Lanphier High School JILG student, Ikeem Mattison, has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 “Top Teen” award. Ikeem was nominated because of his committment to community service and his leadership skills.
In addition to his busy school schedule and his sports activities Ikeem has completed well over 100 plus hours with community projects and has also inspired other students to do the same. Here is a short list of his activities: Captain of the cross country team, captain of the track team, member of the recycling club at Lanphier, John Marshall Club, Operation Teen Safe Driving Program, JILG (Job for Illinois Graduates) program, volunteers at the Mini O’Beirne Crisis Nursery, reads to fourth-graders at Dubois Elementary, volunteers at Rees Carillon, stocks food at the Central Illinois Foodbank and led a Red Cross fundraiser where Lanphier was the school that raised the most money of 17 JILG classes that participated.
Ikeem credits the JILG program with “getting his life going”. Dave Roberts, Ikeem’s JILG Specialist at Lanphier, said Ikeem’s leadership skills are his best characteristic. At a Red Cross fundraiser this year, Ikeem “scheduled, organized, handled money, arranged pickups and basically took over”, Roberts said. “I never thought he’d turn out to be the leader he is”, Roberts said about Ikeem. “He turned out to be remarkable and is a natural leader”.
Ikeem credits his mother, Areesa Johnson, for being his biggest influence and says he is very grateful.
