 By: Richard Mason class of 1965 Among the many wonderful teachers in Lisle, Illinois, Mrs. Leota Prokop was, for those of us fortunate to have her, primus inter pares, first among equals. She taught Junior year English Literature at Lisle Community High School in the 1960s before moving on to Junior College teaching. She first came to my attention through my dear friend, Mary Carter, LCHS Class of 1964 and a year ahead of me. Mary, who adored Mrs. Prokop and who shared her penchant for tremendous sarcasm and irony, told me at the close of my Sophomore year that she had had Mrs. Prokop and that I should be aware of how serious and strict Mrs. Prokop would be. I remember walking through The Meadows with Paul Havenar, who lived there, discussing this during the Summer of 1963. Mrs. Prokop also lived in The Meadows and we were walking not far from her house. We were to have Mrs. Prokop the next year (1963-64). I, Chief Egomaniac of Lisle, Illinois, distinctly remember telling Paul that I would “not let her push me around.” I loved every minute of her class and she would wind up being one of the greatest teachers I would ever have. I was putty in her hands. Under her we studied English Literature, reading an abridged version of GREAT EXPECTATIONS, which I’ve loved ever since. She absolutely brought Miss Havisham to life. We read in its entirety THE RETURN OF THE NATIVE. She introduced us to the coffeehouse culture of 18th century London, and little did either of us know that Samuel Johnson and his London colleagues, male and female, would become one of the enduring loves of my life. A couple of anecdotes as to her method. I have a faint memory of her asking the class a relatively obscure question about grammar. I blurted out what I thought was the correct answer, which led to great mockery and merriment from the class. In the midst of my blushing in embarrassment, Mrs. Prokop gently and firmly told us all that I had been correct, which I thought was pretty cool and have obviously never forgotten. She assigned us an in-class essay to write about “love.” I was too emotionally overwhelmed by the subject and did not turn in any paper. She never mentioned it and did not hold it against me. On November 22, 1963, the tragic day President Kennedy was assassinated, my class first heard the news in Mr. Bark’s math class, after which we went to Mrs. Prokop’s class. I am sure she made some remarks, but the entire period was essentially left in silence. She sat at her desk in front of the class, mostly staring out the window in tears, an incredibly noble sight. (That day we were to begin our basketball season, but the game was understandably cancelled. After school Bob Gihle and I went in his car to a parking lot in Downers Grove and sat in shock.) Mrs. Prokop was exactly what a Master Teacher is and should be, disciplined, loving, demanding, bringing the subject matter to life. She had a marvelous wit and sense of humor. One magnificent teacher. With Gloria Bryen, Anna Claar, Kay Diehl Kimes, Cathy Curtin Kaye, Paul Ande Havenar, Barbara Kubes Rogers, Suzanne Leigh, Rick Paulsen, Robert Gihle Janet Gihle, Roland Jenkins  Dear Lisle Alumni Brothers and Sisters, I hope that all of you are enjoying the first two months of 2023 and staying happy and healthy. Again, it was so wonderful to see so many of you at the October All Years Reunion and in February at the Hall of Fame event. We should not miss the chances to get together with our lifelong friends.  Lisle Alumni, I want to thank you deeply for the success of our 2022 Partners for Excellence campaign to raise funds for our Carlin Nalley Foundation scholarship program. Over 100 loyal graduates contributed approximately $45,000 in contributions in the past year. Thanks to your generosity, we have expanded our scholarship program to include a ninth $4,000 scholarship, awarded to the outstanding art student at Lisle. This award will be named the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award in memory of Kaylee, a remarkable artist and 2019 Lisle graduate who was tragically taken from us in August of 2022. The new award and scholarship will be presented in May along our other eight $4,000 CNF awards to exceptional Lisle High School seniors who have achieved impressively in a wide range of academic, athletic, service, and artistic fields. I personally appreciate your commitment to provide life-changing educational opportunities for these deserving students. I invite you to read their testimonials on our website so you can understand how much these honors and support mean to them. Thank you for your contributions to the next Lisle High School generation. Please join us and your Lisle Alumni friends on Sunday, June 25th for the annual Carlin Nalley Golf Outing at River Bend in Lisle. Registration is now open. We are also accepting sponsorships and raffle prize donations to add to the fun of the event and to support the funding of scholarships for Lisle High School students. Please mark your calendars, sign up, and I hope to see you in June in Lisle. All the best and Go Lions! John Bartels, Class of ‘85 Carlin Nalley Foundation Board President johnvbartels@gmail.com 219-808-2094 Over the past 20 years, the Carlin Nalley Foundation has awarded over a quarter million dollars in scholarships. Please help us to sustain this worthwhile effort.  "Catching Up” with Award Recipient Sara (Urban) Payne Thanks to you, our Lisle Alumni, the Carlin Nalley Foundation, has awarded over 90 scholarships totaling over a quarter of a million dollars. CNF board member Nicole Urban, Class of 2011 and recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award: Outstanding Female Athlete Jones/Beato Scholarship, recently contacted other scholarship recipients. We hope you enjoy the update. Catching up with Sara (Urban) Payne Class of 2008 recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award: Outstanding Female Athlete Jones/Beato Scholarship. 1) What are you doing professionally now? I am at Westmont Junior High School as a 6/7 Literacy teacher. I worked in Cicero District 99 as a 6th grade teacher for the last 10 years. I made the switch to be closer to my home in Downers Grove. 2) What was your best memory from your experience at Lisle High School? My best memory from my experience at Lisle High School was being able to play three sports, all four years of high school. The friendships and memories made from those teams are ones in which I will never forget. 3) Is there anything you want to say to the Lisle alumni who contributed to your scholarship? To the Lisle alumni who contributed to the scholarship that I received, thank you so much for your support and your generosity. It is because of people like you making these contributions that make those next steps after high school possible and more attainable for students like me. Thanks to you, our Lisle Alumni, the Carlin Nalley Foundation, has awarded over 90 scholarships totaling more than a quarter of a million dollars. CNF board member Nicole Urban, Class of 2011 and recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award: Outstanding Female Athlete Jones/Beato Scholarship, recently reached out to other scholarship recipients. We hope you enjoy the update. Catching up with Ty Howell the 2012 recipient of the Piccolo Award: Lisle’s Outstanding Male Athlete, Carlin Nalley Scholarship  1) What are you doing professionally now? Finance Director, Shields Health Solutions 2) What was your best memory from your experience at Lisle High School? Placing 1st in conference during the 2012 baseball season 3) Is there anything you want to say to the Lisle alumni who contributed to your scholarship? Thank you for your continued support of Lisle High School and its athletic program. I would not be where I am today without the experiences I had during my time at Lisle. I appreciate all the work the Board does to provide similar opportunities for future students. Prepared by: Nicole Urban Nicole UrbanNicole Urban, Class of 2011, was voted on the Carlin Nalley Foundation Board in 2022. Nicole earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Human Relations from the University of Iowa while being a 4-year letter winner for the Hawkeye Women’s Soccer Program. She then completed her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Arkansas, where she led the team as Director of Operations. She currently works for a psychology-based health and wellness company. “Growing up in Lisle holds a very special place in my heart. I cherish that I was able to build more meaningful relationships because of the tight-knit community that can be found here. I am forever grateful for the Carlin Nalley Foundation supporting me through my education and athletic endeavors. The foundation support was not only present in my high school years, but also expanded into my college athletic career, most recently with my induction to the Lisle Hall of Fame. I am ecstatic to now be able to give back and be a part of the foundation in order to help future generations of Lisle students be successful in accomplishing their goals."  "Catching Up” with Award Recipients Thanks to you, our Lisle Alumni, the Carlin Nalley Foundation, has awarded over 90 scholarships totaling more than a quarter of a million dollars. CNF board member Nicole Urban, Class of 2011 and recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award: Outstanding Female Athlete Jones/Beato Scholarship, recently reached out to other scholarship recipients. We hope you enjoy the update. Catching up with Colleen (Drennan) Armendaris. Our 2010 recipient of the Babe Zaharias Award: Outstanding Female Athlete Jones/Beato Scholarship  1) What are you doing professionally now? I’m the owner/operator of the Culver’s that will open on Feb 20 in Batavia, IL. I studied at North Central College with a double major (Human Resources and Psychology) and a minor in Business. 2) What was your best memory from your experience at Lisle High School? Going to state for softball and growing and learning as a student and person. 3) Is there anything you want to say to the Lisle alumni who contributed to your scholarship? A BIG THANK YOU! But also, that their dedication and giving help so many people to achieve dreams that set them up for a lifetime of success. Prepared by: Nicole Urban Nicole Urban Nicole Urban, Class of 2011, was voted on the Carlin Nalley Foundation Board in 2022. Nicole earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Human Relations from the University of Iowa while being a 4-year letter winner for the Hawkeye Women’s Soccer Program. She then completed her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Arkansas, where she led the team as Director of Operations. She currently works for a psychology-based health and wellness company. December 26, 2022 –- Lisle. IL -- The Carlin Nalley Foundation and Lisle High School Alumni announced