Four Portage High School Student Council members attended the October 10 Portage Exchange Club meeting and were honored as Outstanding Students of the Month. Exchange Club member and PHS assistant principal John Zack introduced the seniors as “the leaders of our building.”
Olivia Forrester is student council vice president. She discussed the activities of student council, including Insomnia fundraisers, Homecoming, dances, the Angel Tree, Toys for Tots and Secret Pals. She has a 3.65 GPA and is a member of National Honor Society. She is a member of the PowWow newspaper staff and hopes to make photo journalism her career. She plans to attend Purdue North Central.
Forrester will appear in the PHS Fall Play “The 39 Steps” on November 16, 17 and 18. Besides her academic and extracurricular activities she works as a waitress at Shoop’s.
Taylor Searcy does not have an official title in student council, but she participates in all the activities as the council attempts to provide an outstanding high school experience for the student body. She has taken three years of photography at PHS and works on the Pow Wow. She enjoys the challenge of taking and developing her own photographs.
Searcy maintains a 4.28 GPA and takes many advanced classes, including AP chemistry and AP calculus. She plans to attend Purdue North Central.
Collin Czilli is president of the senior class and has been involved in student council since eighth grade. “It’s the best play to stay involved,” Czilli said.
He is deeply involved in communications, having worked on the Pow Wow for four years, as well as starting an online radio station, TV station and magazine. He also serves on the United Way Board of Directors. He is presently working on two political campaigns, primarily overseeing the websites and online information.
Czilli carries a 4.05 GPA and plans to attend Indiana University Northwest to major in political science.
Emily Evans is president of the student body. “It’s my job to make sure Student Council goes well,” she said. “Being involved in Student Council is amazing. I’ve made so many good friends and learned so much. I love helping people and student council has helped me be a team player.”
Evans is also a member of National Honor Society and Foreign Language Honor Society. She is a Rainbow Staff Member of Natural Helpers. She is design editor of the Pow Wow and also works on design for PHS News Online.
During her freshman year, she initiated and organized Insomnia for Haiti, a fundraiser to help victims of the earthquake. Since then, the annual Insomnia activities has helped two other charities and will help a fourth this year.
She has a 4.1 GPA and plans to attend Purdue University Lafayette to major in Health and Disease. She hopes to continue at IU Medical School and become an Emergency Room Physician.
The Portage Exchange Club meets every Wednesday at Miller’s Assisted Living Meeting Room at 7 a.m. Outstanding Students of the Month are feted on the second Wednesday of every month.
Photo: L to R: Collin Czilli, Taylor Searcy, Portage Exchange Club president Peggy Berbesque with granddaughter Olympia Berbesque, Emily Evans, Olivia Forrester, and PHS assisted principal John Zack