​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
AC: I plan to attend DePaul University in the fall, studying entrepreneurship and marketing.
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
AC: Receiving this award has to be one of the highest achievements for me because it reflects on me as a person and my accomplishments in the classroom and community. Along with this scholarship, the I-8 all-conference award for my art portfolio and track all-conference made me feel accomplished because I kept pushing myself to continue with these “activities” even when I didn’t feel like it. I see these awards as a message that challenging myself and being persistent helped me expand my skills, succeed, and be rewarded in the end.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
AC: There have been many teachers who have made an impact on me throughout my years, and I have an appreciation for all of them. The ones that stand out to me the most would be Mr. Eric Woyna, Mrs. Gucci, Mrs. Hardy, and Mrs. Novak. Each of these educators took the time to get to know me, not just as a student but also as a person. Having them know me better created a great opportunity for me to learn and flourish. They provided me with a support system and had a positive impact on my high school career.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
AC: I aim to gain enough connections in and outside of DePaul to start to plan my future dream business. Before I begin that process, I would like to start with a smaller version of my dream business to test the ropes and then go from there into my bigger future project.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program. As a recipient of a $4,500 award, please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
AC: This scholarship will help lighten the burden of the cost of college and allow me to walk away with less loan debt. I cannot thank the program enough for this opportunity along with Kaylee and her family. My heart goes out to you. Your contribution in memory of Kaylee will stay with me throughout my years at DePaul and beyond.
I would like to thank everyone on the committee and Kaylee for this award. It provided me with an enormous opportunity to continue my education and I am forever grateful.

​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
GM: I plan to enroll at Iowa State University for Environmental Science
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
GM: My Directors Award for band and National Honors Society
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
GM: Mr. Gumina, my band director, was the most influential. He gave me the most opportunities throughout my high school career, exceeding any other coach or mentor. His opportunities never stopped to present themselves every week to do something new, and he never discouraged anyone from participating in a competition or a hard musical piece. Also, his decision to hand me a Drum Major role completely flipped my world. Ever since then i’ve been a stronger and better person than I was before. 
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
GM: I aim to secure a job at a large sanctuary for plants and trees, like the Morton Arboretum. This will give me hands-on experience based on what I have been studying for the past four years. After about two years working there and gaining experience, I would like to work for the EPA or a smaller agency that focuses on local environmental issues.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award: please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
GM: Receiving this award was an honor to have. I feel this way because I have been in music for nine years, and it has been a huge workload compared to any other subject I’ve studied. The amount of hours and energy I’ve put into this subject was applauded by receiving this award. It’s not just the money but being recognized by people with high standards in the field means a lot. However, the money is helping me with my first year's tuition. It just so happens that the 4,500 dollars put my tuition total just at the affordable rate. It means so much to my family and I that we got this scholarship.

​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
JM: I intend on enrolling at Illinois State University. I will be majoring in Kinesiology and intend on getting a graduate degree in possibly Athletic Training or Physical Therapy.
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
JM: One of the achievements that I hold in high regard is my All-Academic Conference award while playing Varsity baseball. This is an award I achieved three times. I’m proud of it because it shows my ability to be a high-level student and athlete. Another one is being able to be a part of Lisle’s National Honors Society. This was a great experience and showed me the importance of volunteering and school leadership.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
JM: Mrs. Honzel is my most influential teacher for a couple of reasons. First, she is teaching me within the area of my future study, Health Sciences. AP Chemistry has been one of the toughest and heaviest workload classes. This class has taught me not only chemistry but about discipline and hard work. Mrs. Honzel is a kind person. She is always asking us what we did over the weekend or how our events went while being genuinely interested in our answers. My Chemistry knowledge and experiences from Mrs. Honzel will help me in one of my most challenging college courses.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
JM: I would like to work with high-level athletes. I plan to receive a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification as this would qualify me to work with college athletes. I would like to become a leader in my field eventually and possibly work together with other team Athletic Trainers within a professional association and/or possibly by being an industry sports medicine conference speaker. This would work to better all sports teams' treatments and ways to stay healthy. It is also my goal to become a high-level expert in my area. I even have an interest in possibly being a guest lecturer for students and having students shadow me at work which is an educational requirement for an Athletic Training degree.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award: please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
JM: I am extremely thankful to the Lisle Alumni for this award. I would also like to thank my parents and teachers for helping me and encouraging me to reach this accomplishment. I’m appreciative as this scholarship will help by supporting an opportunity for me to further pursue education via a graduate-level specialization within my career.