the creation of their ninth scholarship for Lisle High School seniors, the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award, in cooperation with Lisle High School. This new award recognizes Kaylee’s visual arts accomplishments as a student at Lisle High School (Class of 2019). Kaylee continued her visual arts studies at Western Michigan University before her tragic passing in August 2022. The foundation and school sincerely hope that this new award will also help us to celebrate Kaylee and other Lisle students that were tragically lost too soon. The award and $4,000 scholarship will be awarded to the outstanding Lisle High School senior visual arts student (selected by a school committee) for excellence in their visual arts studies, including (but not limited to) architecture, computer graphics, fashion, graphic design, painting, photography, film, video, and sculpture. The initial Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award recipient will be announced at Lisle High School’s Honors Night on May 10, 2023. “We are proud to add the Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award to honor Kaylee and to help future high-achieving art students at Lisle High School accomplish their future educational goals,” said Carlin Nalley Foundation President John Bartels. The Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award can be supported through donations to the Carlin Nalley Foundation at https://donorbox.org/carlin-nalley-foundation-fundraising .  Kaylee Ann Gansberg About Kaylee Ann Gansberg Kaylee Ann Gansberg graduated from Lisle High School in 2019 and was not only a talented artist and photographer but an individual with a heart of gold. She had an infectious laugh and a brilliant smile that could light up a room. Growing up in Lisle, Kaylee was always very creative and experimented with all mediums of art, which created an artistic talent that still shines brightly today. She participated in numerous art events and won awards at every scholastic level. One of her proudest moments was winning the I-8 All-Conference Art Award in 2019 during her senior year at LHS. Kaylee developed a focus and passion for photography during her college years at Western Michigan University and was on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in April 2023. While she always strived for excellence in her academics, it was adventure, travel, and world experiences that drove her motivation. Dreaming of traveling the world to photograph architectural designs, she fearlessly sought out new experiences and was ambitious to pursue a career in photography. Kaylee never took no for an answer believing that nothing great ever comes easy or without perseverance. Being a role model to many, her outgoing personality captivated those who knew her. She will always be remembered as a loving, caring, and giving person who made the world a better place. Kaylee touched so many lives in a positive way, and we hope she can be a muse for young artists on a similar creative path that embody both the artist and the art as she did. Through the scholarship established in her name, Kaylee’s memory will live on to help others pursue their artistic dreams and aspirations.  Karla (Nalley) Modelski Karla is a 1983 graduate of Lisle Senior High School and was voted on to the Carlin Nalley Foundation board in 2022. She graduated from EIU with a M.A. and B.A. in Speech Communication with an English minor. She has over thirty years of experience in education as a speech and film teacher at Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, IL. Living in Roselle, Karla and her husband (Bill) have raised three sons, Kevin, Danny, and Brian, who have all followed in their grandfather’s footsteps as high school or college coaches. “I am so fortunate to have grown up in Lisle. My childhood has had such a tremendous impact on not only my chosen career as an educator, but moreimportantly, on me as a parent. As a board member of the Carlin Nalley Foundation, I want to give back to Lisle schools and the community by assisting the foundation in enhancing the alumni connections with the current LSHS students in hopes that they, too, will share that sense of incredible pride and bond of community that we have as LSHS alumni.”  Nicole Urban Nicole Urban, Class of 2011, was voted on the Carlin Nalley Foundation Board in 2022. Nicole earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Human Relations from the University of Iowa while being a 4-year letter winner for the Hawkeye Women’s Soccer Program. She then completed her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Arkansas, where she led the team as Director of Operations. She currently works for a psychology-based health and wellness company. “Growing up in Lisle holds a very special place in my heart. I cherish that I was able to build more meaningful relationships because of the tight-knit community that can be found here. I am forever grateful for the Carlin Nalley Foundation supporting me through my education and athletic endeavors. The foundation support was not only present in my high school years, but also expanded into my college athletic career, most recently with my induction to the Lisle Hall of Fame. I am ecstatic to now be able to give back and be a part of the foundation in order to help future generations of Lisle students be successful in accomplishing their goals." |
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