September 16, 2025

If you ever need to refer back to a previous Titan Tuesday, visit the Titan Tuesday Archive.

Please be aware of upcoming parking lot closures as we complete sealcoating on campus roads and lots. The access road to the residence halls will be closed for the duration of the project. It will reopen on Saturday morning.

Thursday, September 18

• The East Parking Lot and Circle Drive (marked in yellow on the photo below) will be closed to all vehicle traffic.
• Students may continue to use the sidewalks around Yare.
• Staff and visitors should park in the West Lot (marked in blue) and enter the building through Door 24 or Door 22.
• The East Parking Lot will reopen on Thursday, September 19.

Friday, September 19

• The West Parking Lot and Tennis Court areas (marked in blue) will be closed to all vehicle traffic.
• Staff should park in the East Parking Lot (marked in yellow) and enter the main building through Door 1.
• Families picking up students on Friday should use Circle Drive for access to the residence halls.

Peer Tutor Study Session

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

IN2

Tutors will be available to help with a wide variety of topics!

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to the first Read-In of the year as we honor the life and contributions of IMSA's former president, Dr. José M. Torres, during Hispanic Heritage Month. Dr. Torres passed away peacefully earlier this year.

The speaker for the event will be Ana Lizza Arroyo. For nearly three decades, Ana has dedicated her career to advancing equitable, high-quality education for all students. Her work has focused on bilingual education, English language development, gifted education, and school leadership, with a proven track record of improving student outcomes and building strong school communities.

SAVE THE DATE

Family Day 2025

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Stay tuned for more information!

Visiting with college admissions representatives when they come to campus gives students a valuable opportunity to explore a variety of schools. All sessions are open to juniors and seniors. Sophomores may attend any military school visit and any session that does not say “Seniors/Juniors ONLY.”

You can find the complete list and room locations for upcoming visits in the CAC office.

IMSA Titan Chess GA

Tuesday, September 16

4:30 p.m. 

A150

The Titan Chess Team is back at it! If you play Chess or showed interest in joining Chess at the Club Fair, please plan to attend the Titan Chess GA today!

IMSA Chess has a long-standing tradition of being one of the top Chess programs in the State of Illinois each year, including Top 10 finishes at the IHSA State Finals and Sectional and Division championship titles for the past three years. 

Please come out to meet your Co-Captains, teammates, and find out more information on joining the team, practice, and competing. We hope to see you there. 

If you have any questions, please contact Coach Haney at mhaney@imsa.edu.

DC Intersession Trip

Scientific Inquiry and Alumni Engagement at the Nation’s Capitol

Explore science and engineering in Washington, DC! Connecting with students at fellow STEM schools and IMSA alumni in their work environments. Students will also visit the Smithsonian Museum, national landmarks, historical monuments, and embrace the vibrant international culture of our nation’s capital.



Note: This trip may involve students sharing their research with peers at another school. Students involved in research projects will have priority access.

Primary Travel Destination: Washington, D.C.

Tentative Travel Dates: January 5-11, 2026

Prerequisites: Junior or Senior in good academic standing

Student Program Fee: $2,000

Primary Sponsor: Dr. Evan Glazer, IMSA President

Additional Sponsor: Tami Armstrong, Chief Public Affairs and Development Officer

Asian Students in America (ASIA), one of IMSA’s four culture clubs, celebrates the heritage of Asian and Pacific Island countries through events like the Legends of Asia show, Night Market, and Mid-Autumn Scavenger Hunt. Our mission is to honor Asian cultures while addressing stigmas and important community issues.

ASIA is seeking parent volunteers for the upcoming Legends Cultural Show! You can help by donating food, giving your time, or contributing funds for the student reception. Please sign up using the links below. Thank you for your support!

Student Show

Friday, October 3, 2025

6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Auditorium

Reception to follow in the Cafeteria

Family Show

Saturday, October 4, 2025

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Auditorium

The show will immediately follow the October PAC meeting.

Please print and include

the meal content form with any food donation.

You can also donate funds via Zelle to

treasurer@imsapac.org

Girls Golf

The Titans Girls Golf Team continued its strong start to the season, earning another conference victory, this time against Earlville High School. The Titans were led by Maggie Federici '28, who carded a 53 and parred both the second and ninth holes. Right behind her was Teah Oviedo '26, finishing with a 54, highlighted by a par on hole two. Avery Frank '27 took third for IMSA with a steady 57, while Hanna Dydynski '27 rounded out the scoring with a 60, including a par on the eighth hole.

With the win, the Titans improved to 2-0 in Little Ten Conference play, staying perfect in league competition as their inaugural season builds momentum.

