NNHS School Family Community Partnership (SFCP) Parent-to-Parent College Admission Networking Night

NNHS School Family Community Partnership (SFCP)
      Parent-to-Parent College Admission Networking Night
                                 October 26th, 2021
Teresa Bertolozzi- son graduated Class of 2020, attends College of
DuPage, another son class of 2022
Contact: RNespero@yahoo.com

Teresa Bertolozzi is a mother of five children. Her oldest son graduated from NNHS in
2020. He is in his second year at COD. He chose COD as he was uncertain about his
career path and wanted to use the 2 years at COD as a bridge to 4-year university. He has
decided to pursue screenwriting/directing and is in the process of applying to schools.
Teresa also has a son who is graduating from NNHS this spring 2022. He is applying to
many schools both in and out of state as well as considering starting at COD like his older
brother. He plans on pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. Her 3rd son is currently
a freshman and elected to attend Marmion Academy in Aurora. She has a 6th grader as
well as a 1st grader. While at NNHS, her sons dabbled in a little bit of everything from
baseball to orchestra to being the school mascot to theatre. Teresa cannot say enough
good things about COD. He was matched to an amazing navigator/student service
specialist right from the start. It took him a while to find the perfect fit in an academic
counselor, but once he did he has felt quite assured of his path and has gained much
good advice along the way. If you have questions for Teresa, please feel free to email her
at RNespero@yahoo.com.

Kristin Fitzgerald- daughter graduated Class of 2021, attends
George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Contact: kristin.fitzgerald@comcast.net and 630-864-8738

Kristin Fitzgerald is the mother of 9th and 11th grade students at NNHS, as well as a
Freshman at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. During her students’ time
at NNHS, they have been involved with NNHS North Star, NNHS Student Government,
National and Spanish Honor Societies, NNHS Top Dawgs, NNHS soccer and NNHS Cross
Country. In addition, two of her students have participated as LINK leaders and all three
play travel soccer. Her students’ courses have included many AP and honors classes as
well as Spanish, CTE and other course work. Kristin attends NNHS Home and School; and
was a co-chair of the School Family Community Partnership at Jefferson Junior High and
Mill Street Elementary. Kristin is also a member of the District 203 Board of Education.
Kristin’s advice to parents of juniors and seniors, “Start early!!! Everyone thought we were

crazy to do visits so early, but it really helped us focus later on. The same thing went for
the SAT/ACT and applications! It was so nice to have those put to bed before the deadline
– less stress for everyone!” Kristin can be reached at kristin.fitzgerald@comcast.net and
630-864-8738.

Loren Francis- son graduated Class of 2018 NNHS, attends Illinois
State University
Contact: LorenFrancisconsulting@gmail.com or 630-841-3193

Loren Francis is the founder of LF Educational Consulting, which received the 2019 Best
of Naperville Award. Loren is the proud mother of three children with her husband, Alwyn.
Their oldest is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a BS and master's in
accounting; Their middle child is a graduate of Indiana University, Kelley School of
Business; and the youngest child is a senior at Illinois State University in the college of
communications. Her area of expertise, which is also her passion, is guiding parents and
students through high school planning for college and the college admission process in a
stress-free and enjoyable manner for all the family. In addition to being an educational
consultant, she is a founder and former chairperson of the Naperville North Success Parent
Organization; she serves on the Naperville District 203 Diversity Council, 203 Future
Focus Initiative, and served on the NNHS Home & School board. She supports community
organizations through college admission presentations. She is a powerful advocate for
parents and teachers, working collaboratively to ensure best practices in education for all
students. The Covid-19 pandemic has produced an unprecedented college admission
season for the class of 2021 and will continue for the class of 2022. College admission
officers know this and hopefully will consider this when evaluating your students' academic
credentials and extracurricular activities. See contact information below: Loren Francis
630-841-3193/LorenFrancisconsulting@gmail.com www.lfeducationalconsulting.com.

