Life and Relationship Coaching near Evanston, IL

EVANSTON, IL — The Golden Apple Foundation announced the 2026 finalists for its distinguished Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching, which includes an Evanston science teacher.

Dr. Anuj Chopra, who teaches science to students in sixth through eighth grades at Pope John XXIII School, is one of just 30 finalists for the 2026 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, recognized for the impact he is making in the classroom.

Chopra said he chose to teach young learners because he believes that's when curiosity has the greatest impact. In his classroom, Chopra aims to make complex ideas accessible and show students how scientific research actually happens.

One unit he enjoys covering with students explains why organizations like NASA and the National Institutes of Health generate more data than scientists alone can analyze. Students learn how this gives rise to citizen science.

"These experiences help them see science as something they can participate in now, while connecting their work to real issues like public health, climate science, and space research," Golden Apple officials said.

These awards honor school teachers and are presented in recognition of founding Golden Apple board member Stanley C. Golder.

The Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes outstanding teachers for having lasting, positive effects on students’ lives and school communities.

“Exceptional teachers remind us every day what is possible for students,” said Alan Mather, President of Golden Apple. “They create classrooms where curiosity and challenge are encouraged, confidence is built, and learning feels meaningful. These finalists exemplify the dedication, care, and skill that define teaching at its finest. We are proud to recognize the lasting impact they have on their students and school community.”

Recipients of the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching will receive a $5,000 cash award. Award recipients also become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators. This community of educators helps prepare future teachers through the Golden Apple Scholars and Accelerators programs, which aim to address the teacher shortage in Illinois.

The selected 2026 Golden Apple Award Recipients will be surprised in the spring.

“The educators recognized this year demonstrate a consistent commitment to student achievement and measurable growth,” said Alicia Winckler, CEO of Golden Apple. “By modeling excellence in the classroom, they help students build the persistence and critical thinking required for long-term academic success.”

The Golden Apple Foundation is an Illinois nonprofit dedicated to preparing, honoring, and retaining educators who advance educational opportunities for students. The organization’s mission is to inspire, develop, and support teacher and school leader excellence, especially in schools with high needs.

New Faces In New Places As Kits Rebuild

Maggie Hatcher’s first two years as a coach for the Evanston girls water polo program included back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight and a runner-up finish at the Illinois High School Association state finals in 2024.

Now she’s gone from a best seller to an open book.

Wiped out at the varsity level with the graduation of eight seniors, Hatcher and the Wildkits will have to start over in 2026 beginning with Tuesday’s home opener versus Libertyville.

There’s no doom and gloom as Hatcher weighs her team’s potential success this season, however. She sees the glass as half full and believes that opportunity is knocking for a lot of new faces, including three seniors who are moving up from the junior varsity level.

“It all depends on your perspective, and I look at it as an open book,” she said. “There are no expectations right now. We just want to find our identity as a team, and then see what we can do.

“Every year is a new year, every season is a new season, and every year is a new opportunity with new personnel. We’ll just try to grow collectively. I’m not going to compare this team to last year, or to the year before. But nothing’s off the table for this year. A lot of our girls have worked really hard in the off-season and I’m going to push them to be their best.”

Hatcher, who was an All-Stater during her playing career at ETHS, won’t ask one single player to replace center Maya Vincent on offense. Vincent poured in a school record 141 goals last spring, including all six Evanston goals in an 11-6 loss to Stevenson in the state quarterfinals.

Evanston’s top returning scorers are the only returning starters, Tacy Jamison (18 goals) and Chloe Lundervold (17). Those totals were achieved during a 26-6-1 season that included a second straight sectional crown and a second straight triumph at the Central Suburban League tournament.

“It’s an opportunity for Tacy and Chloe to step up into a more prominent role,” the coach said. “Last year was an exception with the great year Maya had. This will be a more collective effort on offense. I think it’s a more dangerous team when the offense comes from everyone. We have people who are capable of taking control of the offense. That’s exciting, because it will take all six players for us to have success. I think we have some amazing perimeter shooters.”

At the start, Evanston’s likely starting lineup should feature Jamison and Lundervold, plus senior Lilia Johnson, junior Sophia Noone, and perhaps junior Abby Quail. Sophomore Julia Lane has earned the starting nod at goalkeeper and will face attacks from some of the top teams in Illinois this season.

