News Briefs: Loyola senior earns prestigious scholarship; Wilmette Black History contest open thru Feb. 15; District 112 names 2 new associate principals

Milannia Martin-Hayes, a senior at Loyola Academy, has been awarded admission to Connecticut College through the Posse Foundation, a highly selective college admissions program that nurtures the next generation of leaders from diverse backgrounds.

The Posse Foundation is committed to expanding access to higher education and ensuring that students from all backgrounds have the resources needed to succeed in college and beyond. The foundation’s 63 partner colleges have awarded $2 billion in scholarships to more than 12,000 students since 1989.

Fewer than 5 percent of applicants nationwide are selected as Posse Scholars, according to a release from Loyola Academy.

The release says Martin-Hayes excels in the theater program as state manager and member of the Thespian Board and is also on the planning committee for the Young Women of Color Symposium, co-president of Loyola’s Alliance/Queer-Straight Alliance, and a member of Clavius Scholars Honors Program.

Martin-Hayes’ favorite class is statistics, which she plans to study at Connecticut College starting in the fall.

“It made me realize how important data is, whether or not we realize it,” she said in the release. “More than that, the way it’s collected and analyzed is just as instrumental to its use as the data itself. I’ve always been an analytical thinker with an interest in math and how things work.”

She reportedly hopes to use her passion for stats and data to become a political analyst or pollster for a campaign or interest group in the future.

“I want to make politics easier to understand and easier to be involved with for underrepresented communities,” Martin-Hayes said. “I know my plan is likely to change as time goes on but I feel called to perform justice in any ways available to me.”

Students are eligible to apply to the program through a unique evaluation method called the Dynamic Assessment Process, which identifies students with great potential but who may not have been selected by traditional admissions criteria. The process includes a series of interviews and other nontraditional forums that allow the foundation to assess students’ academic potential and leadership skills. Each year, the foundation selects a diverse group of 10 students from each partner college.

Wilmette’s Black History Month Student Art Contest is open

The Village of Wilmette has launched its annual Black History Month student art contest, calling on residents of all grades to submit their work to the Wilmette Human Relations Commission.

The 2024 contest is themed “African Americans and the Arts,” paying tribute to the many ways in which African-American artists have influenced cultural movements and more, according to the Village.

Students are invited to submit an entry in one of four categories: posters, essays, poetry or art/multimedia/music. All entrants must be Wilmette residents enrolled in grades K-8 for the poster and essay/poetry and art/multimedia/music categories.

Wilmette residents enrolled in grades 5-12 are eligible to enter the poetry and art/multimedia/music categories.

The contest is open now and will remain open through Feb. 15. All entries will be judged by a panel of local artists.

Send or bring entries to: Wilmette Village Hall, 1200 Wilmette Ave, Wilmette. For more information contact Erik Hallgren at hallgrene@wilmette.com.

North Shore 112 appoints new associate principals

The North Shore School District 112 Board of Education has appointed Victoria Dobies and Annie Orlov as the new associate principals of Oak Terrace Elementary School and Northwood Middle School, respectively, according to a release from the district.

Dobies, a dual-language teacher at Oak Terrace from 2017-’22, has served as an instructional coach at Red Oak Elementary School for the past two years. A graduate of Loyola University and National Louis University, Dobies holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in literacy.

Orlov, the current associate principal of Oak Terrace, has served in that role for two years. She has previously served as a teacher, innovation coach and language development coach at Red Oak Elementary School. A graduate of Bradley University and Concordia University, Orlov holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in Concordia University.

Both appointments will take effect on July 1. Dobies will return to Oak Terrace, and Orlov will take over the position at Northwood Middle School in a position being vacated by the retirement of current associate principal Melissa Raich.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to maintain strong leadership at Oak Terrace and Northwood in 2024-2025 and beyond,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Monica Schroeder said in the release. “Annie’s remarkable blend of talent, dedication and experience will be invaluable in the middle school environment. Victoria has consistently demonstrated exceptional qualities as an instructional coach and brings natural leadership skills to the new position. We are eager to watch the growth of both educators as well as the impact they will have on their school communities.”

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