Alumni Achievement Awards
District 128 Foundation for Learning Alumni Achievement Awards, established in 2014, are presented annually to individuals who graduated from a District 128 high school at least five years prior to nomination, and who have made significant contributions, and demonstrated leadership and character in their field and to their community. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis and remain active for three years. The Foundation for Learning Board of Trustees comprise the selection committee.
2024 Honorees
Foundation names Ike Reilly and Peter Lopez as their 11th Annual Alumni Achievement Award Recipients.
The District 128 Foundation for Learning is proud to announce the recipients of its 11th Annual Alumni Achievement Awards: Ike Reilly (Libertyville High School '1980) and Peter Lopez (Vernon Hills '2012). Reilly and Lopez were honored at the Foundation's annual fundraiser, THE BIG EVENT on Friday, November 8, 2024 at Austin's in Libertyville.
Ike Reilly is an influential and impactful alumnus of Libertyville High School. Ike Reilly has achieved great success as a musician, singer, and songwriter as a solo artist and as part of the Ike Reilly Assassination. Those accolades aside, what sets Mr. Reilly apart from his creative and musical peers is that he has been a generous and engaged member of our school community, contributing his time, his talent, and his celebrity in ways that have had a lasting impact on our students and faculty.
As an artist, Mr. Reilly’s work has garnered widespread acclaim for its authenticity, powerful storytelling, and connection to the working-class experience. His contributions to music, particularly in the story-teller genres, have been recognized by critics and peers alike, including a lauded endorsement from Bruce Springsteen. Mr. Reilly’s artistic achievements are certainly worthy of recognition, but what further distinguishes him as an alumnus of Libertyville High School is his ongoing commitment to giving back to the school and community that helped shape him.
Ike has been a guest at Libertyville High School’s Writers Week, where he shared the stage with fellow LHS alumnus and world-renowned musician, Tom Morello. During these events, Mr. Reilly offered invaluable insights into the creative process, life as a musician, and the importance of following one's passions. His participation in these events has inspired countless students to pursue their artistic dreams and has highlighted the caliber of talent that comes from Libertyville High School.
During the pandemic, Mr. Reilly went above and beyond by generously offering his time and talent to engage with our students via Zoom. He conducted virtual sessions with some of our music classes and their teacher, providing students with unique opportunities to interact with a successful musician and learn about the industry in a deeply personal way. His presence and willingness to connect during such a challenging time had a profound impact on both students and staff.
Ike Reilly exemplifies the values of Libertyville High School and is a shining example of the incredible accomplishments that our alumni can achieve. His dedication to his craft, his generosity with his time, and his commitment to giving back to his alma mater.
Ike Reilly was nominated for the award by LHS Assistant Principal, Eric Maroscher.
Peter Lopez was a student who excelled in the culinary Arts Program at Vernon Hills High School. He took all levels of foods and competed in the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club where he earned a gold medal at state in a culinary competition. He loved the field so much that he went on to attend The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York. Peter graduated with an associates degree in Culinary Arts. During his time at CIA he participated in a competitive internship at one of Chicago's top Italian restaurants called Spiaggia. After 6 months of honing his Italian cooking skills and working under some of the best chefs in the city, he decided to further his education. Peter’s father (also a chef) encouraged him to earn a bachelor's degree in hospitality with a concentration in food and beverage management to make him a well rounded person in the restaurant industry. Attending Kendall College was a turning point for Peter and his career. He found his love for educating people on the topics of food and wine. Peter went on to earn his level 1 and 2 sommelier certification. Prior to graduating from Kendall, Peter completed a manager internship at RPM Italian. This is where the foundation of his career was truly built.
At RPM Italian, Peter worked for 6 months with the General Manager learning and working in the wine cellar. From this experience, Peter was offered a managing position at Summer House Santa Monica in Lincoln Park. In his 2 years there he worked side by side with the wine director and curated the wine list and wine training. Peter was so successful in Chicago that he was sent to other cities and locations to help their restaurants. Because of his hard work, Peter was sent to open Ramen San in Streeterville. He spent a quick 6 months there before he was asked to open Pizzeria Portofino along the riverfront. For almost 2 years he was in charge of scheduling, food and wine selection, beverage ordering, delivery platforms, and VIP guest service. Given Peter’s excellent record, he was then recruited by a new restaurant called Adalina; a fine dining Italian restaurant in the Gold Coast featuring spins and twists on Italian classics. Here, he is currently the General Manager and was a part of the opening team. Adalina was nominated "best new restaurant" by Jean Banchet in 2022 and the wine program won a Wine Spectator award in 2022.
Peter was nominated for the award by LHS CTE Department Chairperson, Kristin Schwarz.
2023 Honorees
Foundation names Rachel Jacoby and Patrick Slade as their 10th Annual Alumni Achievement Award Recipients
The District 128 Foundation for Learning is proud to announce the recipients of its 10th Annual Alumni Achievement Awards: Rachel Jacoby (Vernon Hills High School ‘14) and Patrick Slade (Libertyville High School ‘13). Jacoby and Slade were honored at the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, THE BIG EVENT, on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 at Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville.
Rachel Jacoby is a proud graduate of Vernon Hills High School, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Previously an organizer with March For Our Lives, Rachel is currently a Gun Violence Prevention Specialist at the Lake County State's Attorney's Office. She has organized in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Washington DC in support of gun violence prevention legislation. Most significantly, she helped lead the grassroots organizing effort in support of the Protect Illinois Communities Act, which passed in early 2023, making Illinois the 9th state in the country to ban assault weapons. Rachel previously served as the Finance Manager for Giffords, a national nonprofit committed to ending gun violence and spent a year living and working as an English teacher in rural Malaysia on a Fulbright grant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel founded the nonprofit, Feed the Front Line, to support small businesses, frontline workers, and food insecure populations in the Chicago area. In her free time, Rachel works to increase political representation for Gen Z in elected office and is trying to perfect her chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Rachel was nominated for the award by VHHS CTE Teacher Kristin Schwarz.
Patrick Slade is an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard University. He graduated from LHS in 2013 before completing his bachelor's at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and MSc, PhD, and postdoctoral studies in Mechanical Engineering and Bioengineering at Stanford University. He directs the Harvard Ability Lab which combines robotics, biomechanics, and human-centered AI to build intelligent health models and assistive devices. His work explores how to safely and effectively design and integrate human-robot systems so people can live healthier, more independent lives. His work focuses on solutions that are open-source and low-cost to make care accessible for underserved populations. Patrick was an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, named a Forbes 30 under 30 in healthcare, and has published in journals including Nature and Science Robotics.
Patrick was nominated for the honor by LHS Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher Teresa Elmore and LHS CTE Teacher Andrew Thomson.
Bob Chikos
Danny Park
Frank Fitzgerald
Kate Lee
Jessica Lawdan
Tom Morello
Jessica Chiarella
Sarah Potempa
Chris Bryant
Dr. Raghu Mirmira
Steven Breitenfield
Brett Butler
Y. Ralph Chu, M.D.
David Margules
Allyson Bain
Gwynne Rowley Shotwell
Dale Eggert
Matt Nuernberger