Apologies! Publication of this edition was delayed due to the editor's illness.
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The annual Green Raffle fundraiser is now underway! Tickets cost $25 each or 4 for $100, and winners will be announced at our Mardi Gras event on April 25. Funds raised will support the club’s programs.
Party with a Purpose! Join us for a fun-filled evening of trivia, Cajun-inspired bites, music, and prizes — all supporting Rotary’s community service initiatives. Trivia | Food | Raffle. April 25, 2026 7 - 10 pm. St. Mary’s PAC, 312 Waterman Street Sycamore IL 60178. Scan the QR Code to purchase tickets and more information about the event. For sponsorship information, contact Brandon at BDiviak@ResourceBank.com
Party with a Purpose! Join community leaders, businesses, and friends for a festive evening of trivia, Cajun-inspired bites, music, and celebration — all in support of Rotary’s service initiatives. Let the good times roll — for a great cause. An Evening of Fun and Community Impact The Rotary Club of Sycamore invites you to partner with us for Mardi Gras Mind Games, a lively trivia night celebrating community while supporting Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self. Guests will enjoy: • Three rounds of lively trivia • Cajun-inspired appetizers and desserts • Green Raffle with prizes up to $1000 • Bottle pulls • Networking with community leaders This exciting event will bring together local businesses, community partners, and residents for an unforgettable evening while raising funds for programs that strengthen our community. The Impact of Your Sponsorship Your sponsorship helps support: • Youth leadership and scholarship programs • Local service projects and community initiatives • Rotary’s international humanitarian efforts • Global polio eradication efforts • Volunteer programs serving our region When you sponsor Mardi Gras Mind Games, you are investing in programs that create meaningful and lasting impact. Scan the QR Code to purchase tickets and more information about the event. For sponsorship information, contact Brandon at BDiviak@ResourceBank.com
April student of the month Justin Wu hopes to pursue a degree in computer science at Stanford after high school graduation but is already making a significant impact with his digital knowledge. Wu works as a game developer for ROBLOX Corporation and led development of games with over a million active users. He is getting dual credits in computer science and math by taking classes at Kishwaukee College. A computer coding club member, he also stepped in as a teacher’s assistant for a high school computer coding class when the regular teacher was on medical leave. Wu said he knows technology is changing rapidly but wants to be part of the learning process to help others be prepared for the future. Besides computers, Wu is a dedicated competitive swimmer. He has been on school swimming teams since middle school, qualified for state swimming team competition, and was a national swimming qualifier through the YMCA. He is the swim team’s social media manager and uses videos to increase awareness of their activities. He serves as a volunteer swim coach to help younger swimmers learn proper techniques and workout routines. He also participates in Cross County, track and field, the school math team where he has won multiple individual and team competitions, and is a member of the National Honor Society where he volunteers as an after-school tutor. Among his volunteer activities are the Community Foundation’s Youth Engaged in Philanthropy, World Youth Club (bringing awareness of diverse cultures to school district classrooms), and a YMCA National Affairs attendee (advocating for understanding of Artificial Intelligence awareness in the classroom). Wu will donate is $100 Rotary check to the non-profit organization “Compudopt’ which brings technology access and education to under- resourced youth and their communities.
Kishwaukee College President Dr. Laurie Borowicz tells Rotarians about the latest efforts to serve their approximately 4,500 students for career certifications and two-year college credits. Borowicz says about half of the student body attends traditional face-to-face classes at their campus near Malta while the other half uses hybrid or remote learning models.
Kishwaukee College Interim Associate Vice President for Instruction Dr. Jessica Berek describes for Rotarians specific student examples of career paths opened to them because of the programs offered at the college. Berek said the college seeks to make students workforce ready to meet needs locally or be prepared for additional college-level work without the burden of significant college debt.
Kishwaukee College President Dr. Laurie Borowicz and Interim Associate Vice President of Instruction Dr. Jessica Berek told Rotarians this week about the college’s unique “all-in” tuition model and programs designed for either career readiness or four-year college transfer.
Dr. Borowicz is in her tenth year as President and said she want to make sure all can participate in their programs of interest without financial barriers. She gave examples of an eight-year effort to reduce textbook costs and the wise use of new revenue from the recent economic development on the south side of DeKalb. But Borowicz their most innovative move was the “all-in” tuition model where there is just one charge to attend Kishwaukee College with no extra fees or charges. She said this tuition transparency helps students plan ahead for their college experience. She referenced one student’s reaction telling her this tuition policy gave them access to resources right away, so they did not have to wait to make enough money to pay a fee for essential learning tools.
