Mundelein High School senior Ella Novotney has been recognized as one of four area students to receive the 2025 Good Citizen student award from the Ansel Brainerd Cook Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). The awards ceremony took place on February 15 at the Libertyville Civic Center.
The DAR Good Citizens program, established in 1934, aims to promote and reward positive citizenship qualities among high school seniors enrolled in accredited public or private schools. Students are selected based on their dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism over their high school years.
“These four young women represent the very best of character, leadership, service and patriotism in our community,” said DAR Chapter Regent Peg Pract. “Each of our award recipients has earned the respect of teachers, peers and family through her integrity, commitment and heart for others. It is truly a pleasure to recognize their accomplishments and bright futures.”
Alongside Novotney, this year’s honorees included Maria Bukowski from Carmel High School, Samantha Calderon from Vernon Hills High School, and Cecily Hamburg from Libertyville High School. Each recipient received a DAR Good Citizen pin, certificate, wallet recognition card, and a monetary award.
Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 represents Lake County and includes Mundelein High School within its jurisdiction (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to data from the Illinois State Board of Education, the district serves students in grades nine through twelve with an enrollment of 2,069 students during the 2019-2020 academic year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district reported a chronic truancy rate of 4.4 percent in 2020—lower than the statewide average—and spent $29,799 per student that year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
The district employs 130 teachers with an average salary of $91,610 before pension contributions; approximately half are women (52.6 percent), while men make up 47.4 percent (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The student population is diverse: 41.1 percent White, 45.2 percent Hispanic, 5.7 percent Asian, and 2.3 percent Black (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