Noor Raheemullah Hasan- son graduated Class of 2021, attends
University of Pittsburgh

Noor is the parent to a recent 2021 graduate. Her son is attending the University of
Pittsburgh. In high school, he was a stellar student, avid reader and curious student. He
was involved in community service projects through Young Men’s Service League (YMSL),
American Heart Association and MWA. He was active in drives for bone marrow donors for
Be the Match. He was on the volleyball team and played YMCA basketball.
This past year was one of the most difficult for students to go through the college
applications which started with SAT/ACT anxiety of even getting into a test to not even
being able to visit colleges. Not only was all the fun of senior year more restrictive but the

stress of college applications was even more. It is important to keep perspective and keep
your own mental health as top priority. That being said, NNHS has prepared you for the
college experience and you have to trust your own instincts in where you should be. My
advice to students is to still explore as much as possible whether it be virtual tours or in
person tours because there is information that may be of importance to your specific
criteria. The admissions process has changed so make sure to keep a good list of colleges
that are safety, match and reach schools. Schools you may have thought were match may
be a little harder due to admissions’ changes during COVID. To parents, I would say let’s
not forget that these students have been through a pandemic unlike any of us. Let’s not
stress them out more than they already are and be a source of assistance and comfort
through an already stressful time.

Kim Henderson- daughter graduated Class of 2021, attends
University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida
Contact: kimrh2001@gmail.com

Kim Henderson is the mother of two daughters. Her older daughter is a Freshman at the
University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. While at NNHS, she was on the volleyball team
for four years, participated on the Sophomore, Junior and Senior Boards, was a member of
the National Honors Society and the French National Honor Society and was active in
Young Life. Her younger daughter is a Junior at NNHS and has been a Varsity basketball
player for 3 years, a member of Student Government since her freshman year, involved in
the Feminist Round Table Club, March for our Lives and Junior Board. She is also a
member of the Spanish National Honors Society. Kim is active in Home & School, a parent
volunteer for S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and the Chair of NEF. Kim credits her older daughter’s smooth
transition from NNHS to college to the dedicated teachers and administrators at
North. She feels that the school helped prepare her for the rigors of college and helped
her develop a strong work ethic. Both of her daughters have taken advantage of the many
resources North makes available to students to help them succeed, from the lit center and
math center to the Career Counseling Department. Kim strongly feels that it is very
important that the teachers know that she is invested in her children’s education, so she
and her husband attend every open house and parent-teacher conference. She believes
that there needs to be a partnership between the parent, student, and teacher in order to
ensure the child’s success. If you have any additional questions for Kim, please feel free to
email her at kimrh2001@gmail.com.

Amy Hill- daughter graduated Class of 2021 and a son from Class of
2018 and wide-eyed both are attending University of Illinois, son
Class of 2019 attends University of Missouri
*Amy is not available for the event and can be reached for questions.

