Freshman Brooke Holtquist Finds Joy in Helping Others Every Christmas
Barb Dawson • December 18, 2024
During Lombard's Shop With a Cop Event
Montini Catholic freshman, Brooke Holtquist (Lombard) finds great joy in helping others. In fact, it is a family tradition. On Saturday, December 7th, (and every December since she was very young) Brooke (with her mother, Elizabeth and brother Blake '24) joined Lombard police (and the Lombard Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association) at their 26th Annual Shop With a Cop event . 'Shop with a Cop' is a Lombard community outreach program where police officers take children shopping for holiday gifts with the goal of providing a unique opportunity for them to shop for their families while building positive relationships between law enforcement and the community. (While the children are busy shopping for their families, volunteer shoppers select special gifts for the children.)
Brooke has been participating in this event with her mom and brother, Blake '24 since she was very little. "We arrive (at the Village Hall) at 7AM to help decorate the room, place wrapping paper, tape, and scissors at each of the tables, and the officers go pick up the children and bring them back to the village.The officers and their designated volunteer hop in the squad cars and they all caravan with lights and sirens to Dicks Sporting Goods and Target where the children have an opportunity to shop for their families with funds raised throughout the year. After shopping is completed, everyone meets back at the Village Hall to wrap presents, visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus and eat lunch."
Volunteering is something that Brooke takes very seriously - for the "good feelings" she experiences knowing she is helping others. "My advice for my peers is to get involved with your community and make it a tradition around the holidays or make it a monthly goal to volunteer. Volunteering is both rewarding to the volunteer and to those who you are helping. It's a win-win situation!"
Brooke and her family also help out with the Cop on a Rooftop fundraiser every year when Law enforcement officers "stake out" on local Dunkin' rooftops to raise awareness and donations for the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR) to benefit Special Olympics Illinois.
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Montini Catholic High School in Lombard will roll out the red carpet on Thursday, May 1st to honor members from their Class of 2025 as Academic All Stars. Each year the Lasallian college preparatory school invites seniors who have excelled academically throughout their high school years to a celebratory banquet in their honor. A total of fifty seniors achieved the honor this year of being named a Montini Catholic Academic All Star which involves attaining a 3.95+ GPA and/or earning Illinois State Scholar status. Congratulations to: Ryan Andres (Bartlett, Kenyon Woods Middle School graduate) Payton Atkins (Downers Grove, St. Scholastica graduate) Liliana Aumann (Bolingbrook, St. Dominic graduate) Zachary Baka (Naperville, All Saints Catholic Academy graduate) John Barrett (Villa Park, St. Pius X graduate) Annika Bartell (Downers Grove, Forest Park Middle School graduate) Maria Bednarczyk (Lombard, Sacred Heart graduate) Joshua Brunke (Lombard, Sacred Heart graduate) Hannah Bushati (Downers Grove, St. Joseph graduate) Gaetano Carbonara (Downers Grove, St. Isaac Jogues graduate) Liliana Cruz (Elmhurst, Immaculate Conception graduate) Julian D’Anca (Wheaton, St. Michael School graduate) Annalee DeFeo (Lombard, St. Pius X graduate) Isabel Evenson (Lombard, St. Pius X graduate) Peyton Farrell (Downers Grove, St. Mary of Gostyn graduate) Jimmy Fitzpatrick (Lombard, Sacred Heart graduate) Santino Florio (Oak Brook, Butler Junior High School graduate) Julia Gergen (Lombard, St. Pius X graduate) Naomy Gonzalez (Wayne, Indian Trail Junior High graduate) Isabella Greco (Oak Brook, Butler Junior High School graduate) Tyiance Haney (Aurora, Sacred Heart graduate) Alexandra Hernandez (Westchester, Divine Providence graduate) Sean Hubeny (Westmont, St. Mary of Gostyn graduate) Isabella Jaojoco (Bolingbrook, St. Scholastica graduate) Lauren Jaskier (Lombard, Jackson Middle School graduate) Conor Kaefer (Lombard, Sacred Heart graduate) Nicolette Kerstein (Naperville, Wilmot Elementary School graduate) Audrey Kinney (Glen Ellyn, St. Petronille School graduate) Jaxon Lane (Carol Stream, Monroe Middle School) Ruikun Ray Li (Oak Brook, St. John of the Cross graduate) Jamie Loftus (Lombard, St. Pius X graduate) Margaret Nielsen (Lombard, Sacred Heart graduate) Seoyeon Park (Lombard, International Student) Gianna Parrilli (Westchester, Ascension Catholic School graduate) Adrian Polazewski (Lombard, Glenn Westlake graduate) Wyatt Prater (Naperville, Jefferson Jr. High graduate) Christopher Reyes (Bolingbrook, St. Dominic School graduate) Brielle Rowgalo (Wood Dale, St. Philip the Apostle graduate) Valentina Serna (Addison, St. Isidore School graduate) Nicholas Sheeran (Downers Grove, Herrick Middle School graduate) Daniel Sherman (Bolingbrook, St. Scholastica graduate) Matthew Silveyra (Carol Stream, St. Isidore graduate) Jackson Simek (LaGrange/LaGrange Highlands graduate) Sienna Skarda (Elmhurst, Immaculate Conception graduate) Roberto Soto (Addison Trail, Indian Trail Jr. High graduate) Lily Spanos (Glen Ellyn, St. Petronille graduate) Hayden Surrette (Downers Grove, Herrick Middle School graduate) Sierra Urban (Westchester, Westchester Middle School graduate) Collins Whitfield III (Downers Grove, St. Joseph School graduate) Christopher Zayed (Lombard, Glenn Westlake Middle School graduate) Image above: Students listed l to r in alphabetical order as listed.
Montini Catholic in Lombard is proud to announce the senior members of their 2025 Prom Court. The king and queen will be announced and crowned during the Lasallian college preparatory high school's Prom Night on Friday, April 25th. The evening, themed - The Roaring 2020s - will be held at Bolingbrook Country Club. Class of 2025 Prom Court Members Queen Liliana Cruz Peyton Farrell Natalie Gartlan Autumn Schumerth Sienna Skarda King Nicky Castaldo Jonathan Hayes Sean Hubeny Matthew Silveyra Collins Whitfield Image above l to r: Peyton Farrell, Collins Whitfield, Natalie Gartlan, Sean Hubeny, Liliana Cruz, Nicky Castaldo, Autumn Schumerth, Matthew Silveyra, Sienna Skarda and Jonathan Hayes
We were honored to be joined at Mass on Monday, April 7th 2025 by Father Jeff Stoneberg of Christ the King Parish and Brothers Rob Veselsky, Chuck Gregor, Joel McGraw, Richard Merkel, James Gaffney, Phil Jones, Brother Kotek, Dr. Steven Torres and Brother Br. Michael Fehrenbach (with Principal Chris Tiritilli (left) and President Kevin Beirne (far right)) to celebrate the Feast Day of our Founder St. John Baptist De LaSalle. Students commemorated the 306th Anniversary of St. John Baptist de La Salle, Patron Saint of Teachers and Founder of our Lasallian Mission. He was a man of deep prayer, unwavering faith, and boundless compassion, devoting his life to God through service and education. "St. John Baptist De Lasalle, pray for us. Live, Jesus, in our hearts, forever."
