The City of Aurora Character Counts Leadership Committee and the Kiwanis Club of Aurora held their 4th annual American Youth Character Awards program on Tuesday, March 15, at the Prisco Center in Aurora. The following students from West Aurora School District 129 received American Youth Character Awards: Carli Logan of McCleery Elementary School, Chelsea Guzman of Jefferson Middle School, Monica Cervantes of Jewel Middle School, and Chaundre White and Joe Brock of West High School. American Youth Character Honorable Mention Awards were given to: Yaritza Davila and Edwin Torres of Nancy Hill Elementary School, and Adina Mann of Jefferson Middle School. Other individual nominees were: Jose Chavez of Jewel Middle School, Katelyn Tucker, Jason Holtkamp, Joshue Jovany Cortes and Joseph Chamberlain of Jefferson Middle School, and Courtney Lagenour and Nikolas Wilson of Nancy Hill Elementary School.

Freeman Elementary School received the Character Builder Honorable Mention Award for their Character Counts program.

The American Youth Character Awards identify and honor young people who are real and proper role models for their generation and who embody the “Six Pillars of Character” – trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The Character Builder awards are presented to programs or youth-serving adults based on the same six core values.

Contact: Judy Cheatham, interim community relations director for West Aurora Schools, 630-301-5058, jcheatham@sd129.org