Contact: amy@thevilleteam.com or (630)699-0578

Amy Hill is the parent of 4 graduates of NNHS. The most recent are 2018,2019 and
2021. The 2018 graduate is currently attending the University of Illinois and is enrolled in
the Aces Program. He is currently interviewing for positions as a financial planner and will
graduate this coming May 2022. He originally went to Lewis University playing basketball
and studying aviation. He transferred his sophomore year to the University of Illinois. Even
with the transfer he will finish in four years. The 2019 graduate is attending the University
of Missouri and is in the Trulask Business School becoming a Certified Public Accountant
(CPA) and lastly the 2021 graduate is also at the University of Illinois with her older
brother. She is studying Speech Communications in the Honors College. She is focusing on
event planning and incorporating her Spanish minor.
All of these students are involved in many activities with their different colleges. They are
all involved in many different organizations from sorority/fraternity life as well as they all
went to college playing a sport. The balancing act is always hard as they were extremely
involved in high school activities as well but the college commitment brings it to a whole
new level. Currently the 2021 grad is an Illinette(dancer Football/Basketball) and practices
every day and has many community commitments in relation to this opportunity.
All 3 Hills were involved in many different sports and activities while at NNHS. Soccer,
Basketball, Cross Country, Track, Dance Team ,Orchesis, Spanish National Honor Society,
Key Club, Healthy Huskies ,Coached camps and received many academic achievements.
etc……My husband and I believe that all of these different groups prepare you for college
and beyond. The time management /people skills cannot be measured and can only make
you a better rounded student and person. These events and activities taught our family so
much more than just winning while of course that was wonderful as well. All three were
blessed to win 7 State championships between them. Obviously NNHS has so many
amazing and talented students and coaches. I will not reveal which child has the most~Ha!
Spending the time and dedication is the reason this is mentioned again just prepares you
for college beyond measure.
I will stress that college is so much about the individual student and person. All three of
our 4 kids are currently in college so we get to see first hand what it takes to be happy
and successful. We had one transfer and change paths and that was a challenge that I
would be happy to discuss. Our daughter at University of Missouri loves her choice but
does wish it was at least 2 hours closer which of course didn’t cross her mind as a wide-
eyed freshman. Our last one is very happy with her choice but of course in the thick of
freshman year and all of it adjustments. As we all know all of these students have incurred
challenges with the unimaginable Covid year and a half.
If you would like to discuss our college journey and visits, please feel free to call: Amy Hill
(630)699-0578 or email amy@thevilleteam.com

Amy Looi- son graduated Class of 2021 and is attending Butler
University in Indiana

Contact: petaling44@gmail.com

I am a single parent of 2 boys – a recent graduate of NNHS and a sophomore. My oldest
son is a freshman at Butler University in Indiana, studying Accountancy. We moved to
Naperville when the boys were 7 and 3 years old so we really only know District 203. Not
having attended high school in the States, I thought all school districts were created equal.
Much to my surprise, I found out that District 203 always scored well in national rankings.
In addition, they have a wholistic approach towards the students’ education. This was
reassuring because my son needed to be in an IEP which started in middle school and
carried on to NNHS. I feared for a while that he will not even graduate high school, let
alone go on to college. However, the counselors and teachers helped him gain confidence
and envision a future. By junior year, he was ready to start looking at universities. I signed
him up for a college planning prep program which helped him with his essays and
ACT/SAT prep. He attended college fairs, both on and off campuses. These were helpful as
he was able to talk to the admission counselors in person which made college life more of
a reality. Also, not to be missed were the college sessions by Mr. LaPorte and these SFCP
Parent to Parent networking meetings.
Last year was still an ‘off’ year for visits due to the pandemic so we did a lot of virtual
visits where he was able to nail down the colleges he really wanted to visit when we could.
We visited Bradley, IU Bloomington, Butler and IUPUI. He applied to these schools and 6
more that were within 3-4 hours of Naperville. He was accepted to 9 of them and it came
down to Butler, Bradley, IUPUI, Loyola and DePaul because he was admitted directly to the
Business School. Scholarships, size, and distance were factored into his decision. In the
end, he knew right away when he walked around Butler that he had found his niche.
My advice:
   -   Take a college aptitude test to get an idea of interests so you can look at the
       universities that meet those interests
   -   Take advantage of virtual visits to rule out the absolute ‘No’. My son’s criteria were
       decent looking dorm rooms and clean carpet/floor
   -   Work on essays and applications in the summer before senior year. Once senior
       year starts, there will be less time for early decision and early action. Make sure you
       understand what these mean before you apply
   -   Attend college prep seminars. Keep track of pros and cons
   -   Complete your FAFSA. There are a lot of scholarships out there and they can add
       up to some serious money
   -   Re-apply for additional scholarship if you feel you did not get a fair amount. My son
       did that and received an additional $5000
   At the end of the day, it really is up to our young adult’s comfort level at being away
   from home for a prolonged period of time. We are there to offer our love and support
   and pray for the best.
   You can reach Amy at petaling44@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Steven Marcus- daughters graduated class of 2021 and 2016 and
attends UT Austin

