News Briefs: Highland Park student’s AI award; local students’ winning essays; Skokie student’s speaking honor

Eighth-grader Luc Sever, of Edgewood Middle School in Highland Park, was one of 25 Illinois students to be named a state champion in the Presidential AI Challenge, a national program that invites students to use artificial intelligence to address real-world problems. Sever won in Track 2, which asks students to build and demonstrate a working solution.

Sever earned the recognition for Personalized News, a chatbot he created to help users find news stories based on their interests and reading level. The idea reportedly grew out of a question he saw as worth solving: How can news feel more relevant and accessible to younger readers?

Using PlayLab AI, Luc built a tool that asks users about their interests, hobbies, age and preferred reading level. From there, the chatbot recommends news stories that may best fit that person. Users can continue exploring similar topics, allowing the tool to keep refining its recommendations.

“Luc saw a real problem and built something thoughtful to address it,” Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld said in a statement. “What stands out is not only that he created a working tool, but that he kept improving it, worked through setbacks, and paid attention to how it should be built responsibly.”

According to the school district, developing the project took persistence, as early versions of the chatbot did not work consistently, and Sever had to troubleshoot multiple issues.

He kept improving the bot’s responses and included safeguards, such as attribution citations so users can see where stories are sourced.

Sever advances to the regional level of the Presidential AI Challenge where he will have the opportunity to compete for a chance to move on to the national stage.

“This is a terrific accomplishment for Luc and for Edgewood,” Lubelfeld said. “It shows the kind of meaningful work students can do when they are given the chance to solve relevant problems and create something original.”

Daughters of American Revolution pass out local awards

The Skokie Valley chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored local students during a ceremony on Feb. 21 in Glenview.

Liz Chalker, the group’s American history chairperson, presented American history essay contest awards to the seventh- and eighth-graders from Wilmette Junior High School. The first-place essays moved on to the district level to be judged.

Last year’s seventh-grade winner Luke Fang went all the way to the nation level where he won third place. And his essay this year was the first-place winner at the eighth-grade level.

This year’s essay title was “Lunch with a Signer” with the prompt: “America will celebrate her 250th birthday on July 4, 2026! If you could go back in time and meet one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence for lunch, who would you choose? How did their actions and service contribute to our Country becoming independent?”

In eighth grade, Fang and Madeline Rose Newman (second place) were recognized, and in seventh grade, Sonia Green (first place), Adele Bilings (second) and Emily Macklis (third) were selected.

For the Good Citizen Award and Essay Contest, Regina Dominican student Sofia Ujiki won first place.

The essay title this year was “Our American Heritage and Our Responsibility for Preserving It,” and the writing prompt was “Our nation will celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States of America on July 4, 2026. Describe how the characteristics of a good citizen help to renew and strengthen the democracy achieved by the Patriots of the American Revolution.”

Others recognized were: Jadesola Faith Alao, of Niles West (second); Ramona Yu-Ting Chuang , of Glenbrook South (tie for third); Gabriel Byron Marin-Luna, of Niles North (tie for third); Libby Cady Morris, of New Trier (fourth); and Aman Soloman Yohannes, of Loyola Academy.

Skokie student to speak at national event

Niles North High School’s Luciano Diaz, an AVID student, was selected as a speaker for AVID Summer Institute 2026 in Kansas City, a national professional learning event focused on advancing student success and strengthening educator practice, according to information from Niles Township District 219.

Diaz, a senior, will share a personal story that highlights the impact of AVID, which stands for Advancement via Individual Determination, and supports students who wish to better prepare for higher education.

In his talk, Diaz will reflect on how AVID has supported the development of skills such as confidence, collaboration, critical thinking, and students’ ownership of their learning, the district said.

“Luciano is surrounded by an incredible AVID community at Niles North that has strengthened his skills and confidence,” said Marlon Felton, Niles North principal. “We celebrate Luciano for taking this national stage which will elevate his path and future even further.”

The Record is a nonprofit, nonpartisan community newsroom that relies on reader support to fuel its independent local journalism.

Become a member of The Record to fund responsible news coverage for your community.

Already a member? You can make a tax-deductible donation at any time.