Lilyana Herrera, a senior, is Dixon High School’s student of the month for January.

She is the daughter of Josefina Unzueta and the granddaughter of Maria Jimenez. Her siblings are Kamila Molina, Sofia Molina, Andres Molina, Ivan Molina, Jaslynn Herrera, Natalie Herrera and Julian Herrera.

What class do you find really engaging and why?: I personally believe that my two years of Spanish Honors and current AP Spanish class with Mrs. Fitzanko has really engaged me into exploring more into the many Hispanic cultures out there and be more in touch with my own. My Criminal Justice class with Mr. Wolfley at the Whiteside Area Career Center has also helped me deepen my understanding of law enforcement and has been a fun experience throughout this school year.

What are your career and post-graduation plans? What school(s) or other instruction, travel or endeavors do you have planned?: I plan to study social work at Sauk Valley Community College and transfer into a university to further my degree.

What are your two favorite extracurricular, volunteer or community activities you participate in?: Student Council and my volunteer work with Religious Education are my two favorite activities. I manage our DHS Student Council account on social media platforms such as Instagram and this position gives me the opportunity to interact with my peers and share information within our school to other students. Religious Education at St. Mary’s Church in Sterling allows me to communicate with a variety of age groups and offers reliable teaching moments and lessons to share with the younger generation.

Please share a moment, group event or activity at school that was meaningful or memorable.: During my last season of playing varsity tennis, our sectional team earned the title Sectional Champions in Rochelle. It was a heartwarming moment that showed how much work and effort we put in the court to get to this point as a team; it was a wonderful way to end my season, and just made me look back on all the progress I made throughout the years of high school tennis.

What is your hope for the future?: My hope for the future is that I continue being active in my community and helping those who need it. I have positive thoughts and aspirations for the future, which includes a stable career, supporting others, and I strive to motivate people and be a role model to those who need one. I am in full support of doing whatever makes a person happy, and I intend to fulfill that in my future.