Boys Golf

The IMSA Boys Golf Team made school history Monday, capturing the Little Ten Conference Championship for the second year in a row. The victory marks the first time an IMSA golf team has ever won back-to-back conference titles.

The Titans posted a season-best team score of 325, finishing well ahead of Serena (353) and Somonauk (355) in the seven-team field. Sophomore phenom Cyrus Dumser led the way with a stellar 74, the best score of the day. Juniors Cooper Lee (81) and Aidan Chang (82) also claimed medals, while senior Kennedy Su finished 11th overall. Senior Andrew Bae and junior Joven Chinna contributed key rounds to secure the title.

The Titans will now compete in four remaining matches before turning their focus to the IHSA Regional Tournament on October 1.

Seniors Amelia Szeto, Nitya Dixit and Tanvi Boddupalli are taking IMSA's Girls IN2 STEM program to the next level by expanding their curriculum to other high schools. Last year, the program served over 13 local schools through their cohorts. This year, the girls received a $7,500 grant from the Aurora Women’s Empowerment Foundation to create workshops and provide transportation, ensuring more students from communities with limited resources can participate in the program. Their hard work and advocacy mean that more middle school students throughout the state will have access to mentorship in STEM subjects.

The 5-week fall cohort kicks off next Monday, welcoming about 30 middle school students to the expanding Girls IN2 STEM network, now more than 1,100 strong.

Multiple staff members represented IMSA at the Society for Experiential Education Annual Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario, earlier this month. Dr. Luke Berryman, Director of Experiential Learning, Dr. Ashwin Mohan, Computer Science Faculty, and Dr. Paul Gaszak, Dean of Academics and Equity, all led presentations and provided expertise on experiential learning strategies that are currently being implemented at IMSA.

At the conference, Dr. Ashwin Mohan and Dr. Luke Berryman co-presented “Experiential AI Education: Solving Real-World, Multi-Disciplinary Problems with New Technologies.” Dr. Paul Gaszak led professional development workshops and roundtable discussions on ethical best practices and the role of personal narratives in experiential education. In addition, Dr. Berryman and Dr. Gaszak teamed up with Dr. Kerry Arens of Webster Groves High School (MO) to present “Experiential Connections Between K-12 and Higher Education.”

Dr. Berryman also began his newly elected term to the SEE Board, as Dr. Gaszak concluded his term after serving since 2019.

Congratulations to Dr. Berryman, Dr. Mohan, and Dr. Gaszak for advancing experiential education on a global stage!

Growing up, my family didn't have the resources to visit colleges to understand where I might fit in. Fortunately, I made a good choice with the University of Illinois. Now, after 20+ years in administration and watching students matriculate to schools all over the world, I've noticed colleges and universities are very different in culture, academic offerings, and experience. It's extremely important for students to find the right fit for them based on their needs.

To that end, I've been motivated to take students on college trips, especially for students whose families can't take them there. These visits are not just to connect with admissions presentations and tours, but also to meet IMSA alumni who are on those campuses to share their unique perspective on transitioning from IMSA. I intend to take the following college visit trips during fall break:

• Northwestern University and the University of Chicago on October 14
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on October 16

Please sign up using the button below if you'd like to attend. Priority will be given to seniors and then juniors.

Paris and London Intersession Trip
A Study in Culture, History, the Arts, and Food

The Intersession 2026 trip to Paris and London has a few spots left!

While in Paris, students will have the opportunity to visit amazing sites, including Versailles, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, Champs-Élysées, Musée d'Orsay, and much more. In London, we’ll see the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London, visit Stephen Hawking’s memorial in Westminster Abbey, step into history at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and enjoy our own Great British Bake Off experience. Each day will be packed with historical sites and exciting new experiences.

Tentative Travel Dates: January 5-15 (we will have 5 days in each city)

Study Program Fee: $3,600 

Prerequisites: Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing. They must already have or be able to get a U.S. passport no later than fall break.

Staff Sponsors: Patrick Kearney and Julie Dowling

Admissions is looking for clubs and organizations to host tables at upcoming Preview Days, giving prospective students a glimpse of the vibrant activities and opportunities at IMSA. This is your chance to shine, share your passion, and help welcome the next class of Titans!

Mark your calendar for our upcoming Preview Days:

Saturday, October 25

Saturday, November 15

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Clarissa Jimenez at or stop by her office at A106F.

Please complete the interest form by Friday, September 19, 2025.

September 20 - Schwartzwalder Volleyball Tournament

September 26 - Homecoming Pep Rally (afternoon assembly schedule)

September 27 - Family Day and Homecoming Dance

Notice of Nondiscrimination: IMSA prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator.