The Best of Berwyn Junior Citizen Recognition Program is a search for the top 8th grade students within the City of Berwyn.  It is an annual program sponsored by the North Berwyn Park District to distinguish teens that have focused their attention towards family, academics and improving their community.

The initial process consists of students being nominated through applications and letters of recommendation submitted by our community partners; Berwyn North School District 98, Elementary School District 100, The Berwyn Library, Pav YMCA, St. Leonard School, St. Odilo School, Police Explorers, Berwyn Park District and the Berwyn Recreation Department.

The judges compiled of community leaders, teachers and public officials have the difficult task of sorting through the applications and interviewing the candidates to determine the person who best exemplifies the criteria for this program.

This program culminates in a celebration of the candidates and their family members, at the “Best of Berwyn” banquet where the winner of this top honor is announced. 

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Best of Berwyn 2017

Winner: Hazelle Orellana
1st Runner up: Samantha Perez
2nd Runner up: Roy Nunez

Semi-finalists:
Lynette Alvarado, Sofia Anderson, Anthony Barragan, Wanda Barrientos, Alonso Bueno, Sean Carroll, Lily Sol Cuevas, Maria Diaz, Sebastian Garcia, Cole Guerrero, Larissa Hernandez, Amitza Lopez, Lizbeth Montalvo, Yahaira Morales, Ngan Nguyen, Angelica Ordonez, Kezia Patino, Osvaldo Perez, Malena Petronijevic, Kaylee Price, Jessica Rodriguez, Alexis Serrano, Quenese Smith, Jack Swicionis and Renata Trejo Soto

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Best of Berwyn 2016

Winner: Mickla Dees
1st Runner up: Emily Bittorf
2nd Runner up: Mia Coronado

Semi-finalists:
Jennifer Ahumada, Diana Almazan, Estefania Ascencio, Alyssa Bennett, Mason Camp, Bianey Campos, Rein Comia, Alejandra Gamboa, Diego Guerra, Stephanie Ocampo, Amy Padilla, Cora Pechous, Angelica Tania Rivera, Siari Rodriguez, Devin Rogers, Omar David Roman, Elizbette Sanchez, Alyssa Sayatovic, Nicole Silva, Sam Titzer, and Joana Valdes

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Best of Berwyn 2015

Winner: Hedayah Yehya
1st Runner up: Julia Swicionis
2nd Runner up: Maria Castellanos

Semi-finalists:
Izabel Avalos, Diego Avila, Nina Cancellare, Christian Cano, Johana Carrera, Nadrian Fiesta, Athziry Gallegos, Emily Gallegos, Brittany Hahl, Anahi Marquez, Elenia Marroquin, Humberto Martinez, Sarah Nguyen, Zahra Sammour, Sydney Schomer, Steven Staubus, Stanley Suter, Paola Torres, Daisy Villafuerte

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Best of Berwyn 2014

Winner: Joncarlo Soto
1st Runner up: Nathaniel C. Ortega
2nd Runner up: Alyssa Barrera

Semi-finalists:
Nyxel Camarena, Gabriel Castillo, Isaac Chain, Michael Deguevara, Rowan Ewangan, Natalie Garcia, Alisa Giraldo, Giselle Martinez, Galilea Mendez, Alexis Morales, Quishana Morgan, Jada Paul-Emile, Nathaniel Quinn, Pamela Sanchez, Kayli Sayatovic, Alyssa Sugay, Daniela Vega, Elyssa Villarreal, Miranda Villarreal, Vanessa Villarreal, Sofia Zabawa

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Best of Berwyn 2013

Winner: Samantha Torres
1st Runner up: Raul Galvan
2nd Runner up: Julio Garcia

Semi-finalists:
Isabella Andries, Raquel Armas, Jazlynda Benes, Gianna Cairo, Elizabeth Corral, Francis Espedido, Raúl Galván, Julio García, Samuel García, Vanessa Garza, Alyssa Hayes, Gabrielle Irizarry, Amanda Martínez, Wincy Faith Mejías, Wincy Phine Mejias, Krystal Millan, Isabelle Ndoumy, Olivia Paplaczyk, Julissa Rodríguez, Natasha Rodríguez, Karla Salcedo, Danielle Snyder, Samantha Torres, Juan Antonio Valdez, Maximilian Woywod

