April 30, 2024

Make sure to click "View Entire Message" at the bottom

of this email to see all of the important information!

Presidential Scholars

Three IMSA students were selected as finalists for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar Program by the U.S. Department of Education. This award recognizes the nation's most distinguished academic achievemnts and is considered one of the highest honors for graduating seniors. Congratulations to seniors Zuyu Liu, Danica Sun, and Pranet Swain, who were selected from 625 semi-finalists across the nation. The U.S. Secretary of Education will announce the final recipients in mid-May.

Zuyu Liu '24

Danica Sun '24

Pranet Swain '24

Amazon Future Engineers Scholarship

Aishat Balogun '24 and Donovan Morrow '24 were named recipients of the prestigious Amazon Future Engineers Scholarship. Recipients of this scholarship receive a $40,000 scholarship to attend a college of their choice. They will also have the opportunity to intern at Amazon after their freshman year for hands-on mentorship and networking support from industry leaders. Congratulations, Aishat and Donovan!

Aishat Balogun '24

Donovan Morrow '24

Illinois Junior Academy of Science State Expo

Congratulations to the following students who qualified for the Illinois Junior Academy of Science State Expo. Best of luck as they compete this weekend at Milliken University!



Josephine Kim '25 and Vignesh Tiruvannamalai '24 - Cellular and Molecular Biology

Aadi Mehta '26 - Aerospace Science

Jayram Palamadai '25 and William Yu '25 - Computer Science/Engineering

Michael Granger '25 - Computer Science

Samantha Narchetty '26 - Engineering 

Jaden Blankenship '25 - Cellular and Molecular Biology (paper)

Josephine Kim '25 and Vignesh Tiruvannamalai '24 also won a 1st place award at the Illinois State Academy of Science (ISAS) Annual Conference for their project entitled "DDX18 Plays a Functional Role in the Association of Centromeres and Heterochromatin to the Nucleolus." This competition is typically only open to college students, but Vignesh and Josie were invited to participate after winning one of the top two projects at the Illinois Junior Academy of Science (IJAS) regional competition in March.

Debate Tournament of Champions

Congratulations to Nikhil Kodali '25 for his outstanding performance at the Debate Tournament of Champions hosted by the University of Kentucky. Nikhil went head-to-head with top debaters from across the country to secure his spot in the tournament, ultimately achieving 7th place in his preliminary chamber. This marks a significant milestone, as Nikhil was the first debate student from IMSA to qualify for TOC.

The LEAD Program held the 11th Annual Student Leadership Exchange on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The Class of 2026 presented projects rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and had the opportunity to receive feedback and network with many external guests. View their project abstracts.

Students also had the opportunity to listen to the Bernard C. Hollister Memorial Lecture, which was held in remembrance of Dr. Bernie Hollister, a charter social science and history faculty member. This year's speaker was Dr. Joshua Fredenburg, an internationally acclaimed speaker who discussed creating a leadership legacy that continues to have a lasting impact.

The last LEAD module will be 

Thursday, May 2, 2024, from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 pm.

Sophomores should come prepared to debrief the Student Leadership Exchange and their LEAD experience! 

College Decision Day



As the traditional deadline for declaring your postsecondary plans approaches, we understand that numerous colleges have extended their commitment deadlines to May 15, with some even pushing further to June 1. In light of these changes, we are planning a school-wide celebration on May 24. This event will honor all seniors, acknowledging your hard work and the decision you have made or are about to make.

More details will be shared in an upcoming Titan Tuesday and through Naviance. Let's all come together and make this a memorable celebration for all our incredible seniors as they embark on their futures!

Saturday, June 1, 2024

3:30 p.m. (Doors open at 2:30 p.m.)

Northern Illinois University Convocation Center

DeKalb, IL

Tickets are not required for this event. We invite all family members to come and celebrate with our graduates. We ask that families review the prohibited items for the NIU Convocation Center.

Please look for additional details about graduation in the coming weeks, or contact the Principal's Office if you have any questions.

Saturday, May 4, 2024

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Residence Life Department invites all students, staff, and faculty to a Field Day event! There will be several fun activities, food, and a live DJ!

Parents, Faculty, and Staff: If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please fill out the Res Life Field Day Interest Form. 

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6-10, 2024

Help PAC celebrate IMSA Teachers and Staff during the Teacher Appreciation Week for the following events:

Monday: Breakfast

Tuesday: Breakfast

Thursday: Lunch

Friday: Thank you gifts

Please note that the IMSA Code of Ethics and Illinois state policy do not allow teachers or staff to receive gifts directly from individuals. However, we can show our appreciation collectively as a group from the Parents Association.

If you want to help PAC with Teacher Appreciation Week, please contact the Hospitality Committee at Hospitality@IMSAPAC.org. Cash donations can be made via Paypal or Zelle donation to Treasurer@IMSAPAC.org.

The Intersession 2025 Travel Study opportunities are here!

Please review the options for next year. More information about Intersession 2025 will be available next Fall.

All students should complete the end-of-the-year tasks for ITS. Review their email for more details.

Class of 2024

Please remember to log your service learning hours in HelperHelper and check in to make sure they are approved. Data transfers and email blasts will be sent out monthly until graduation. As a reminder, students who do not complete the graduation requirement for service learning, as stated here, will not receive their final transcripts until they have done so. All hours must be submitted and fully approved (present in PowerSchool) by May 21, 2024.

