ALTON - Emma Bohannon of Marquette Catholic High School and Josie Giertz of Alton High School were honored as Students of the Month for November at the regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s Restaurant.

Emma Bohannon is the daughter of Don and Melisa Bohannon. She is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton. Emma shows her commitment to Marquette and her community through a number of extracurricular activities both inside and outside the classroom. She is a member of Student Council, Students for Soldiers, the Ambassadors Club, the Students Offering Support Club, the Breast Cancer Awareness Club, and was on the 2021 Marquette Homecoming Court.

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In addition, Emma has been recognized for her academic accomplishments while attending Marquette. With a weighted GPA of 4.5, Emma has been on High Honor Roll since her Freshman year, as well as being inducted into the National Honors Society her junior year. Emma has also played volleyball for Marquette for four years, as well as soccer her freshman and sophomore years.

Emma is the co-creator of the Students Offering Support Club or SOS Club. The SOS club provides a support system for students struggling with mental health issues. Emma is also an Event Coordinator for National Honors Society where she plans major events for the entire Marquette student body, like the Sadie Hawkins dance. A special cause for Emma is her volunteer work as the Vice President for the Breast Cancer Awareness Club. She personally has friends and family affected by breast cancer. Emma takes pride in participating in a club that provides awareness and fundraising for women suffering from this illness.

Emma demonstrates the Marquette value of Serviam throughout her community. Each week, Emma tutors young students in need of assistance with their math studies. She also babysits for numerous families during the year and works at a fireworks tent over the summer. Emma has completed over 200 hours of community service, including the Taste of Ferguson, Summer PE, the St. Mary’s Oktoberfest, and many more.

In her free time, Emma enjoys spending time with her friends and family and playing volleyball for her club team, Midwest Synergy.

Emma plans to attend either Baylor University or the University of Illinois where she will major in Biological Sciences on the Pre-med track with the hopes of becoming a Pediatrician.

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Josie Giertz is the daughter of John and Cami Giertz and a sister to Cali and Mackenzie Giertz. Her parents and twin sisters are all proud alumni of Alton High and her Grandfather, Mike Beaber, was the former superintendent of Alton Schools.

Josie carries a 4.103 GPA in her senior year and has been involved in many extracurricular activities and clubs. She is a member of The National Honors Society, has been selected for the dean's list at Lewis and Clark Community College for dual credit classes, has been on high honor roll all four years, and recently received the Southwestern Conference Academic all-conference award.

Josie is very active in school sports, activities, and clubs playing varsity girl’s golf all four years. She received the pro drive award for driving accuracy, the mental toughness extra effort award, and was a four-year varsity letterman. She placed Third Team All-Conference in the Southwestern Conference and the Alton High School Scholarship and Athleticism Award. The golf medals received and won for our team were tenth place at the Belleville West invitational, fourth place at Madison County Large school division, and tenth place at the Marquette blast off. Her highest golf achievement came this year with a 10th place finish in the Regional State Qualifier which allowed her to advance to Sectionals. She placed 55th out of 125 golfers at the Sectional qualifier in East Peoria, Illinois in October. In early November, She was honored by the Alton Athletic Association as the Student-Athlete of the month. She has been a member of student council, participated in the redbird nest, attended the Saturday Scholars, and is a member of Illinois Music Education Association. During the Spring semester of her freshman year, She played the lead role of Tracy, in the musical production of “Hairspray”. In addition, she participated in the winter play “Fools” that year. She was inducted into the AHS Thespian troupe 126 last Spring, is part of the Alton High School ITT, participated in the AHS Conservatory program her freshman and sophomore years, and received 1st superiors at the IHSA solo and ensemble contest her freshman and sophomore years. She is part of three different choir programs, including treble choir, chamber honors choir, and the AHS concert choir.

Josie has also been involved in many community service opportunities, including traveling to Florida with her choir group to do missionary work on homes affected by Hurricane Michael in 2018. For student council, she participated in blood drives, school activity planning, and salvation army bell ringing. For National Honor Society, she volunteered to participate with school registration, volunteered during parent-teacher conferences, and shopped for gifts for children in need. Some other service deeds include the Kids Shouldn’t Have Cancer Foundation, Zion Lutheran Church in Bethalto volunteer, where she is a confirmed member, and the Christmas in July Community Christmas event.

Josie is currently working at Jan's Hallmark Gold Crown in the Alton Square Mall and has enjoyed working at the Loading Dock and Thomeczek fireworks tent in the past. Future college plans are to attend SIUE in the Fall where she is directly admitted into the Nursing program to earn a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Nursing. Upon graduation, she hopes to be a surgical or critical care nurse and eventually become a certified nurse anesthetist.

Emma and Josie each received plaques recognizing their achievement from Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club President Steve Schwartz.

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