just really want to make my mom proud because I’m a senior, so time is running out for me. I got straight A’s by staying focused and knowing that the school life and my social life are separate.” A’shanti Davis (Interview by Chiya Loyd)

“My family motivates me to have straight A’s, and my boyfriend motivates me to be on top of my work. Having straight As make me feel proud of myself. I want to be successful in life; that’s why I’m always trying my best to get good grades.” Emily Gonzales (Interview by Katherinne Garcia)

“My motivation is getting my work done so I don’t have to worry. My advice would be to get rid of distractions like cell phones. The main ways to maintain good grades are studying and doing the work on time without procrastinating.” Miguel Viruet (Interview by Stephanie Pravinchandra)

“My friends, especially Emily Gonzales, and my parents motivate me to get good grades. I am always on top of my work and I try my best to get the best grades. Having straight A’s motivates me to do better in life, to go to college and make my parents proud.” Maribel Murillo (Interview by Emily Gonzales)

“Getting straight A’s was very difficult for me; however, I always tried to maintain being on top of everything. I’m one to believe that it’s more about trying in your classes when I’m doing homework and test. I always try to do the best that I can. My main priority is trying to get everything done on time.” Yahaira Villatoro (Interview by Vinnie Rivera)

“I feel very proud of myself for being able to pull this off when in the beginning it wasn’t looking too good for me. My grades weren’t the best, but after seeing a classmate with straight A’s, I became inspired to do better and compete to keep my rank. No one should feel discouraged, because as long as you try your best to stay on top of your work, you’re good.” Liana Perez (Interview by Daria Velazquez)

“I feel proud of myself for all the hard work I’ve done. My motivation is my mom. I did it by doing all my work and putting my phone away so I don’t get distracted.” Rosalinda Diaz (Interview by Alma Carmona)

“I keep up by turning in all my work and making sure I stay focused. I don’t get distracted. I’m humble, I stay to myself and don’t focus on anybody. It means a lot to me to make straight A’s. I was excited because in freshman year I failed most of my classes and then sophomore year I got A’s and B’s and now I’m taking things serious.” Pierra Burton (Interviewed by Stephany Casillas)

“I’m motivated into becoming a better person. I’m ambitious and want to succeed higher than everyone around me. In my free time, I like to hang out with my family and my birds. I like to listen to music with them and dance around.” Michelle Villanueva (Interview by Aly Fontanilla)

“I surrounded myself with positivity and my peers that also had straight A’s. That was my motivation. I do everything during the week so I can have the weekend off, keep on top of my work and talk to the teacher if my grades start to slip.” Ana Avila (Interview by Kyiah Morris)

“If I miss anything, I go to all my teachers and ask if I can make up any work. I don’t do homework because I take care of my daughter, so I do my homework in class. I’m motivated by my plan to go to college and my daughter.” Karla Peralta (Interview by Joel Perdomo)

The Academic Decathlon team placed 8th out of 22 schools in the first round of competition on Jan. 28. The next round is scheduled for February 18.

Many of our decathletes won awards:

Valeriia Lytvak, varsity – 2nd in music, 4th in science, 5th in language and literature

Ryan Allibone, scholastic – 6th in economics

Aaron Borda, varsity – 5th in social science, 6th in music, 6th in math

David Krasnicki – 5th in language and literature

Alina Qureshy, varsity – 6th in social science, 5th in math, 4th in art and 1st in language and literature

Vincent Fernandez, honors – 4th in science, 5th in art,  highest team score.

The team has put much dedication and time to be where it is right now. The Brainiacs are honored to represent our school in such a prestigious organization and thankful for the time that our coaches put into the team.

So, no matter who we might be, we should all take pride in everything that we have all accomplished.

Each one of us overcame many struggles; we should all be recognized and take pride in surviving high school.

The key for me in surviving high school and being part of the Top Ten was time management. I also avoided drama and had that special someone to lean on when things became overwhelming to handle on my own.

I would always skip lunch and just go to the library and work on any homework I was given. It does sound like a nerdy thing to do, but I didn’t mind because I knew it will benefit me in the end.

Ever since elementary school I would always keep to myself and not socialize as much and this carried on to high school as well. Many of you will think this was crazy, but I found it rather normal because in my classes I will just focus on getting done what was supposed to be done.

However, outside of school I was somewhat of a different person, especially when it came to soccer season both my junior and senior year. Soccer was something new that I tried out and I am glad I took a risk and was part of it. I met new friends and I was able to forget the stress that came from being in IB. Although it was difficult to balance soccer and school, with time management it wasn’t so difficult for me to handle.

But I have to admit, there were many times where I could not handle the pressure and stress and I would end up breaking down and feeling as if I could no longer handle everything that was thrown my way. Even if I am number one in the class, it does not mean that I’m a robot because I’m not. I have had my flaws, mistakes, and my limits pushed.

Let’s face it, we all have gone through those breaking moments but what helps is having just that one person who will be there for you. Having that one person who will hold your hand, look you in the eyes and say that everything will be okay. It sounds corny but it’s true.