Race Talks is an opportunity for IMSA students to discuss the current racial climate at IMSA. Marcus Sibley, a Social Justice Activist and Spoken Word Artist, will facilitate the conversation.

Marcus Sibley is an advocate that utilizes speaking, poetry, and recorded music to convey a profound passion for justice. The New Jersey native and former Family Crisis Intervention Specialist received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work from Rutgers University. He now travels the country presenting on various environmental and social justice-related topics.

Come share your experiences, perspectives, and solutions! Dinner will be provided.

The Annual Brotherhood/Sister Circle Retreat is an event open to the entire IMSA community where students come together to learn about racial injustice and inequities faced by the Black and Latinx communities. During this event, students will have the opportunity to learn about Black and Latinx empowerment and hear from members of the Black and Latinx community. Speakers include alumni, diversity professionals, and activists advancing racial equity for these communities. 

Lexington will provide breakfast. This event is open to all Students. Registration for this event is due today!

Self-Care Saturday

Saturday, May 11, 2024

10:00 a.m.

1504, 1505, 1506, and 1507

Join Counselor Alex Pratt for a day of painting, snacks, relaxing music, and mental health resources! Students will also be able to visit with therapy dogs in E121 or on Yare (weather permitting). The exact times will be announced soon!

Finals Study Session

Sunday, May 19, 2024

1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

B Wing and the IRC

Work with classmates and peer tutors to finish your end-of-year assignments and prepare for final exams. PAC will provide pizza!

Parents: If you are interested in donating to PAC's pizza order, please use the link below or send Zelle payments to Treasurer@IMSAPAC.org. 

IMSA faculty, staff, and students - Are you interested in AI and eager to explore your ideas for next school year? Visit the AI Launch Center!

Would you like to know more about how to plan for your AI-related SIR, Internship, project team, or AI tools for education? Stop in A-148 anytime from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and talk to Britta McKenna, Director of Special Initiatives, or AI Center interns Neev and Rachel, and they'll help you get started. If your idea can't wait (we get that), email bmckenna@imsa.edu anytime.  

Look for more details on the Grand Opening Event on May 22 in an upcoming Titan Tuesday!

IMSA is driven to be a lighthouse for innovation, providing access points for students to conduct research and entrepreneurship projects, and also test out new technology and new approaches to teaching and learning. The recent rise in artificial intelligence provides us a great opportunity for exploration.

This year, a team of colleagues and students have created a prototype for a Center for Artificial Intelligence. Its grand opening is on the horizon on May 22 with a variety of activities for our students and staff to culminate a year of activities. You can read more about what we've accomplished in our draft white paper, as well as plans for the future. I invite you to be a thought partner with us on the AI Center's future direction, particularly how it can be resourceful to the field of education. 

Of course, we will continue to foster opportunities that support student research and entrepreneurship, and you can view our related student projects in our IMSAloqium booklet. Additionally, here's a recent article from Bloomington-Normal Press that highlights Shashi Salavath's recent efforts using AI. If you are using AI in your career, and are open to finding connections for IMSA students, don't hesitate to reach out to me at eglazer@imsa.edu.

The family of Dr. Michael Keyton has established a new scholarship in honor of the dedicated educator who taught at IMSA for over 14 years. As a mathematical scholar, musicologist, and professional golfer, Dr. Keyton had a profound impact on IMSA. Through his wisdom, kindness, knowledge, and lifelong curiosity, he helped inspire his students to believe in themselves and in what they could accomplish. With this newly established scholarship, we hope Dr.Keyton’s legacy will carry on for many future generations. 

This scholarship will provide $800 to a deserving IMSA senior who plans to pursue an education and/or career in mathematics. Students who are interested in applying for this scholarship should meet the following requirements:

1. Plan to pursue an education in mathematics (minors in math are acceptable). Students pursuing a career as math teachers would be ideal candidates
2. Demonstrate a financial need, although this is not a strict requirement.
3. Plan to attend an accredited college or university after graduation.

Applications are due today! Please apply using the form below.

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Time TBD

Pride Rock

Celebrate Pride Month early with a viewing of Heartstopper. Color, relax, and enjoy snacks and a movie before heading into Finals Week.

Check out the new search engine from the Illinois of Gifted Children for local STEM enrichment opportunities for all ages. This search engine was developed by IMSA Senior, Michael Meng '25!

Titan To Go is a resource for students to discreetly order basic toiletries when they cannot replace them before a trip home. Students may select from the following items:



• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Toothpaste and Toothbrushes 
• Dental Floss 
• Deodorant 
• Menstrual products
• Hand soap 
• Body lotion 
• Facial tissues
• Lip balm  
• Contact lens cases

Requests are confidential and can be made by clicking on the button above. Requests received by 8:00 a.m. will be processed daily, Monday through Friday. You will pick up your items in a Smart Locker once you receive a notification that your package has been scanned in.

For more information, contact Michelle Bemis, Volunteer Coordinator for Titan To Go at mbemis@imsa.edu.

Mark Your Calendars! 

May 1 - Halls Open at 1:00 p.m.

May 6 - May 16 - AP Exams

May 17 - Prom

May 22 - Center for AI Grand Opening

May 24 - Community Cookout

May 27 - Memorial Day (Academy Closed)

May 29 - 31 - Final Exams

May 31 - Graduation Rehearsal and Senior Banquet

June 1 - Graduation

ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACADEMY



1500 Sullivan Rd., Aurora, IL 60506-1000 |  630.907.5000 |  imsa.edu

To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific

minds that advance the human condition.