Our list of kids doing extraordinary things could be confused for a morning talk show lineup: two entrepreneurs, a reality-TV star, a documentary filmmaker and an aspiring Olympic swimmer. Keep reading to learn more about these local kids and the uncommon paths that their young lives have taken. Know a kid who’s accomplishing some incredible […]
When Jack Yonover, 13, of Wilmette was in fifth grade, he was diagnosed with a tree nut allergy. The unexpected news not only meant a scary medical condition to navigate, but also transformed his relationship with food. Suddenly birthday parties, dinners out and visits to friends’ homes brought new hurdles. He and his family were […]
Many student athletes can feel torn between their academic and athletic commitments. Not so for Reilly Lanigan, a junior at Lake Forest High School and a National-level swimmer with her eye on Olympic trials, who thinks success in the classroom and the pool go hand-in-hand. “Swimming teaches life lessons,” says Lanigan, who has been a […]
Ben Lehwald of Evanston is the 17-year-old star of ABC Family’s “Becoming Us.” The unscripted docu-series chronicles Lehwald’s life as his parents not only divorce, but his father, Charlie, transitions to a woman, Carly. Lehwald and his mother, Suzy Crawford, came up with the idea for the show to open eyes and some doors for […]
Subscription kits are all the rage. But, until now, there hasn’t been one targeted at children who love to build with LEGOs. That all changed when Parker Krex decided to create a subscription “brick” toy kit called Brick Loot that supplies kids with new building block toys like Legos on a regular basis. The catch? Krex […]
For as long as she can remember, Lily Born, 12, of Skokie has been designing and making things. She started out “making the most ridiculous inventions in the world,” she recalls—like the “nose pillow,” a tiny pillow for resting one’s nose. Then, when Lily was about 8, she noticed that her paternal grandfather’s Parkinson’s disease […]
