Participants
Distinguished Young Women participants come from all walks of life, but they have one thing in common: the desire to succeed. Below are the Distinguished Young Women of Illinois participants for the Class of 2021.
Want to participate? Apply now!
Ella Borho
City: Lombard
College Preference: University of Iowa
Career Goals:
Talent: Singing (What Only Love Can See, by Christopher Curtis)
Rishika Chikoti
City: Hawthorn Woods
College Preference:
Career Goals: Neurosurgeon
Talent: Bharatnatyam Fusion Dance
Melody Colonel
City: Chester
College Preference: Illinois Wesleyan University
Career Goals: Lawyer/Politician
Talent: Vocal Performance (The Wizard and I, by Stephen Schwartz)
Hannah Fink
City: Wonder Lake
College Preference: Texas A&M University
Career Goals: Meteorology
Talent: singing (I'll See You Again, by Carrie Underwood )
Michelle Gong
City: Glenview
College Preference: Yale University
Career Goals: Pediatric Surgeon
Talent: Harp (Swan Lake Op. 20, Act IV: Finale Harp Cadenza , by Pyotr Tchaikovsky)
Ashley Gutteridge
City: Chicago
College Preference: The University of Chicago
Career Goals: To become a high school teacher.
Talent: Piano Performance (Prelude in C major, BWV 846, by Johann Sebastian Bach )
Ellyn Hu
City: Deerfield
College Preference: University of Chicago
Career Goals: Physics
Talent: Guzheng (Crimson Lilies, Blooming Bright, by Feng Liu (Composer), Jinhai Jiao (Arranger))
Francky Maemble
City: Urbana
College Preference: University of Iliinois at Urbana-Champaign
Career Goals: Become a pediatric surgeon or an anesthesiologist
Talent: Afro Dance (Balaya , by A-Star)
Julia McMahon
City: Oak Forest
College Preference: Barnard College
Career Goals: History/Journalism
Talent: Singing (What Did I Ever See In Him?, by Written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams)
Claire OConnell
City: Tinley Park
College Preference: University of Illinois
Career Goals: Physician Assistant
Talent: Playing the French Horn (No.10 Adagio, by Jacques Francois Gallway)
Ruchi Patel
City: Schaumburg
College Preference: University of Chicago, Northwestern University
Career Goals: Pediatrician
Talent: Dance (Ghar More Pardesiya, by Shreya Ghoshal)
Megan Schulte
City: Sparta
College Preference: Saint Louis University
Career Goals: Radiation Therapist
Talent: Piano Performance (Fantasia in D Minor, by Mozart)
Sanyukta Vinesh
City: Schaumburg
College Preference: Nova Southeastern University
Career Goals: Orthodontist
Talent: Kathak (Paurushya Kathak, by Kathak Rockers)
Mia Vollkommer
City: Schaumburg
College Preference: University of Illinois
Career Goals: Chemical Engineering/Food Science
Talent: Flute
Katherine Wu
City: Long Grove
College Preference: Yale University
Career Goals: Global health policy
Talent: Contemporary dance (Waves, by Artist: Dean Lewis Choreographer: me)
Alana Wu
City: South Barrington
College Preference: Columbia University
Career Goals: Urban Studies/Sustainable Development
Talent: Chinese Dance (山南丽影: Shadow on the Mountain, by 欧思维)
Zoe Zigler
City: Shiloh
College Preference: George Washington University
Career Goals: Foreign Relations/Law
Talent: Dance (Le Jazz Hot , by Dustin Crumbaugh )
