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The Nora Moran Marovich Award (the 'Nonnies')

The Nora Moran Marovich Award, aka "the Nonnies," provides financial support to high school juniors and seniors as they pursue post-secondary education. WSI created them as a way to celebrate and honor high school students who have demonstrated a commitment to community service and have an Irish heritage or connection to the Irish community.

Nonnie was a founding member and was an instrumental voice in shaping this organization. She was known for being compassionate, caring and always willing to help. We hope to honor Nonnie's legacy of supporting others and dedication to service with this award.

2025 Award Recipients

Shatakshi Chatterjee - $2,500
Shatakshi is a senior from Carpentersville, who attends Illinois Math and Science Academy. She and her family have travelled to Ireland and she has embraced the Irish pastime of storytelling and appreciates the family oriented culture. Shatakshi has embraced her love of STEM and her desire to share her knowledge. She realized as she tutored younger children that the curriculum did not connect with the students. She created and implemented a developmentally appropriate plan to meet students where they were at and encourage them to explore and succeed in STEM. Shatakshi wants to become an EMT with the plan to attend college and become a physician.

Natalie Finnegan - $2,500
Natalie is a high school senior from Lagrange, who attends Nazareth Academy. Her Irish ancestors are from County Cavan. She and her family have a strong connection to their Irish heritage and have many recipes passed down for generations. She has volunteered for multiple organizations and been the chair or president of many charitable organizations. She was chair of the tie-dye fundraiser to benefit teen mental health. Natalie has focused much of her volunteering in the areas of mental health awareness and food insecurity. She has volunteered every year at a soup kitchen with her family and continues to help feed those in need on her own at the St. Cletus Food Pantry. Natalie plans to attend Vanderbilt University in the fall where she plans to major in biology and psychology.

Shaye Kelliher - $2,500
Shaye is a senior at Naperville North High School who resides in Woodridge. Shaye and her family celebrate and remember their Irish heritage through music, dance and food. She has a passion for promoting education and feels strongly that improving education can break the cycle of poverty. She has gone on mission trips to Costa Rica to work with elementary students and is part of the international early childhood development task force and founded the environmental science club at Naperville North. She plans to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and will major in education

Teah Oviedo Navarro - $2,500
Teah is a high school junior from Elmhurst, who attends Illinois Math and Science Academy. She has Irish ancestors from Kildare and took Irish dance when she was younger. Teah has volunteered for a variety of projects but has focused her time and energy on food insecurity and medicine. She is part of the volunteering program at Elmhurst Hospital and has been able to help patients, staff and families at the hospital. Her exemplary volunteer resume earned her the 2024 Elmhurst Commision on Youth Exemplary Youth Service Award. Her volunteering experience has shaped her future plans, as she aspires to become a physician, specializing in surgery.