City of Wheaton, IL
Wheaton Honors 10 Recipients of Good Citizens Awards
- Hunter R. Cole (junior, Wheaton Warrenville South High School), for his extensive volunteer work with the Milton Township Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Glen Ellyn Bible Church, and as a counselor at Highpoint Church.
- Erin Dearie (senior, St. Francis High School), who serves as senior class president, president of the St. Francis Ambassador team, captain of the Lacrosse team, peer tutor, and volunteer Vacation Bible School teacher. She was among two students chosen to represent St. Francis at the HOBY national leadership conference.
- Caroline Dickinson (sophomore, Wheaton Warrenville South High School and Bridgeway Academy), for creating the Giving Love Network, which supports frontline nonprofits fighting hunger and homelessness in the Chicago area. She expanded the organization from delivering care packages to people experiencing homelessness to providing grants and more to communities in need.
- Kate Reidenbach (sophomore, St. Francis High School), for running a summer camp for elementary school-aged girls with proceeds donated to local organizations; and her extensive support and advocacy for STEM education, including meeting with local, state and U.S. officials. In 2024, Kate received a Congressional Award Silver Medal.
- Calah Strong (senior, Wheaton North High School), for her leadership as soccer team captain, and as a volunteer in the Compass Church nursery, youth group leader at Glen Ellyn Bible Church, volunteer at DuPage Care Center, and Adaptive Physical Education class peer leader.
- Susan Anderson, for her active role in the Hawthorne Elementary School PTA, helping form a financial literacy club for students, and piloting a Spanish Club for students. She also worked to build an inclusive setting for all families through language translation and meeting sensory and communication needs.
- Greg Biziarek, for being an outstanding neighbor who clears driveways of elderly neighbors and assists in many ways, coaching multiple sports through the Wheaton Park District, active involvement in CUSD200 as past co-chair of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee and involving local businesses with school events.
- Jayne Boyle, an active supporter of the Wheaton Police Department who created a network of volunteers called the Citizens’ Police Academy Alumni Association (CP3A). This volunteer group supports the members of the police department and promotes positive relations with the Wheaton police and the community, volunteering at many community outreach events.
- Jeff Crowley, who served as WINGS Booster Club President at Wheaton North High School for the past three years, welcoming all parents and encouraging involvement. He has also served as a mentor in the Wheaton North Business Incubator program and served on the PTA boards at Sandburg Elementary and Monroe Middle School.
- Mark Taylor, who consistently helps neighbors through such actions as removing fallen branches, taking a neighbor’s TV to the monthly recycling and paying for its proper disposal, picking up litter on the Prairie Path, and removing abandoned furniture. He also serves as a volunteer on Wheaton’s Local Liquor Commission.
To recognize outstanding students and adults whose selflessness, generosity and service to Wheaton make them extraordinary community members, the Wheaton Community Relations Commission presented Good Citizens Awards to 10 individuals at the May 19, 2025, Wheaton City Council Meeting.
This annual awards program invites the community to nominate outstanding citizens for volunteer service for schools, religious institutions, nursing homes, civic groups, nonprofit organizations or other act of volunteerism that benefit the community. This year, the commission presented awards to the following individuals in the student and adult categories.
2025 Student Good Citizens Awards:
2025 Adult Good Citizens Awards:
The Wheaton Community Relations Commission strives to foster and promote understanding, mutual respect, cooperation, and positive relations in a diverse, inclusive community through programs like the Good Citizens Awards.
