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ALTON - The Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club recently announced its October Students of the Month.
The two winners were Peyton Zigrang of Marquette Catholic High School and Lauren Weiner of Alton High School.
Zigrang is the daughter of Bobbi Fleming and Todd Zigrang and Weiner is the daughter of Scott and Jennifer Weiner of Godfrey.
She is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School and is active in many school activities/ extracurriculars while placing the utmost importance on her academics where she has been on National Honors Society and High Honor Roll throughout her high school career.
Peyton takes on major leadership roles, such as being Sophomore, Junior, and Student Council President and captain of the volleyball team. She dedicates herself to clubs, such as Breast Cancer Awareness Club, Interact Club, Yearbook Club, and Campus Ministry. Peyton participates in community service, volunteering annually for the Special Olympics, Old Settlers Historical Days, and Taste of Ferguson.
Peyton recently helped raise awareness in the community for the flood victims and their needs where she orchestrated a fundraiser to collect and deliver supplies for flood victims of Calhoun. Peyton coaches volleyball for St. Mary’s Catholic Middle School. Peyton plans to attend a four-year college, and come back to Alton to continue her career so she can serve the community that has given her so much.
Jennifer has won a variety of academic honors and awards and is an All-Conference cheerleader, on the President’s List at LCCC for Dual Credit Classes, is vice president of the class from ninth to 11th grade. She is an All-State Cheerleader and first-team All-Conference. She is also an exceptional pole vaulter for Redbirds and a state qualifier last year. She has volunteered over 150 hours of service through the student council and at St. Ambrose School and Church. She has volunteered every Wednesday at the Wound Care Center at Alton Memorial. She is a volunteer bell-ringer for the Salvation Army during the holiday season.
"Ever since I was little, I knew that I wanted to be in a profession that helps other people,” Weiner said. “I grew up volunteering and being very active in the community with my family. I have found that in addition to being very rewarding, I have thoroughly enjoyed it. No matter the occasion or what we were doing, I always wanted to help. As I grew older, I realized that in addition to helping people, I especially loved working with children. Coming from a large family with lots of little cousins, I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with children.
“Whether babysitting, playing games, tending to scraped knees, etc. I have found working with children to be very fulfilling. During the last year, I contemplated potential career paths. Through that process, I decided that I wanted to be a pediatrician and help kids stay healthy and happy. This is where my volunteering became a huge benefit in my life. I had the opportunity to volunteer at Alton Memorial Hospital this summer and loved every second of it! I enjoyed being in the hospital environment and getting to see first-hand all the good that doctors do to help people. My volunteer work has reinforced my desire to pursue a career as a pediatrician as I want to continue to help people for the rest of my life. Becoming a pediatrician will help me to exemplify the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.” Pediatricians put the needs of patients above themselves every day, and I hope to one day do that, too.”
