Three years ago, Unity Junior High School teachers (and siblings) Marisa Mills and David Mills launched The Maryann Mills Award for Excellence in Academics and Citizenship in Cicero District 99 in honor of their late mother.

For the brother/sister duo, creating the award was a no-brainer.

Following the passing of their mother in November 2020, Maryann Mills — who was a lifelong, ardent supporter of education — served for more than 30 years as the media relations specialist with Leyden High School District 212 in Franklin Park and was a proponent for rewarding the achievement and dedication of all students, particularly those from underprivileged communities.

Thus, The Maryann Mills Award was concocted as a unique way to honor their mother's love of education and legacy of kindness through presenting students in District 99 with an award of excellence honoring good student character they knew their mother would be proud of.

To establish the scholarship, the Mills family launched a GoFundMe campaign in 2021, fundraising since then and annually organizing to provide selected students with a certificate of appreciation and brand-new iPad to further support their academic work.

This year, 19 Unity students were nominated by their teachers in categories demonstrating their strong excellence in academics and citizenship, with eight winners ultimately being selected as this year's winning recipients.

Congratulations to this year's winners: Alondra Gaucin, Teylor Cubillos Mahecha, America Bedolla Calderon, Camila Marrufo, Emily Mejia, Alex Villalobos, Emma Gonzalez and Shirell Armenta!