The Maine Township High School District 207 Board of Education honored three students in the area of career exploration naming them “207’s Best” at a recent meeting. Emma Eberline from Maine South was honored for her curiosity, ambition and determination to succeed.
The following information was written about Emma Eberline as a part of the nomination by Maine South principal Dr. Antwan Babakhani.
EMMA EBERLINE, MAINE SOUTH
On behalf of the staff at Maine South High School, we are pleased to recognize Emma Eberline as one of 207’s Best in the area of Career Exploration.
It certainly can be said that Emma is a highly motivated and driven student. Throughout her time at Maine South, Emma has sought out opportunities that challenge her and expand her skill set. Within the classroom, Emma manages a challenging course load, taking various AP classes. She has even earned recognition as an AP Scholar with Honor from the College Board, a distinction given to students who achieve outstanding results on their AP exams. Beyond the classroom, Emma has gained extensive real-world experience through internships and employment. She has worked at local salons and studios and interned with the Dehkhoda Educational Foundation, Nak4 Orthodontics, and BeeSocial, a digital marketing agency. These experiences have provided her with great insight into different professional fields while allowing her to develop key skills in communication, business, and sales – areas she is eager to explore further in college. In addition to her academic and professional pursuits, Emma is an active leader in her school community. She is involved in cheerleading, the Maine South Key Club, Student Council, Nerdy Girls Success, and the Women in Business Club.
To help highlight Emma’s success, Katie Schroeder, Laura Wilkens, and Effie Loukas, all staff part of our College and Career Center, shared the following:
It is no surprise that Emma was selected for District’s 207 Best for Career Exploration. Emma’s goal has been to prioritize exploring her career interests through internship opportunities. Her junior year, she worked in business development and social media marketing for a local marketing firm. After that, she took on a summer internship opportunity and explored her medical interests while interning at a local Orthodontist’s office. As a senior, she chose to intern with a non-profit foundation in order to help them promote servant leadership and social justice. In addition, she enrolled in the Law and Debate Club offered by the Chicago Bar Association to explore the legal field. She has received raving reviews from each of her internship sponsors. Including the following quotes from her final evaluations:
“Emma is always on time with deliverables and when something comes up, she always communicates accordingly. Her communication skills are great, especially at an internship site that is almost all remote.” – Nicole, her sponsor at a marketing firm.
“Emma was a joy to have with us! She turned in content early almost every week and the content was always high-quality. She volunteered at one of our events, truly showing her commitment to our cause. We would LOVE to have Emma back with us in the future!” – Jennifer, her sponsor at a foundation that focuses on Servant Leadership and Social Justice.
One of the admirable qualities about Emma is that she continues to be engaged in her curiosity and successful with exploration in a variety of pathways… all at the same time. She has an open mind and wants to explore business, medicine and law. She realizes that a better understanding of various pathways will strengthen her abilities.
What’s even more impressive about Emma is that she follows through with her ambitions. She set out to learn about the real world by committing to different internships, and she did just that! Her impressive level of commitment goes above and beyond. Emma is a positive, curious, open-minded, confident, and hard working young woman! We are all proud of her accomplishments and can’t wait to see her continued success in whatever direction she chooses!”
Timothy Spiegel, her counselor, states, “I have always known Emma as a gifted, courteous, and mature student. Her contributions inside Maine South High School have been simply outstanding. However, it is outside of school where Emma was involved as an intern for several community businesses, as well as, working part-time at a hair salon in town. I have seen firsthand how Emma is able to balance her responsibilities inside and outside of school at the highest of levels. I’m confident that Emma will utilize these inherent mental, moral and social qualities to continue to make a positive impact on her post-high school surroundings.”
Paul Bellisario, an English Teacher, offers, “In my experience teaching Emma during both her freshman and senior years, she has consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic and a remarkable dedication to her goals. She engages actively in class discussions and goes above and beyond in her assignments, showcasing her commitment to learning and growth. Emma’s enthusiasm for career exploration is evident, as she approaches each opportunity with curiosity and determination.”
Jennifer Roddick-Small, a Health and Wellness teacher, shares, “Emma Eberline is certainly worthy of this award! When I think of Emma, it’s her energy and her communication/people skills that come to mind. She carries a positive energy that draws people to her…people enjoy being in her presence! And, it’s contagious…an energy that spreads positivity. Additionally, Emma is very comfortable speaking with anyone, and seems genuinely interested in people in general, no matter what they may be talking about. Engaged, comfortable, and positive. She’s all that!”
And lastly, Jeffrey Hamann, an AP Calculus Ab teacher, adds, “Emma’s ability and willingness to take responsibility for her learning in AB Calculus is extremely impressive. Emma is able to consistently recognize when she needs a little bit of extra help. As a result, she has the discipline and takes the responsibility to meet with me. Her questions to me are always focused and specific. However, what resonates the most with me when I think of Emma, is the fact that she always, and I mean always has a smile on her face. Through her successes in the class and possibly some times where she might be having a few challenges, her smile never goes away. Her smile is contagious. She has been a pleasure to have gotten to know her both in and outside of the classroom. Thank you, Emma, for being you!”
Emma’s enthusiasm for career exploration has given her a strong foundation as she looks ahead to her future. With her interest in business and determination to succeed, there’s no doubt she will accomplish great things.
Congratulations Emma!