​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
JC: I will attend COD in the fall of 2024 to pursue my associate degree in automotive services.
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
JC: School has never been easy for me, so I’m proud to have earned my high school diploma. And I’m excited to be able to begin studying in the field that I’m interested in.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
JC:  Darius Bamboat, a woodworking, engineering, and technology instructor, greatly impacted me. He always pushed me to be a better student from freshman to junior year. He always had an alternative way to view an obstacle and never hesitated to help when I needed it.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
JC:  After obtaining my degree from the College of DuPage, I plan to build a career in the automotive industry.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award: please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
JC:  I’m very grateful for receiving this award and being able to go to school full-time without having to worry about working full-time during the school year. The award will help fund my tuition and books, and extra will go towards the tools I need for the automotive classes. I would like to thank the Lisle Alumni for giving me this opportunity.  I hope that I can be a good example for other future scholarship awardees.

​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
GM: I am honored to receive this scholarship as it is going to aid me tremendously. I am attending the College of DuPage for two years and transferring to Illinois State to finish my career. I aspire to teach early elementary and hope to venture into teaching ESL (English as a second language).
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
GM: I found my love for teaching at the Technology Center of DuPage where I got the opportunity to work with children every day as part of my school day. I did Early Childhood Education and Care for two years. I was awarded the Career Tech Elite team both years. This meant a lot to me because my mentor teachers recognized me for my organization, creative planning, and leadership skills.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
GM: The teacher who most influenced me was my Technology Center of DuPage teacher and mentor, Mrs. Miceli. She encouraged and supported me through the last two years and challenged me to be better. This year, I was her second-year student, which meant I had more responsibilities. I was also given the opportunity to mentor other young students who needed support. Mrs. Miceli made her classroom a great learning environment.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
GM: Upon receiving my bachelor’s degree, I plan to work in a public school. I plan to teach early elementary school and then move into ESL. I am also planning on getting married and having my own family.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award: please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
GM: Lastly, I would like to thank all of the contributors to this scholarship. I am very grateful for this opportunity and will not let it be wasted. As a first generation American, I am the first student in my family to go to college and this scholarship provides the aid me and my family need. This was an amazing opportunity, and I cannot thank you enough.

​CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
CH: Following graduation, my educational plans are to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia, also known as Mizzou. I plan to major in finance and minor in journalism.
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
CH: Of all of my achievements at Lisle High School, I would have to say that I hold being accepted into the National Honor Society in the highest regard. My other accomplishments contributed to being accepted into the National Honor Society, so this achievement brings everything together for me.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
CH: There are so many educators and staff members at Lisle High School that have made a significant impact on me and I am so grateful for everything they all have done for me. To begin, Mrs. Jaegle made a significant impact on me because I have had her as my teacher multiple times, I learned so much from her, and she made learning fun. In addition to that, she was always there to give me advice when I needed it and she always believed in me and went out of her way to show it. Next, Mr. Smith made an impact on me because he showed me that you can learn math and have fun doing it. Not only that, while in his class I learned several life lessons and he created a learning environment that led to making lifelong friendships. Another teacher that made a significant impact on my life was Mrs. Bylsma. I had Mrs. Bylsma for my English teacher three out of the four years of high school. In that time, she made me realize how much I enjoy writing and because of her I will be pursuing a minor in journalism. Senorita Renguso also made a positive impact on me. Senorita is an excellent Spanish teacher who did an amazing job preparing me for success on the AP Spanish exam. While doing this, over the past two years, she also became someone who I could talk to and I always felt like she cared about everyone in our class. In addition to these teachers, every one of my coaches also made an impact on my life. I spent a lot of time at practices, games, and on buses. I enjoyed spending all my time with my coaches and teammates. My coaches shaped me into the man I am today, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. During my time as an athlete, my coaches taught me discipline and how to be a person of strong character, and I am so grateful for the impact they all made on my life.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
CH: After earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri, I plan to pursue a career in sports in some capacity. My plan is that a major in finance will lead to job opportunities, and my goal is that it will be connected to sports. In addition to this, my ultimate goal is to work in sports media which would be why I plan to minor in journalism.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award: please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives. The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
CH: Being chosen for the Grutzmacher Family Alumni Legacy Award is a great honor and I am extremely grateful to the Carlin Nalley Foundation for their support.
This award means so much to me because I am very proud to be a second-generation Lisle Lion, and to be recognized by others who are also proud alumni is very special. I am so thankful to be a part of this legacy and I look forward to being able to give back to the CNF so that future generations can be recognized in this same way. I am committed to making the most of this opportunity and striving for excellence in all my future endeavors. I am so appreciative of this
financial assistance because I am going to be responsible for a large portion of my tuition. The $4,500 will be applied directly to my tuition, which provides me with a great sense of relief. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your invaluable support. Receiving the $4,500 award means more to me than words can adequately express.

CNF: Following graduation, what are your educational plans—in which institution do you intend to enroll, and what will be your major field of study?
AM: I will attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. I will study under the Agricultural and Consumer Economics program with a concentration in Environmental Policy and Economics.
 
CNF: Which of your achievements at Lisle High School do you hold in the highest regard?
AM: In high school, I got inducted into the International Thespian Society, which was the result of multiple years of being a part of middle school and high school theater productions. After a couple of years of being inducted, I have won Techie of the Year as a junior and Thespian of the Year as a senior, giving recognition to the work I put in as a stage manager. I am also extremely proud of my Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, which I started learning in 7th grade. Even earlier, in 6th grade, I joined the Science Olympiad. I am proud of my high school state competition medals: 1st place for Designer Genes from my freshman year and 2nd place for Ecology from my senior year. In addition, my hard work in academics shows through my status as an AP Scholar with Honor and a National Merit Finalist.
 
CNF: Which educators or staff members at Lisle High School had the most significant impact on you, and what made them so influential?
AM: Many teachers I have known for many years, and thus have been very influential to me. Mrs. Bylsma (English) and Mr. Stellmacher (Choir) are teachers I have had for many years, starting from freshman year. In both of their classes, I can look back to freshman year and clearly see how I have grown in confidence and skill. Being in their classes is a fun experience, so in the moment it can be hard to recognize the improvements made. Yet, if time is taken to look back on the past year, especially the past four years of high school, there is so much that I know I have grown in. I also met Mrs. Honzel (Chemistry) during freshman year, and now, as a senior back in her class for AP Chemistry, I look back fondly on those memories. Mrs. Honzel has a special knack for making a subject like chemistry fun and understandable. Very few teachers are able to say that they make chemistry “easy” (at least easier than expected). Another teacher who is able to make a hard class easy is Mr. Jaegle (Math). He was my coach on the Math Team for four years and was my AP Calculus teacher for my senior year. Going into the class, calculus can be intimidating, but Mr. Jaegle was able to give us the right amount of practice and guidance to make learning calculus as natural as possible. I have also known Mr. Anderson (Science) for four years due to a club: Science Olympiad. Through this activity and in his classes, especially AP Environmental Science, I was able to develop my interest in environmental sciences, which pushed me to pursue further education in this field. Mrs. Schwartz (Science) was also a strong influence on my interest in this field. Taking her Earth Science class and being able to participate in Envirothon due to her organizing the chance to attend the competitions allowed me to learn more about the topics that interested me. I also have to thank Mrs. Meyer, my counselor, for helping me choose my coursework through the years and informing me of all the opportunities I had. With her help, I was able to try new classes as well as push myself to exceed my own expectations. As a Student Ambassador, under her guidance, I was able to also help other students, be a leader, and overcome my own fears. All of these teachers and staff members have played an integral role in my high school experience, allowing me to grow to be a better person.
 