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Best of Berwyn 2012

Winner: Anais Diaz
1st Runner up: Branson Rideaux
2nd Runner up: Samuel Daughenbaugh

Semi-finalists:
 Anita Abraham, Emily Ahrens, Alexandra Brockman, Monica Cabrera, Catherine Cannon, Samantha Cano, Dominic Carnathan, Emmanuel Castellanos, Olga Coronado, Isabel Diaz, Alyssa Gonzalez, LizaMarie Jimenez-Ojeda, Noel Keen, Brooke Kritikos, Chloe Maietta, Cassandra Marquez, Mayra Orozco, Diana Pantoja, Katherine Rodriguez, Rocio Salazar, Crystal Salinas, Josie Suter, Sarah Walden

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Best of Berwyn 2011

Winner: Weisner Perez
1st Runner up: Olivia Woods
2nd Runner up: Itzel Alvarez

Semi-finalists: 
Liliana Balbuena, Alexander Ceballos, Patricia Ebersold, Shannon Ficke, Denise Fiesta, Yajaira Gallegos, Biridiana Guerrero, Rebecca Hammond, Jessica Hughes, Ann Knoll, Maria Loya, Esteban Lopez, Toni Orozco, Amy Paplaczyk, Ziare Paul-Emile, Justine Ramirez, Amairani Santoyo, Perla Santoyo, Nicole Schubert, Molly Zajac-Clark, Christopher Zavala, Itzayana Zepeda

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Best of Berwyn 2010

Winner: Cassandra Gonzalez-Peterson
1st Runner up: Angel Estrella
2nd Runner up: Marri Gragnani

Semi-finalists:
Alexis Bolociuch, Anahi Godinez, Anita Lane, Anthony Morales, Ariana Macedo, Ashley Zalazinski, Cassandra Gonzalez, Cheyenne Rideaux, Christina Como, Daisy Laureano, Joseph Reyna, Julie Juarez, Kathleen Goldbranson, Leslie Zuniga, Lillybeth Mendez, Mariyam Torres, Rocio Hernandez, Sabrina Garibay, Yajaira Baez

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Best of Berwyn 2009

Winner: Ana Valdovinos
1st Runner up: Waller Perez 
2nd Runner up: Melissa Bahena

Semi-finalists:
Macy Sego, Michelle Callegri, Michael Caryl, Idalis Flores, Sundas Malik, Christina Flores, Lindsey Bryant, Paulina Aguirre, Raquel Amezquita, Catherine Arevalo, Shannon Bell, Cecelia Cancellare, Joseph A. Ficner, Morgan Forst, Sean Kampe, Nicholas Miller, Sany Nguyen, Adriana Rocha, Destiny Rodriguez, Alexis Taylor, Neriangela Velez

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Best of Berwyn 2008

Winner: Abigail Solano
1st Runner-up: Becky McLain
2nd Runner-up: Lauren Sandoval

Semi-finalists:
 Annie Adduci, Morgan Borkovec, Lauren Ebersold, Monica Gonzalez, Isabel Guzman, Dan Jr. Hahl, Andrew R. Hammond, Justin Kane Home, Gregory R. Kasper, Jessica Keila, Raquel M. Lopez, Nicholas J. Lozano, Maria A. Marquez, Becky McLain, Viridiana Medina, Jorge A. Muro, Eduardo Padilla, Katie Palucci, Giovannina Peconio, Abigail Perez, Alana Petrassi, Tia Poulos, Diana C. Ramirez, Robert P. Ringstad, and Lauren Sandoval, Abigail Solano, Krystal J. Velazquez, Haley A. Zabawa

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Best of Berwyn 2007

Winner: Max Cervantes
1st Runner up: Sarah Malik
2nd Runner up: Danielle Tombolato

