Putnam County, Henry-Senachwine, Midland students honored as DAR Good Citizens

Being honored as a good citizen is not something a person aspires to, as it is mostly its own reward. However, it sure is nice when someone recognizes that’s exactly what you are.

Putnam County’s Gabby Doyle, Henry-Senachwine’s Preston Rowe and Midland’s Madeline Wallington were honored Friday by the Chief Senachwine branch of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution for their outstanding citizenship.

The ceremony, which took place at the First Presbyterian Church in Henry, was the culmination of a process in which teachers at the respective high schools nominate three senior students displaying dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.

The senior class then votes for the person they believe most worthy of the honor. Some are not even aware they are being considered until they’re named.

“I never really knew about it until it happened,” said Doyle, who next year intends to attend Illinois Valley Community College majoring in finance before transfering to a four-year school. “But I definitely feel very lucky. I’ve had a lot of very encouraging people along the way. They’ve encouraged me to do my best and I’ve always tried to do my best, so that’s how this came about. I’m just very lucky.”

Academically, Doyle has taken college-level classes in journalism, music appreciation and psychology and advanced placement in biology and English language and composition. She also is PC’s National Honor Society treasurer, a member of the student council and co-editor of the yearbook.

Athletically, she participated in basketball and softball all four years, earning a Shaw Media Athlete of the Week and third team all-Tri-County Conference in basketball her senior year. Helping out at youth basketball and softball camps, working concessions at athletic events has helped her log a total of 50.5 hours of community service, along with organizing and running American Red Cross blood drives for students and community members.

Rowe, who next year will attend Spoon River College in downstate Canton to play baseball and cast an eye on sports medicine or physical therapy, is also athletically inclined, having participated all four years in baseball (twice all-Tri-County honorable mention, member of the Class 1A runner-up team), basketball (Steve Self Hustle Award winner) and cross country (all-conference all four years, MVP, most improved, NewsTribune all-area).

He also was class secretary, member of the student council, Future Business Leaders of America and member of the Red Krush/Mallard Athletic Club all four years.

Rowe was a two-year member of the National Honor Society and Mallards Driving with a Purpose and also took part in band and choir for two years each.

Away from school, he’s voluteered at the Marshall-Putnam County Fair, Choosejoy and Extra Love Down Syndrome Awareness events.

“This is a great honor,” Rowe said. “I try to do everything I can, but it just seems to happen without me thinking about it. We live in a small community, so we lend a helping hand because we’re always getting that from other people around town. It’s mutual. It’s what we do for each other.”

Wallington also has had a distinguished athletic career, being a four-year starter, a two-year captain and a statewide leader in digs during the 2023 volleyball season.

But academics also are atop her list. A four-year high honor roll students with a 5.190 GPA, she is an Illinois State Scholar and four-time Student of the Month.

Her activities include four years as a class officer, student council member and member of the FFA, the latter in which she served as a chapter officer for three years. She is a two-year member of the 4-H Club and took part in its career development events: agronomy four years, meat judging, horse judging and agricultural mechanics three years each, dairy evaluation two and vet science and livestock judging on year each.

She also worked as a barn hand at Maubach Farms Quarter Horses and Western Hearts Ranch and was an apprentice at Pool Engineers and Wallington Construction.

“This is definitely a great surprise,” said Wallington, who plans to work in the horse and cattle industry after ICC for two years, then Illinois or Michigan State. “It means a lot that I was nominated by my classmates for this, and I’m glad they view me as that kind of person and see I have those kids of values.”

Following the awards, there was a presentation on the history, care and significance of the Flag of the United States of America by Mary Arvidson, the DAR’s North Central Division Vice Chair for the Flag of the United States Committee in Washington, D.C., and Illinois State Flag Chairman.