CNF: After reaching your next academic milestone, what personal or professional goals do you aim to achieve?
AM: After a bachelor’s degree, I hope to get a graduate degree in my field. As a career, I would like to work with policymakers to improve and implement better environmental policies or even go into a research field. Later, I would be interested in teaching others about what I know. As a personal goal, I hope to continue to sing in choirs and be a part of theater programs. These have brought me joy and have become treasured memories, so I hope to continue the experiences in the future.
 
CNF: The Lisle Alumni have contributed significantly to the CNF scholarship program, and as a recipient of a $4,500 award:  please express to the alumni what the award means to you and how it will assist you in accomplishing your objectives.  The alumni have given over $300,000 for the CNF program over the years, and it would be helpful if we could relay your personal gratitude for their support.
AM: Through getting the Beverly Fiore Scholarship, I feel that my efforts in the theater do not go unnoticed. As part of the stage crew and as a stage manager, there are many factors of the show depending on us, yet there is not nearly the same recognition as for the actors. Having recognition through this award helps justify the long hours and hard work that is put in behind the scenes in so many shows. The money from this award will also help to relieve the financial worries that come with attending college. The University of Illinois or Urbana Champaign has a great program for environmental sciences, so I was very interested in attending the school. This award will lessen the worry about the cost of attending. I am extremely grateful for the amount that has been awarded to me. Thank you!

Lisle graduates Ramon Aguirre and Victor Aguirre relocated their restaurant to Lisle.

​Exciting news, friends! After a successful 28-year run at Bella Notte Chicago, the Aguirre family is bringing their unique dining experience back home to Lisle. The restaurant, known for its generous portions of Southern Italian favorites in a relaxed setting, has found a new home at the River Bend golf course, taking over the space previously occupied by Wheatstack.
Ramon Aguirre graduated from Lisle High School in 1993, and his brother Victor Aguirre graduated in 1994. Bella Notte, located just west of downtown Chicago, opened in 1995 and closed in 2023. Its specialties included homemade pasta and award-winning Veal chops.
This year, our golfers and dinner guests can expect some wonderful food. Tickets for both the golf package and the dinner-only tickets are still available. Just click here to order.

​On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, during Lisle High School’s Honors Night, seven talented seniors received scholarships from the Carlin Nalley Foundation.
Pictured above, left to right:
John Bartels, CNF President, class of 1985
Karla (Nalley) Modelski, CNF board member, class of 1983
Jacob Mitchell: Dr. John Mulcare Award: Outstanding Science Student Mulcare $4,500 Scholarship
Clayton Hicks: Grutzmacher Family Alumni Legacy Award: Outstanding Achievement and Service by a Descendant of a Lisle Graduate Grutzmacher $4,500 Scholarship
Anika Mutum: Beverly Fiore Award:  Outstanding Thespian Fiore $4,500 Scholarship
Jackson Cates: Ralph King Career & Technology Education Award King $4,500 Scholarship
Gracie Magis:  Steve Green Musical Achievement Award $4,500 Scholarship
Andrea Castro: Kaylee Ann Gansberg Art Award ​$4,500 Scholarship​
Bill Buchelt, CNF board member, class of 1984
Not in the photo, Guadalupe Martinez: Ron Logeman Educational Leadership Award $4,500 Scholarship
 
“Honors night yesterday was terrific for the Carlin Nalley Foundation and the 2024 scholarship recipients. The Foundation and Lisle Alumni should be very proud of our contributions to the future achievements of these promising young Lisle graduates,” beamed CNF President John Bartels.
 
The Babe Zaharias Award, Outstanding Female Athlete and the Jones/Beato Scholarship, and the Piccolo Award: Lisle’s Outstanding Male Athlete ​Carlin Nalley Scholarship recipients will be named on May 30th during the Athletic Banquet.