Semi-finalists:
Kenneth Kucinski, Carlos Ochoa, Dejan Bosanac, Ricardo Quintana, Alejandro Lagos, Brittney Rohl, Scott Loza, Kathryn Kadela, Analisa Guerrero, Stephanie LeGare, Elizabeth Ortega, Jasmine Benda, Ydelise Valencia, Melanie Artz, Emily Gump, Anya Beaumont, Angelica Garcia, Destinee Melton, Amy Norman

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Best of Berwyn 2006

Winner: Julia Irmis
1st Runner up: Sean Prendiville
2nd Runner up: Stephanie Bernardo

Semi-finalists:
Annette Fernandez, Diana Rojas, Georgia Alcazar, Carmina Bernardino, Daniel Brito, Noelani Rosillo, Vanessa Silva, Catherine Amaro, Anthony Bruno, Gabriela Cardoso, Nereo Carvajal, Salvador Esparza, Joel Espitia, Daniel Estrada, D’Monti Fedele, Karen Forshall, Kaitlan Fron, Kyrsti Grzywa, Rafael Gutierrez, Sotirios Malamis, Rebecca Martinez, Cassandra Negron, Karl Ochmanek, Diana Saavedra, Patrick Uphues

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Best of Berwyn 2005

Winner: Milosh Lukovic
1st Runner up: Hana Mazin
2nd Runner up: Kyla Barranco

Semi-finalists:
Jennifer Cuevas, Caitlin Del Rosario, Allison Demes, Eilis Fagan, Taniqua Gentry, Anabel Guzman, Roque Hernandez, Jonathan Hernandez, Lizette Jimenez, Taylor Keila, Rebecca Kuchta, Patrick Lee, Jordan Lesniak, Jenna Little, Ranier Lumibao, Elena Lynch, Midra Malik, Dagmara Opaczynski, Nancy Pater, Frank Petrich Jr, Bethany Rohl, Chris Swasko, Teresa Wink, Alexandra Zahrobsky

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Best of Berwyn 2004

Winner: Sarah Furjanic
1st Runner up: Joanne Skourletos
2nd Runner up: Cassie Slechta

Semi-finalists:
Giana Wilkinson, Jennifer Rojas, Naomi Bedford, Katie Abma, Isidro Villegas, Sophia Flores, Veronica Loza, Neil Bonk, Katherine Bernardo, Jazmin Caballero, Vircell Dayap, Matt Fox, Matt Fulton, Lisette Hernandez, Diana Hernandez, Rachel Kapadia, Chrissy Malamis, Alejandra Medina, Jessenia Quiroz, Alissa Ramirez, Elosia Rodriquez, Lorenza Rush, Jacqueline Sanchez, Johanna Trevion

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Best of Berwyn 2003

Winner: Diana Macias
1st Runner up: Michael Mackin
2nd Runner up: Christina Amaro

Semi-finalists:
James Aitcheson, Rachel Alvardo, Carla Anfuso, Michael Como, Arnilla Corbin, Richard Dastice, Brittiana Feaster, Jessica Fuentes, Matthew Gragnani, Michael Gragnani, Deana Guarino, John Kveton, Asley Ledbetter, Cory Nagle, Adrian Navar, Jorge Orozco, Rachael Palucci, Gregory Pater, Phillip Rieck, Joellyn Schefke, Ashley Smetko, Bianca Smith, Erica Stewart, Alex Tarullo, Ashley Tovar, Lorraine Uy, Erika Wiggins 

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Best of Berwyn 2002

Winner: Maria Liezel Rivadelo
1st Runner up: Scott Householder
2nd Runner up: Kimberly Rodriguez

Semi-finalists:
Rachel Swasko, Daniel Haymes, Claudia Quinones, Nicole Davila, Rachel Escobar, Brian Householder, Ben Plain, Melody Aguado, Candice Sanchez, Andrea Fuentes, Luis Franco, Erin Jures, Megan Del Rosario, Joseph Helbing, Elieen Kelly, Susan Forshall, Michael Erickson, Vanessa Ruesch, Sean Hallin