Lemont Chamber Shares Essays Of LHS Senior Scholarship Winners

LEMONT, IL — Each year, the Lemont Chamber of Commerce awards two scholarships to two LHS seniors. This year, the essay question for the scholarship was “With everything that Lemont has to offer, what are you most proud of and why?”

Seniors Evelyn Conway and Easton Tally won the scholarships with their essay submissions. You can read both students' essays below:

What I am Most Proud of in Lemont By Evelyn Conway

Lemont is not just a town, but a strong community that becomes family. Aside from the stellar schooling system, active park district, and dedicated town hall, Lemont has the small-town compassion. You could never walk into Jewel or Chipain's without seeing one, if not 20, familiar faces. The relationships that are formed between all citizens, from the Lemont natives to those that have just made Lemont their home, are
one of a kind. While I take immense pride in all of the success of Lemont, the relationships in the community are what make Lemont the best place to grow up and live in.

I was born and raised in the same house all of my life: a grey house amongst all of the grand churches and only two blocks from the historic downtown. My first memories were made on Lemont Street; waking up to the sound of the train barreling through downtown and falling asleep to the sound of music from the Wednesday night car shows. The summers were filled with nights downtown and days at the baseball
fields, and winters consisted of countless hours sledding in “the bowl” with all of our friends. Neighbors weren’t just friendly: they spontaneously brought treats, they came over to play, and they were like family. Having the tight knit community isn’t something you can find anywhere, but if you were to take to the streets of this small historic town, you would see the ever-prevalent relationships and friendships between all of the
Lemont citizens.

Support within our community has been enduring through recent tragedies. Growing up having the same classmates and friends has provided so much happiness, but the loss of three Lemont students and alumni in the past three years has left the whole community mourning. Walking into school the days following the passings was chilling. There were friends hugging and crying in the hallways, students that had trouble just getting themselves into class; but there were teachers and counselors that were offering their time to the students to help them cope. The overwhelming love and support within our community laid a veil of comfort over everyone, making it feel like everything would be alright.

Our Lemont family is stronger than we will ever know. We support each other through the highs and lows, and everything is easier with the help from our community. As college is quickly approaching for 340 of us, the bittersweet end is finally beginning to sink in. A brand new chapter of our lives is about to begin, but for many, this means packing up and moving to an entirely new place. This exciting time is causing so many
to reflect on the past 18 years; for me, leaving Lemont has made me realize just how lucky I am to live here. I have my whole town to fall back on when I need it, and I will always be there for those who need it as well. Lemont has given me friends, family, love and endless opportunities to succeed in my future. I will forever be thankful for this spectacular small town and all of the people in it.

A Sense of Community By Easton Tally

In the words of Coretta Scott King: “The greatness of a community is most accurately
measured by the compassionate actions of its members.”

My pride in Lemont is centered on its sense of community – an environment of caring people and meaningful partnerships, and the joy that is experienced in collectively celebrating successes.

I have spent 15 of my 18 years living in Lemont. During those years I have personally experienced the proverb which proclaims, “it takes a village to raise a child.” While I have grown up in a loving and supportive family, an added benefit of living in this community has been the countless number of people who have taken an interest in me, encouraged me, corrected me and taught me life lessons – neighbors, coaches, teachers, pastors, administrators… even total strangers. As a result, I’ve felt significant, supported and safe in Lemont. I believe that I’m ready to face life’s next phase as a young adult pursuing a college education and my career goals.

It’s been amazing to witness how the people in my hometown work together to care for each other. Whether offering support to someone experiencing a medical crisis or a death in the family, providing financial assistance to individuals in need or giving additional support to the elderly, there are always generous people who rise to the occasion to lend a hand. These people have encouraged Lemont’s young people to join in many of these efforts and have set a great example for my generation as to what being part of a community really means.

Beyond individual efforts, the meaningful partnerships which are intentionally and thoughtfully forged throughout Lemont are impressive. Organizations with varied missions, areas of expertise and resources tirelessly work together for the good of the whole. I have most personally witnessed this during my time at Lemont High School where collaborative efforts between schools, with police and fire departments, the park district and library, as well as charitable organizations and local businesses go above and beyond. I have personally been involved with and have benefitted from many of these interactions – from partnerships
between the LHS athletic department and its feeder programs to community service efforts to events where local businesses have provided expertise and/or funding.

This healthy sense of community has led the people of Lemont to set high standards and attain some impressive accomplishments over the years. Etched in my young memory are the financial recovery of Lemont-Bromberek SD113A, the recent Lemont Public Library renovation, numerous state championships in high school activities and athletics, and Lemont High School recently being named a National Blue Ribbon School. Because so many individuals and organizations have been a part of these journeys the entire community has shared a collective pride in the successes. As a result, more pride, a stronger sense of community and bigger dreams and goals…

As I venture from Lemont to attend college in another state who knows where I will eventually find a job and make my home. It’s my hope that I will be able to settle in a place with a sense of community that is similar to my hometown of Lemont, Illinois.

Image via Shutterstock.