Lake Zurich High School Senior Moderates Ela Township’s Annual Town Meeting

Front row: Clerk Jan Flood Dowling and Moderator Katie Szarkowicz. Back row: Highway Commissioner Bill Kruckenberg, Trustee Lynn O’Brien, Supervisor Lucy Prouty, Trustee Gloria Palmblad and Trustee Joel Sikes.

Ela Township was proud to have Lake Zurich High School senior Katie Szarkowicz serve as moderator for our annual town meeting on April 11!

As consideration to be nominated for the unique role, Szarkowicz submitted an essay of her impressive political experience, which includes being a member of State Senator Dan McConchie’s Youth Advisory Council and canvassing for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

“The opportunity to act as moderator is something I take very seriously. Participation in all levels of government is essential to being an informed and educated citizen. Local government, whether it be village or township, typically touches people’s lives more directly than federal government, and being able to participate in a township meeting would give me the ability to observe how exactly township government works and how decisions that directly affect me are made,” Szarkowicz wrote in her essay.

The 18 year old, who voted for the first time on April 4, was also involved in the local elections, including the campaigns of a candidate running for village president and a candidate running for the school board.

Szarkowicz will be graduating this spring, but has not decided which college she will attend. However, she knows she would like to major in political science. This summer, she will be interning for State Senator Daniel Biss, who is running for governor.

As for pursuing her own career in politics, Szarkowicz said, “We’ll see how it works out because it’s more about what opportunities you get. You can’t really control it.”

Read Szarkowicz’s full essay here.