Marie Barnickel, left, was selected for the DAR Good Citizens Award and Samuel Becker received the SAR Good Citizens Award. Barnickel and Becker are both seniors at Mendota High School. (Reporter photo by Bonnie Morris)

MENDOTA - Mendota High School has announced the winners of the 2017-18 DAR and SAR Good Citizens program, sponsored locally by the Illini Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Marie Barnickel was chosen to receive the DAR award and Samuel Becker received the SAR.

The award is open to all seniors. The recipients are nominated by fellow seniors and the faculty at MHS. Criteria for the award include dependability, cooperation, leadership and patriotism.

Barnickel, a senior at Mendota High School, is the daughter of Gale and Christina Barnickel of Compton. She participates in Interact, FFA, Student Council and National Honor Society. Outside of school, she is a member of 4-H, Lutheran Youth Organization (LYO) and the Compton Community Club.

Barnickel believe her efforts working with these groups has had a positive impact on individuals, as well as her community as a whole. She has also benefited personally by the feeling of satisfaction that comes from helping others. She has been able to lend a helping hand by spending time with the elderly at Heritage Health and assisting them with numerous activities, volunteering at the local food pantry, helping at the Student Council’s Red Cross Blood Drive and helping with Compton Community Club activities such as their hot dog roast.

In addition to these activities, she has helped out at MHS by introducing incoming freshman to the many activities the high school has to offer and helping them become aware of the expectations they will face in high school, which has been an effective way to make the new students feel welcomed.

Part of her experience with 4-H has been working to make the annual 4-H Fair successful by volunteering and assisting other participants. She has also helped maintain the fairgrounds by volunteering at work days and most recently co-chairing a committee to renovate the 4-H Center’s stage prior to the fair.

While serving her community in all of these ways, Barnickel has learned to be more aware of others and their needs. Whether her task involved cleaning up roadways or helping others to become happy and healthy, she has been eager to get involved and help her community.

After high school, Barnickel plans to further her studies at a four-year university where she will major in agriculture.

Becker, also a senior at Mendota High School, is the son of John and Cynthia Becker of Mendota.

He participates in Varsity Golf, Varsity Baseball, Varsity Basketball, Scholastic Bowl, FFA, Math Team, Spanish Club, Student Council, National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, Spanish Cultural Contest, 1st Team All-Conference Baseball, 1st Team All-Area Baseball, All-Conference Scholar Athlete, FFA Sentinel, FFA Treasurer, FFA Freshman Leadership Award, FFA Outstanding Sophomore Award, FFA Chapter Degree, Senior Class Vice-President; National Honors Society President, Illinois Premier Boy’s State Attendant, Curriculum Committee Student Representative, World Youth in Science and Engineering Team, MHS Academic Achievement Award, and Lions Club Academic Banquet.

Becker is also active in the community as a tutor at Lincoln Grade School, where he helps out every Friday morning. For Becker, having the young students happy to see him each week and excited about learning is very rewarding.

In his work with Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), Becker helps to organize religious retreats. In this way, he is able to touch the lives of others in the same way he once experienced. He also serves on the TEC Council Board and participates in Shine Youth Ministry, Peer Ministry, the Love Has No Color Native American Project and is a Red Cross Blood Donor.

After graduation, Becker plans to attend either Bradley University or the University of Missouri to study engineering and is leaning toward either mechanical or aerospace engineering.