My advice to everyone is no matter who we might be, we all matter and we have to push ourselves to success no matter how impossible it might seem. Whenever we stumble and fall down, wipe off the dust and continue on to the road of our own success.

Thank you to all my teachers from freshman to senior year, all my friends that I made along the way, and my high school sweetheart.

I think I helped myself become such an academic success. At the end of the day you have to want it, not your teachers or your parents but yourself. I pushed myself and that’s how I got here.

I participated in both volleyball and soccer all four years at Steinmetz. I am also part of the Garden Club.

To me what’s been really important has been staying true to myself. I have grown as a person and changed for the better but to please myself and myself only. My friends have also been very important to me through high school.

The best advice I can give to others is to list your priorities. If you plan on being successful in life, you need to push yourself and hang around people who also want you to succeed. Don’t think about dumb stuff that won’t matter in five years. Stop complaining and do it; being successful isn’t easy. If it was, everyone would be successful.

I’m attending Trinity Christian College in the fall. Go Trolls! I plan on double majoring in criminal justice and psychology. I’m applying for an internship with the FBI junior year of college. If everything goes as planned, I’ll be working for the FBI some day.

I will miss my soccer team so much! Those girls are truly my family! I will also miss my teachers and the school garden. Other than that, I’m ready to go.

Soccer was by far the most fun time ever. Everyone was amazing! I’m proud to say that we won conference this year and Steinmetz will be a premier team next year!

Shoutout to Mr. Lichaj (A.K.A cankles) for being a jerk and pushing me to be not only a good soccer player but a great student, gardener and all around a good person.

Also to Ms. Carter for being there academically, especially through everything that came with senior year.

Ms. Barnes for being Barnes and always being there for me with open arms as I walked into the room with my wagon full of problems.

Last, but not least, Husna Afzal. Thank you for being you and being a wonderful friend and pushing me day after day. I might be going to college, but I’ll be there for you during every step of your senior year! I love you, Pompee!

I played volleyball all four years and I played softball for three. Being in the IB program it was even harder to keep up with everything because there is so much work and sports take up so much of your time. Sports helps your grades because you must maintain a certain gap in order to be eligible to play so you are very conscious of your grades.

My advice for other students is to learn time management. This will be an ideal thing for the future.

I would like to send a huge shout out to Ms. Chaparro who pushed me to be the best I could be. She has always been there for me and she has become like a mother to me. She has played a huge role in my success and I could never repay her for everything she has done.

Also, I would like to send a shout out to Ms. Barnes. She has been there for me as well through every difficult moment that I go through. I will always be grateful for these two people.

My last shout out goes to Mr. Everage who is my twin. We are so alike and I will never meet another person like you.

These past four years at Steinmetz have been amazing, but now I am ready to continue my education at Illinois Wesleyan and make new memories.

Also, do not blame teachers for having low grades. I have managed to get straight A’s all through high school with the same teachers that you say are failing you because they don’t like you. You cannot solely rely on the information that the teachers give you if you want to be comfortably prepared. Use the Internet for extra help. Don’t just settle for passing grades, aim for an A. Take honors and AP classes too!

Doing well in school also involves a lot of time management skills. I have been in the recycling club, the archery team, the marathon team, the Stand Up Stand Out club, the cross country team, and the track team here at Steinmetz. Clubs and sports are extremely fun and you meet awesome people! Sure they’re pretty time consuming, but they will add interesting things to your high school experience. There’s something for everyone out there!

For those who are heading off to college, I know that it’s going to be a change from what we’re used to at Steinmetz, but as long as you try your absolute best you will be happy with the results. We will need some time to adjust to the college life, but we’ll probably get the hang of it once the first semester is over. I’m going to miss the teachers here at Steinmetz (yes, all of them).

This fall I will be attending Dominican University to study biology-chemistry. This might lead me to becoming a pharmacist, but I’m keeping my options open.

The hard work is not over yet guys! We still have to keep going, so don’t shut off your brain (like, ever). Keep learning new things every day of your life. Now let me give you some tough love: stop making excuses for why you can’t do something, don’t get stuck in your self pity, and get your work done even if you’re so tired that you feel like collapsing (harsh right?).

Well I think that’s enough lecturing for one day, so let me move on to the sappy stuff. My senior year has been filled with great, amazing, fun, awesome friends. They have taught me how to have fun again, which I had forgotten how to do because I was so trapped by school. Thank you to those peeps, especially Cesar because he’s such a wonderful person! I’m not going to say that I’m going to miss them because I will keep bothering them once school ends even if I have to hunt them down… well that’s it. Have a great summer ya’ll, and be kind!

My parents definitely had a big impact in my academic success. They always reminded me of what I was capable of doing and supported me through my four years in high school and continue to do so. They were always checking on me during those long nights and understanding that I had to do all that to be able to pass a class.

