Oglesby Elks announce February Teens of the Month

The Oglesby Elks announced their February Teens of the Month were Emily Szczepaniak and Tyler Hartman.

Szczepaniak, a senior at St. Bede Academy, is the daughter of Renee and Ted Szczepaniak. She is currently ninth in her class. She has been on the high honor roll every year.

Szczepaniak was in tennis all four years and co-captain as a senior. She was on the track team as a sophomore. She was all-conference academic in track as a sophomore and tennis all four years. She was the tennis MVP and varsity No. 1 girls’ singles player all four years. She was in chorus her freshman and sophomore years.

Szczepaniak was in Spanish Club her freshman and sophomore years. As a sophomore, she was a part of the Tea Club. She was in the Heritage Club as a junior. She was also a Lectio Devina and Eucharistic minister. She was on the WYSE Team and earned first place at sectionals.

Szczepaniak volunteered at the Hall Township Food Pantry. She also helped at several St. Bede events including their annual auction fundraising event and cheer camps. She also helped with an IVCIL fundraiser. She also helped at the St. Margaret’s 5K and 10K races.

Szczepaniak likes to spend time with her friends and play a lot of tennis. When not playing tennis she likes to hike, kayak and rollerblade with her friends. She also likes to read, listen to music and cook. She enjoys every chance she gets to cook a meal or dessert for her family.

Hartman, a senior at LaSalle-Peru High School, is the son of Jason and Angie Hartman. He is fifth in his class. He has been on the honor roll all four years.

Hartman has been the vice president of his class since his junior year. He was selected for the Ted Wiese Junior Leadership Conference and as an Interstate 8 Athletic Leadership Conference representative his junior year. He was the Renaissance Student of the Month (March 2019) his sophomore year. He has been in the L-P High Scholarship Legion all four years. He was given the Adele Chatfield Taylor Citizenship Award and L-P’s Oglesby’s Elks Teen of the Month his senior year.

Hartman played football and basketball all four years. He played baseball his freshman and sophomore years and then golf as a senior. He was a co-captain of the football and basketball teams since his junior year. He was all-conference academic in football and basketball his sophomore and junior year. He was all-state academic player Class 5A in football his junior year. As a junior, he was football Interstate 8 All-Conference first team, NewsTribune All-Area first team and earned the Ed Merriman Offensive Back Award.

Hartman organized and performed in the 2019 variety show his junior year. He was in Link Crew his junior and senior years. He participated in intramural sports his sophomore and junior years. He was the junior board vice president (junior year) and the senior board president (senior year).

Hartman volunteered to pass out programs at graduation his sophomore year. He helped rake leaves in the yards with the rest of his team for all of the season ticket holders his sophomore and junior years. As a freshman and sophomore, he volunteered to help run the scoreboard and team books for his younger brother’s basketball games. He helped referee youth basketball rec games his senior year. He dressed up as the beast from “The Beauty and the Beast” at Santa’s Workshop to entertain the kids that attended and to take pictures with them his junior year.

Hartman works as a cook and dishwasher at Skoog’s Pub and Grill. He enjoys playing sports in his free time, like golf. He likes lifting weights and hanging out with his friends. He likes watching sports and movies. He enjoys spending time with his family and helping out when needed. He also likes listening to music and going for car rides around town.