Hatcher believes the second-year player is up to the task.

“Julia has improved an insane amount, and she has an amazing coach (former ETHS standout Olivia Everhart) to work with,” Hatcher pointed out. “She’s very committed to water polo and we’re excited about what we’ve seen from her. I think she’ll be great.

“The seniors moving up (Eden Osborn, Tessa Schmeiling, Zuzanna Wlodek) have worked hard and they understand the game. The door is wide open for them. I think there will be a lot of playing time (available) for everyone. We’ll see what combinations work best.”

Help will also come from a bench that includes juniors Teddy Woodward, Lauren Milman, Lillian Lorch and sophomores Charlotte Lemon and Liv Hammer.

“This is a totally new team,” Hatcher noted. “It’s hard to predict how we’ll end up. My goal is always for us to get better every game. I care more about how we grow than about the wins and losses.”

EVANSTON, IL —This spring, a new neighborhood eatery serving tavern-style pizza is set to open on Central Street in Evanston.

THE SPOT aims to bring bold flavors, a lively bar program and a welcoming community atmosphere to Evanston's North Shore. Anchored by a deep respect for Chicago's tavern-style pizza tradition, the restaurant will serve up mouthwatering slices through a partnership with Danny's Pizza.

Danny's has operated on the South Side on Archer Avenue since 1976 with the same time-honored recipe. By bringing the Danny's legacy to the north suburbs, THE SPOT is introducing one of Chicago’s most defining neighborhood food traditions to a new audience.

The broader menu will also feature Italian food classics, led by Executive Chef Matt Overpack.

“This space has always been about neighborhood and connection,” said Fred Gale, longtime owner-operator of Ten Mile House. “THE SPOT builds on that foundation with an all-new, warm décor while introducing a fresh, energetic food and bar program that both our local community and visitors will embrace.”

THE SPOT is opening up in the longtime Central Street restaurant space that formerly housed Ten Mile House. The new concept is led by Otto Ade, an Evanston native and hospitality veteran.

The restaurant will be located just steps from Northwestern University's new Ryan Field.

“For me, this is about coming home and creating something that feels familiar, approachable, and exciting all at once,” said Ade. “THE SPOT is meant to be a place where neighbors gather whether it’s for pizza and a beer, a bowl of pasta, a healthy salad, or late-night food at the bar. It’s casual, welcoming, and rooted in Evanston. I’m especially excited about the after-dark programming we’ll be bringing to the space, from local live events and bands to poetry readings and themed nights. There will truly be something for everyone.”

THE SPOOT is set to undergo renovations and is expected to open up in late spring.

Senior Heavyweight Returns To State Mat Finals

With only a couple of losses this season, Jeremy Marshall doesn’t have much experience with having to put defeat behind him when it happens.

But Marshall moved on Saturday --- right to the Illinois High School Association state wrestling finals.

The Evanston senior advance to the Class 3A state tournament for the second year a row as he recovered from a semifinal loss and placed 3rd in the 285-pound weight class at the Barrington Sectional.

The top four finishers in each weight class automatically advanced to the IHSA tournament set for the University of Illinois in Champaign. The three-day test begins for Marshall on Thursday, when he’ll meet Aiden Hennings of Lincoln-Way Central in the opening round.

Four other Wildkit grapplers --- Cesar Albornoz Martinez at 157 pounds, Rodrigo Salinas at 157, Diego Lopez at 175, and Art Bytyqi at 190 --- were denied trips in their respective weight classes after qualifying out of the regional.

Marshall got taken down three times in a 9-0 semifinal matchup with the eventual champion, Knox Homola of Hampshire. The determined heavyweight then outscored Chandler Jack of Machesney Park Harlem in the so-called blood round by a 9-3 margin, securing another trip to State, before pinning Ajani Williams of Grant at the 1:50 mark of the third place bout.

Marshall will take a 45-3 mark to Champaign and none of the other heavyweight contenders has won more matches this season. With that last victory, he climbed past former ETHS great (and state champion) Shannon Gillespie on the school’s all-time list with his 137th career win and now ranks 6th in program history.