Teachers were a big help, all my IB teachers throughout these four years impacted me in one way or another, which helped me reached my success. My boyfriend also pushed me and supported me in everything

 Another activity I did was play on the soccer team all four years. I had some very fun times, especially my senior year because we won conference again and made it to city quarterfinals. Thanks to the team’s effort and Lichaj being a jerk at times, we were able to accomplish what we did.

Some advice I would give younger students is that you got to do what you got to do, meaning if you have to pass up a party just to finish an assignment then pass the party up because in the end all your hard work will pay off.

I plan on studying psychology at UIC and go to graduate school and specialize in child psychology.

I will miss playing soccer here, my friends, and some of the teachers (not all). I will miss the small activities that we had here like the chalk fest, spirit week, etc. What I will not miss is the drama people would cause.

I want to give a shout out to Ms. Carter for supporting me and my classmates, for telling us what we needed to know about college, always caring about what we did and pushing us to do our best in her class and in the IB program in general. She would always tell us things straight up and I really appreciate everything she did for us and always reminding me about division.

I also want to give a shout out to Mr.Lichaj, even though he annoyed me at times and made me mad he was always there for me and helped me through a lot and always pushed me and made me release my full potential. He helped me accomplish things I didn’t know I could accomplish and he always put up with the stupid things I did. He helped me become a better soccer player, and better student, and person.

To Ms. Ferrarini for putting up with my IB class and helping us with all the tests and teaching us our TOK class and to all my IB teachers —  I want to thank all of you for helping me and to my friends for making these four years unforgettable.

Also to my amazing boyfriend for always being there and supporting me, helping me get through everything and helping me strive for better, he helped me and continues to help me get through any challenges that I come across.

My parents also helped in the process of of becoming an academic success by keeping me motivated throughout the past four years. When times were really tough they helped me to stay focused and motivated. That’s something that no one will ever be able to do for me and I’m thankful for them.

My advice to others is to go to school. That’s the best investment that you can make towards being successful in life. Set goals so that with hard work and dedication you may be able to accomplish them.

I will miss all of the teachers and the staff at Steinmetzf. I will also miss all of the friends that I’ve made throughout these four4 years.I’d like to give a shout out to my friends: Jorge, Eazy-E (Eliseo), Diego ,Melissa, Rogelio, Gerardo, Francisco, Jaime (Suarez and Garcia), Anthony G. And there are many more.

Shout out to all of the teachers and staff that make up Steinmetz. Each one of you is very important in making Steinmetz the school that it is today and I thank you for your service.

Being the first female generation in my family (mother’s side) to go to college has been a goal ever since the beginning. I decided to give the best of me and try as hard as I can to be the person my little sisters would look up to.

I believe that all my teachers helped me academically. However, I believe that my dedication and concentration helped me throughout my four years of high school.

During my freshman year and part of my sophomore year, I was probably the laziest in my class. I always thought I was the most unintelligent. I would always say that and actually started to believe it. Nevertheless, I decided to work harder, setting my goals higher each school year. I became an academic success because I pushed myself to become what I was meant to be.

Besides academics I was in the National Honors Society, elected for the Service position. I am also a youth group leader in my local church where I help organize fundraisers and activities to help fund the church and our youth group. I also love making art. It is the only activity that is therapeutic to me.

I would recommend others to focus on grades and tests.  I regret not studying for my ACTs and getting my GPA higher.

Although I am a good student and an “academic success”, I still could’ve done way better. I especially regret getting a 20 on my ACTs and not a 22 because, according to new ISBE rules, I could have used an above-22 ACT to replace another required test for teacher certification. It would’ve been nice for me to already be set. My final advice is to not screw around and waste time. You’ll have plenty of time for that when you’re out of high school.

I am going to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). My plans there is to basically do the same thing I did in high school: to appreciate the opportunity I was given.

I plan to be a teacher. An art teacher would be fine but in reality I would be blessed with any subject I end up having to teach. I am a Golden Apple Scholar so I will be going each summer for an internship at DePaul University, where I will be teaching middle school students. I am looking forward to every summer now.

When I finish my four years of college I will be teaching in a school of need for five years. When I’m done with that, who knows where life would be taking me next.I will obviously miss the teachers and staff. What I will not miss is the students. I have been really antisocial.

I would like to give a shout out to all the teachers that influenced me: Ms. Carter, Ms. Mark, Ms. Ferrarini, Mr. Lichaj, Mr. Amdouni, Mr. Mink, Ms. Ochwat, Ms. Barnes, Ms. Eshoo, and Ms. Jabour. They’re the teachers I will never forget.

I really had no one to help me in school or with school. I have always been very independent, and what helped me in my academic success is trying to get out of here and doing better for myself.

I was on the Streaks swim team for two years and my family has been extremely important to me these past four years besides school.

My advice for others is to work hard and try your best.

My college and career plans are to go to Triton for two years and get my nurses certificate then transfer to UIC and get my NP degree and become a pediatrician.

 I am going to miss my friends and my coach. Nothing more.

Shout outs to my best friends Sheliee Galloza, Camila Ledesma, and Lisette Barcenas. Without them I wouldn’t be able to survive.