Honorees include Nico DeGuzman, Will Welge, Jack Heffernan, Whitney Sulser, and Rylie Conley
By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER – Chester High School Principal Jeremy Blechle and School Counselor, Casey Hawkins, are pleased to announce that five students from the Chester High School graduating Class of 2025 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars.
Those students are Nico De Guzman, William “Will” Welge, Jack Heffernan, Whitney Sulser, and Rylie Conley.
Chester High School has five Illinois State Scholars from the Class of 2025. Pictured here with Chester High School Principal, Jereme Blechle and Assistant Principal, Robin Barton are, (left to right) Principal Blechle, Nico De Guzman, Whitney Sulser, Will Welge, Jack Heffernan, Rylie Conley, and Assistant Principal Barton. Jim Beers Photo
Nico De Guzman
Nico was born in Pasig City, Philippines and came to the U.S. when she was five years old. Her parents are Marlen and Robert Todd. She attended Chester Grade School where she maintained a perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average and graduate a class Valedictorian. She was involved in band and she was a member of the Beta Club honor society.
At Chester High School she is involved in many extracurricular clubs and activities. Nico a member of the Theatre Club, National Honor Society, Writer’s Circle, Scholar Bowl, Spanish Club, and Band.
Last year as a junior, Nico won 1st Place in the Poetry Out Loud Contest which is a spoken word poetry competition. This honor encompassed the entire Southern Illinois region. She then competed against 15 other students in the State of Illinois Competition in Springfield, Illinois.
Outside of school, Nico has several interests including drawing, writing, poetry, film, and crocheting. After graduating from CHS she hopes to attend college at either the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, or the University of Washington in Seattle. She plans to have a career as an Archivist or as a Librarian.
William “Will” Welge
Will Welge is the son of Tom and Tracy Welge of Chester. Will attended Chester Grade School where he was a member of the Beta Club and the CGS Student Council.
At Chester High School Wil is the President of the Environmental Club. He is also the Captain of the Scholar Bowl Team and President of the Spanish Club. He is a member of the Theatre Club and is Drum Major of the CHS Marching YellowJackets.
Mr. Welge is a member of the CHS Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society and carries a perfect 4.0 GPA. He received a CHS Stinger Award last year and earned the College Board National Recognition Award. Future plans include attending a university (undecided) and study to become a music producer. His favorite classes at CHS are music and band.
Jack Heffernan
Jack Heffernan is the son of Michael and Joanie Heffernan. He attended elementary school at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Chester. Throughout elementary school Jack was on the Honor Roll. He was Class Valedictorian and member of the Junior Beta Club. Jack was a church server and loved competing in track, baseball and basketball at St. Mary’s.
At Chester High School Jack has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and is the Treasurer of the CHS Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society. He was an Illinois Boys State Representative and has served on the Youth Advisory Council.
Jack was a junior 2024 Graduation Marshall and has served on the CHS Student Council all four years. He is the Treasurer of the Interact Club and has served as Class of 2025 Treasurer all four years. Mr. Heffernan is an active member of the CHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization and has been a key member of the football, basketball, and baseball teams at CHS. He further sings in the CHS Concert Choir.
Jack is interested in sports, music, and spending time with family and friends. He is a Lector at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Jack plans to attend the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and will major in accounting.
Whitney Sulser
Whitney Sulser was born May 28, 2007. Her parents are Shane and Lori Sulser. Miss Sulser attended Chester Grade School where she was active in the CGS Junior Beta Club. AS a younger child she was active in Girl Scouts.
Whitney now attends Chester High School where she is active in many clubs and extra-curricular activities including Student Council, National Honor Society, Environmental Club, Pep Club, Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Spanish Club, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Miss Sulser has also participated in the CHS Dance Team, Volleyball, and Softball teams.
Whitney has maintained a 4.0 GPA since her freshman year. She earned a Student of the Month Award for demonstrating “Responsibility”. She further earned a Scholar-Athlete Award from the Illinois Dance Team Association and was recognized as “Best Showmanship Recipient” her junior year at CHS.
Future plans include attending Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) at Cape Girardeau, Missouri to major in Agribusiness with an emphasis on Pre-Veterinary Medicine. Following her studies at SEMO, Miss Sulser would like to attend either the University of Missouri or the University of Illinois to earn a Doctorate Degree in Veterinary Medicine. Following her educational endeavors, she hopes to return to the Chester area to practice at a local Veterinary Clinic.
Rylie Conley
Rylie Conley was born January 14, 2007 to Erica Eggemeyer and Erin Conley. She completed her elementary schooling at Chester Grade School. At CGS she maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA and was a member of the honor society, the Junior Beta Club. Throughout grade school Rylie enjoyed competing in the sports of volleyball, basketball, and softball.
At Chester High School has continued her academic excellence by maintaining a perfect Grade Point Average of 4.0.
At CHS Rylie is active in the Environmental Club, Spanish Club, and she is a member of the CHS Student Council. She is further an active member of the Chester High School Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society.
Miss Conley is a key member of the CHS Golf Team, Basketball Team, and she has played on the Lady Jacket Volleyball Team. Track and Field are also in her repertoire of sports interests.
Upon graduation from Chester High School in May of 2025, Rylie plans to continue her educational pursuits at either Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) or Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SIU-C) to study nursing.
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is the State of Illinois’ college access and financial aid agency. It is pleased to announce this year’s State Scholars. These exceptional individuals are selected based upon standardized test scores combined with sixth semester, or junior class rank. These students represent approximately the top ten percent of graduates from all Illinois High Schools.
The achievements of these students are a credit to their resilience, and to the support and encouragement of their families, principals, teachers, mentors, counselors, and others invested in their growth and success.
The Illinois State Scholar designation is a non-monetary award. Recipients receive a congratulatory letter and Certificate of Achievement from ISAC. They can also download an official Illinois State Scholar Badge to display on their online profiles and social media platforms. Such badges can further be shared with their high school counselors, employers, family members and others.
The designation as an Illinois State Scholar begins not on the year that they graduate from high school, but it is based on the year they would begin any post-secondary education.
The ISAC strongly recommends that all high school students complete the 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (better known as FAFSA) so that they can make the most informed decisions and choices possible about their education after graduating from high school.
FAFSA results are used to determine a prospective student’s eligibility for any available federal and most state and institutional financial aid. Such financial aid is available for any type of post-secondary education including certificates, two-or-four year degree programs, and some vocational programs.
There is also an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid that may determine that a student could be eligible for some state financial aid even if they are not eligible for federal student aid.
ISAC further supports high schools and students statewide by offering free assistance with college and career exploration. They also help students complete financial aid forms and college applications. Recent college graduates are trained to serve as near-peer mentors to assist students and families in navigating education after high school.
State Scholars represent approximately the top ten percent of a high school senior class from about 765 high schools across the State of Illinois. These students possess strong academic potential.
Potential recipients must be United States citizens and be residents of the State of Illinois. They must also be attending approved high schools. Finally, they must perform in the top one-half of their class at the end of their third semester prior to graduation.
Congratulations to Chester’s Class of 2025 Illinois State Scholars and best of luck in all future endeavors!