Doctor Berek went through the extensive list of programs available to students to meet local job openings right away or to be prepared for additional learning through transfer to a four-year college setting. In one example, she said a student entered the school knowing he wanted to be a welder. Going through certified training he got accepted into the Boilermaker’s apprenticeship program after graduation. He now is living locally and bought a home with his job earnings. In another case, she said a student went to a four-year college but struggled to find his way. Returning to the area, he was searching for a career path when an injury exposed him to the field of radiology. He was able to take advantage of the Radiology education tract Kishwaukee College offered and his career goals are now set.
Both Borowicz and Beck stressed the college’s ability to help students pay less, enter the workforce sooner, and with limited or no debt. Details on programs and services can be found on their website at www.kish.edu.
March 29, 1867 – Baseball pitching legend Cy Young is born in Gilmore, Ohio. He holds the major league baseball record for most career wins; 511.
March 31, 1732 – Composer Franz Joseph Haydn, considered the father of the symphony, is born in Rohrau, Austria.
April 2, 1805– Fairy Tale author Hans Christian Andersen is born in Odense, Denmark.
April 3, 1924 – Academy award winning method actor Marlon Brando (known for The Godfather, A Streetcar Named Desire, and On the Waterfront) is born in Omaha, Nebraska.
April 1, 2004 – Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, known for jokingly publicizing over-the-top products or plans on April Fool’s Day, announce a free email service with what was then the largest amount of storage available. It was up to an Associated Press reporter to verify Gmail was for real in a dispatch sent to news outlets nationwide. Gmail now boasts over 1.8 billion active users worldwide.
April 1, 1973 – American Rock Band Cheap Trick is formed in Rockford, Illinois. They have sold more than 20 million albums and done over 5,000 live performances. The Illinois Legislature designated April 1 “Cheap Trick Day” in 2007. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
April 2, 1513 – Near present-day St. Augustine, Florida, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon comes ashore and claims the territory for the Spanish crown. The Spanish explorer was on an ill-fated search for the “Fountain of Youth,” the fabled water source that was said to bring eternal youth. He named the peninsula he explored “La Florida” because his discovery came during the time of the Easter feast of the flowers, or Pascua Florida.
April 4, 1968 – Civil Rights leader Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. is shot and killed by a sniper in Memphis, Tennessee. As head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he had championed non-violent resistance to end racial oppression. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964.
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 2025-2026
President – Jonelle Bailey
President Elect – Becky Springer
Director (President Nominee) – Matt Nelson
Director (President Designee) -
Past President – Brandon Diviak
Treasurer – Dr. Michele Jurkovic
Secretary – Pat Shafer
Sergeant at Arms – Paulette Renault
Monthly Committees
July: Board of Directors
August: Brandon Diviak, Jeff Keicher, Pat Shafer
September: Dave Hamilton, Jeff Jacobson, Jim Stoddard
October: Paul Callighan, Matt Nelson, Paul Stromborg
November: Sue Emberson, Jeff Frank, Phil Meyer
December: Larry Berke, Ray Dembinski, Riley Oncken
Fellowship: Paulette Renault, Larry Berke, Sue Emberson, Dave Hamilton, Pat Shafer
Foundations:Paul Stromborg, Jim Buck, Sue Emberson, Matt Nelson, Jim Stoddard
Membership: Jonelle Bailey, Ray Dembinski, Brandon Diviak, Bob Hammon, Jeff Jacobson, Steve Kuhn, Phil Meyer, Matt Nelson, Riley Oncken, Jeff Petersen, Bob Wildendradt
New Generations: Chip Houdek, Julie Sgarlata, Becky Springer
Public Image: Bob Brown, Paul Callighan, Jeff Keicher, Joyce Klein, Tasha Sims
Scholarships:Tim Neubert, Don Clayberg, Ray Dembinski, Michele Jurkovic, Steve Kuhn, Julie Sgarlata
Service: Brandon Diviak, Alicia Cosky, Jeff Frank, Michele Jurkovic, Rob Mondi, Tim Neubert, Brendan Wilson
