College Credits: Etchingham Named Valedictorian At Law School

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — We're keeping track of all the major higher education accomplishments of area students. Send your submissions to eric.degrechie@patch.com.

Jack Etchingham, of Arlington Heights, recently earned valedictorian honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. He graduated with high honors from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.S. in finance.

During his time at Chicago-Kent College of Law, he externed for a federal court judge, clerked for the United States Attorney’s Office and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, and served as a teaching assistant for a 1L Torts section and an Appellate Advocacy course. Jack also played an active role in a variety of student organizations, including the Chicago-Kent Law Review, Moot Court Honor Society, Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Society, and Kent Justice Foundation.

As a member of the Moot Court Honor Society, he won the 2018 Ilana Diamond Rovner Appellate Advocacy Competition, and his team received the award for Second Best Brief in the Brooklyn Region at the 2019 American Bar Association National Appellate Advocacy Competition.

Jack has worked as a Public Interest Law Initiative Graduate Fellow at Illinois Legal Aid Online (ILAO) this spring. Next month, he will join Sidley Austin LLP as a litigation associate.
- Submitted by Illinois Institute of Technology

Local students graduate from University of Nebraska

Three students from Arlington Heights were among nearly 3,500 graduates from the University of Nebraska-Lincolon during a May 9 virtual ceremony.

• Kristen Lee Gorski, Hixson — Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, Bachelor of Music in Education
• Andrew Dean Ruboyianes — College of Business, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
• Nicholas Karl Stevens — College of Arts and Sciences, Bachelor of Arts.

The 3,417 graduates are from 54 countries, 45 states and Puerto Rico, and 250 Nebraska communities.

— Merit Pages News

Meikel graduates from University of Kentucky

Katie Meikel, of Arlington Heights, participated in the University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences virtual commencement earlier in May. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology.

— Merit Pages News

Simpson makes dean's list at Slippery Rock University

Jenna Simpson, of Arlington Heights, was named to the dean's list for the spring 2020 semester. The dean's list consists of SRU undergraduate students who earned an adjusted semester grade-point average of 3.5 or higher, based on a schedule of at least 12 newly attempted and earned credits.

Past College Credits

• Local Student Earns Degree From University of Tampa