Now he’s hungry for more. He wants to mount the medal stand representing Evanston, which hasn’t had a State medalist since Ricardo Salinas placed 4th at 170 pounds in 2020.

“I knew I’d have to work hard to get back to State. But I didn’t expect to lose today,” Marshall said. “After that happened, I just had to wrestle my best. I had to wrestle hard and I had to wrestle smart the whole way through. I put it behind me. I just had to move on.

“Against that guy from Harlem, I wasn’t in the right head space at first. I was prepared for him going out and attacking like that. I had to pick it up.

“Now, I’ve got nothing to lose. I was really nervous in that environment last year (at State), but I know I just have to go out and do my best. I’ll push myself as hard as I can to become a state champion.”

Marshall began the two-day competition at Barrington --- usually the toughest 3A mat sectional overall --- with a 3-0 win over Nolen Lopez of Warren and a fall against Hakeem Coleman of Fremd in 5 minutes, 46 seconds. But Homola, a strong sophomore, controlled their semifinal match and then went on to defeat Prospect’s James Brouillette 15-7 for the sectional crown in Saturday’s showdowns.

“The secret to the playoffs (postseason competition) is to advance,” pointed out Evanston head coach Rudy Salinas, “and Jeremy was able to put some things together today and advance. I feel good about next week, much more positive going into State than I did a year ago. I think he’s going to place.

“I think he’s shown a little more maturity with his experience and now there’s a little more of a feeling that he belongs (at State). Being a two-time state qualifier, that’s a huge credential for Jeremy, because we’ve had guys here who were state champions as juniors and then didn’t make it back to State. Just going back is a big deal, especially when you have a target on your back like that.

“He’s starting to flow out there now and I like where he’s at. Anything can happen at State. His goal is to be on that awards podium --- and I’d put money on it.”

Ironically, Marshall (45-3) and Hennings (45-5) have piled up the most victories leading up to the Class 3A State competition. The winner of that match Thursday will face either Sean Cook of Niles Notre Dame (39-6) or Landin Carter of Mount Carmel (8-6) in the second round.

Defending champion Jonathan Rulo of Belleville East (25-0) is favored to repeat. The No. 2 seed is Joe Favia of Marmion Military Academy, now 38-5 overall at 285.

Salinas’ son, Rodrigo, fell one win short of advancing, a disappointment that overshadowed a remarkable comeback for the Evanston junior. He missed all of last season because of knee surgery, but even though he was at less than 100 percent for much of 2025-26, he compiled an impressive 36-5 won-loss record.

Salinas lost to Mundelein’s Michael Vincic 22-14 in the consolation semifinals and had to do things the hard way after losing his first round match to Libertyville’s Pierce Adams in a 15-11 upset. After earning a bye in the wrestlebacks, he eliminated Filip Kawalec of Lake Zurich with a 13-0 major decision.

He fell behind Vincic 13-1 in the first period, a hole too big to climb out of.

“What a great comeback year that was for Rodrigo,” said his proud father/coach. “He had a bum shoulder for the conference tournament --- and won it. And he went into rehab before the regional and placed there.

“Today he had an off day against a tough kid. He made more mistakes than usual, and it cost him. He was flat-footed yesterday (against the Libertyville grappler) and the kid got to him. Rodrigo was so focused on a certain approach that he wasn’t able to adjust on the fly out there when he needed to. But he gave it everything he had. There was no quit in him, he just kept on coming.”

Salinas, a junior, is one of four underclassmen who represented ETHS at the sectional. Classmate Lopez suffered a 1-0 loss to Grant’s Xavier Arroyo in the back draw --- the only score was a second period escape --- and finished 42-8 at 175.

Sophomore Bytyqi was pinned twice in three matches at 190, finishing at a sterling 30-8, and Martinez showed plenty of promise as a freshman despite losing both of his matches via a fall and a technical fall at 157. Salinas promoted him to the postseason lineup, a rare move by the veteran coach who is usually reluctant to use freshmen or sophomores at the varsity level even when it means leaving a weight class open in the lineup.

“Cesar’s ceiling (potential) is just so high,” said the ETHS coach. “He’s hungry to learn and he loves the sport. We’re lucky to have him in the program. He was wrestling up a class (he actually weighs closer to 150) and he’s really buying into our program.”