ALTON - Lucy Gonzalez of Marquette Catholic and Wesley Laaker of Alton High School are the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club Students of the Month. Gonzalez and Laaker are both heavily involved in their schools and communities.

Lucy is president of Breast Cancer Awareness Club and has been active in Volley for the Cure, which raises money for cancer research. She is also president of the Students Against Destructive Decisions Clubb, which works to inform students about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking, driving under the influence and other drug usage. She is also a member of National Honors Society, Art Club, Campus Ministry, Worldwide Youth Exploring Science and Engineering. She has volunteered at The Nature Institute in Godfrey since 2014 and is now employed there and is employed at Castelli's restaurant.

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Lucy won the Presidential Award for Service in ninth, 10th and 11th grades. She has 942 service hours in her career and plans to major in environmental science at a four-year university. Gonzalez also attended St. Mary’s in Alton for grade school.

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Laaker also has a phenomenal high school background. Laaker has been an academic all-conference player in baseball, a high honor roll student 9-12. He is also a member of the Architectural Drafting Club, Mu Alpha Theta and Physics Club. Wesley has participated as a volunteer for Special Olympics flag football, tutoring, is an Alton Parks and Rec employee, Trunk or Treat volunteer and a youth ambassador at church.

“My goals have changed since entering high school,” Laaker said. “I began this journey with the mindset that I was going to put my time in high school and college and become wealthy at what I chose to pursue. My ambitions have changed since then, I have noticed both through community and my family that finding a career I enjoy is just as important as the dollar amount that comes with it. After high school, I plan to attend either Drury University or another university and compete in baseball at a college level.

“My ultimate goal is to create a comfortable life for my family, while giving back to the community that has given me so much.”