2015 Recipients
Claire Hilburger
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois ‘20
Major: Biomedical Engineering Major
Currently: I am currently pursuing my PhD in Bioengineering at the joint program between UC Berkeley and UCSF where I am interested in designing biological therapeutics that instruct the immune system. I graduated last year from Northwestern University with my B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with honors.
Impact of RAK Scholarship: The RAK scholarship has provided me with a community of supportive and incredible individuals that I am grateful to have for the rest of my life. The scholarship has always been a constant reminder for me to not only strive to be my best self, but also to help those around me achieve their goals and their versions of their best selves. It is also a constant reminder for me to aim to be a positive force in my community, to stay connected with my family and friends, and to make the most of every day I am given.
In high school, I always tried my best to be inclusive and uplifting to those around me, whether it was in the classroom or on the soccer field. I am grateful to have gone to NNHS, where that attitude was simply the Huskie spirit. I think that the RAK scholarship is a reinforcement of the Huskie spirit, and its existence at NNHS makes students want to live up to all of the positive attributes that both the scholarship and Rob represent. Both being nominated and selected for the RAK scholarship remains one of my most humbling experiences.
David Wu
MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts ‘19
Major: Civil Engineering
Currently: I graduated from MIT in June 2019 with a Civil Engineering degree focused on systems and a Data Science minor. After graduation, I started a new job as a Data Scientist in Atlanta, GA. I have been enjoying exploring a new city, but not enjoying the humidity.
Impact of RAK Scholarship: The generosity and community of the RAK scholarship has given me the support and confidence to pursue my goals in college and beyond. The RAK community’s shared bond is truly unique, and I am grateful that I have been able to stay connected throughout the years. As studies and work have taken me around the country and world, the RAK scholarship and community stay with me as a source of support and motivation. A constant reminder to always live life to the fullest and try to make the world a better place.
Like a lot of others, I entered Naperville North, as a kid without understanding who I was, and lacking any real idea of who I wanted to be. Through the guidance of my family and friends I met through sports and Student Government, I gradually began to come into my own. Each day presented an opportunity to shape the person that I would become. By the end of high school, I’d like to think that I spent most of my days making others feel welcomed in order to make a community where people felt comfortable being themselves. This is in part what struck me about the RAK community. It is difficult in life to describe or replicate the tight bond that is shared by those involved with any aspect of the scholarship. That these relationships have not only persisted but grown stronger over the years since his passing exemplifies how great of a person he was and the love between Rob and those closest to him. It is an honor to even be nominated for the RAK scholarship. To be chosen as the recipient is even more humbling and gratifying. There is an immense gravity and feeling of responsibility to be recognized in the memory of someone that so many people held in the highest regard. For me, being selected as the 2015 RAK recipient felt like confirmation that I was helping to make the world around me a better place; that the person I had developed into over the four years at Naperville North was someone to be proud of.