Marcus and his wife Mayi are the proud parents of two Naperville North alumni: Daughter
#1 class of 2016 and alumnus of Ohio State, and daughter #2, class of 2021 and
attending UT Austin. Each of their daughters applied to 15+ colleges and almost as many
scholarship opportunities. Both children were raised from their Indian Hill subdivision
home. Their activities included academic honors programs, Cress Creek Commons
swimming, cross-country (Nicole), dance team and Orchesis dancing (Izzy), and many
extracurricular and social high school activities. Quick advice? Have your kid own the
process in their way with solid support and encouragement from you; engage the process
early, don’t dwell on missed opportunities, and take some chances – there are so many
colleges out there.

Christine Simonson- twin daughters graduated Class of 2021, one
attends University of Rochester in New York and one chose to take a
gap year
Contact- cesimonson@gmail.com

Christine Simonson is a Naperville North High School alumna and has twin daughters who
are 2021 graduates from NNHS. Christine served as President of the NNHS Home &
School Association for 2 years and was also the registration chair for the Senior
Celebration Committee. Her twin daughters opted for 2 vastly different paths post-
graduation. One chose to major in biology (exact field TBD) at the University of Rochester
in New York, while the other chose to take a gap year sailing the Mediterranean and
Caribbean, prior to attending Colorado College next fall. Her major is still undecided. They
were fortunate to have worked with college counselors (not Rick Singer), Our goal was to
find the college with the best fit, where they would be happiest and to minimize the
pressure they were feeling with their college search. While at NNHS, her U of R daughter
was Concert Master of the advanced symphonic orchestra, Bella Corda and Harmony
ensembles, President of the Orchestra Council, and was involved with several musicals and
plays. She was also a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor
Society and FFA (Future Farmers of America). Meanwhile, her gap year daughter was a
team captain on the varsity swim team, a Crew 2 leader, a member of the National Honor
Society and the Chinese National Honor Society. Additionally, Christine and her twin
daughters were active members of the National Charity League. Both girls wanted to go to
a small liberal arts college. Although University of Rochester is a medium-sized university,
U of R was a natural choice for one daughter since it is one of the nation’s top research
universities (she wants to do research) and has an open curriculum where you can design
your own major. It is also affiliated with the Eastman School of Music where she has been
able to keep up with playing the violin and classical guitar with free private lessons and is

involved with the symphonic orchestra and a chamber group. Christine’s other daughter
was accepted into a college first before she submitted a gap year proposal to admissions,
which was quickly approved. She selected Colorado College since she is an avid fan of the
outdoors and was very attracted to their block plan, which the school is known for.
Students take one course at a time for 3.5 weeks before moving onto their next course
following a 4-day break. It is an intense liberal arts curriculum, but works out to about 16
credit hours per semester, which is a typical college load. Some words of wisdom:
• For Seniors, try to complete Common App essays before the start of the school year, as
Senior year can get busy with testing, academics, senior activities, college visits, etc.
• Apply to reach, match and safety schools. If you have your heart set on a reach school,
make sure to find match schools and safety schools that are as similar in nature as your
reach school (but has a higher admissions rate).
• There are so many good colleges and universities out there, so don’t be afraid to explore
colleges/universities that you may not have heard of as you may find that it is a great fit
for your student.
• After receiving college acceptances, if your student is struggling to make a decision as to
where to go, have them join the schools’ Facebook Group with others who have been
accepted to the same college/ university to get a better feel for whether those students
are their type. This helped my daughter seal her decision at U of R with confidence. It’s
also how she met her roommate.
 • For Juniors, start thinking about teachers whom you would like to write
recommendations for you and ask them during the later part of Spring semester if they
would be willing to write you one in the fall. Sometimes teachers are overwhelmed with
requests and it is best to ask early. Christine can best be reached at
cesimonson@gmail.com if you have any additional questions.