The Portage Exchange Club honored five outstanding Portage High School seniors as their October Students of the Month. This month’s category was Student Council.
Assistant Principal Andrew Halaschak introduced the students, all of whom are officers in Student Council. He complimented the parents who had accompanied their students, as being so instrumental in raising these excellent students and concerned citizens.
Ashley Bonzani, student body secretary, joined Student Council because her friends were already involved.
“I joined because of friends but fell in love with the people and the projects,” she said.
She especially enjoys working on the food drive, the coat drive and the Senior Citizen Ball.
Besides Student Council, Bonzani is a member of National Honor Society and enjoys volunteering at Fountainview. She plans attend Indiana University in Bloomington where she will study nursing. She hopes to become either an ER or pediatric oncology nurse.
Kenneth Guerra is treasurer of the student body.
“Student Council is one of my passions. I’ve learned social government, philanthropy and organizational skills,” Guerra said.
He is a violinist in the orchestra, a member of the Academic Decathlon and Science Olympiad, a member of the Key Club and Recycling Club. He maintains a 4.31 GPA, while taking six AP classes this semester and six next semester.
He spent over 100 hours campaigning for Barack Obama, tutors math, and volunteers at the St. Joseph’s Soup Kitchen.
Guerra also plans to attend Indiana University in Bloomington to become an ophthalmologist and hopes to work with Doctors without Borders, providing emergency medical care to victims of war or disasters.
Student body vice president, Morgan Jackson, has been a member of Student Council since fourth grade.
“Mr. (Tim) Kunstek came to me and asked, ‘Do you want to make a poster?’ And that was the beginning of it!” she said. “I’ve gotten to work with so many amazing people. It’s really humbling.”
Jackson is active in the drama department. She has had the female lead in two fall plays and an important role in the musical “Hairspray!” She co-hosts Mad Entertainment on PowWow Radio and write for the school’s Indian Magazine. She also was third runner-up in Distinguished Young Woman, formerly Junior Miss.
Her future goals include attending Indiana University in Bloomington, majoring in theater arts and minoring in mass media communications. She hopes to eventually make her mark on Broadway.
Stefanie Nanney is student body historian. She keeps track of the Student Body activities and submits a binder to the state. She is also National Honor Society treasurer. She has played clarinet since seventh grade and is in Advanced Concert Band. This is her fourth year as a member of the tennis team.
She participated in the Applebee’s breakfast fundraiser for Gabriel’s Horn.
She was first runner-up in Distinguished Young Woman.
Nanney has a 4.0 GPA and plans to attend Purdue University in West Lafayette to study pharmacy.
Marko Pekovic, student body president, has been involved in Student Council since his sophomore year. He enjoys working on the prom, which he described as “crunch time all the time. He has played violin in the orchestra since sixth grade, been involved in the fall plays and is a Choralier