Tess Placek (pictured at right, with Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause) has been named as Willowbrook’s December recipient of 88’s Best recognition for her outstanding academic accomplishments. Placek, a senior, was recognized during the Dec. 13 District 88 Board of Education meeting. To watch her 88’s Best presentation, click on the video above.
Academic achievements:
Involvement at Willowbrook:
Staff member comments:
“Placek first stood out to me her freshman year, when she would regularly come into the art studio during lunch to complete her art projects to high standards of craft and skill. Since then, she has continued to push herself both creatively and technically as an artist by exploring several honors-level art courses, and she consistently receives awards in our school and regional art exhibits. On a personal note, Placek’s passion for creating exciting and technically challenging artwork through the adversity of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and remote learning was one of the things that kept me energized and positive during that challenging period. At a time when so many students struggled with how to push on, stay positive and keep learning independently, Placek rose to the top and succeeded in creating stellar artwork! Now that we are back in the studio together, I am very excited to see the amazing 3D artwork Placek will create and share with us all at our big ‘in-person’ art show this spring!”
- John Epple, Willowbrook Art Department Head
“Placek is one of the most determined, hardworking and motivated students I have had the pleasure of teaching during my time at Willowbrook High School. In our AP Spanish Language course, Placek leads by example, and her academic achievement is attributed to her solid work ethic. With regard to her language abilities and skills, she consistently challenges herself and strives for improvement, communicating exclusively in Spanish during our class discussions and enriching conversations with contributions that are both articulate and insightful. Congratulations, Tess! You are most deserving of this honor, and we are all looking forward to your bright future ahead.”
- Dmitri Martinez, Willowbrook world language teacher
“Placek is an outstanding student in every sense of the word. She is dedicated, thoughtful, thorough and consistently demonstrates use of higher-level thinking.”
- Mike Sullivan, Willowbrook English teacher