Saint Viator Senior Named to All Area Leadership Team by Daily Herald
1/30/2012

D.J. Horstmann joins an elite group this month, when he takes his place among top high school volunteers, showcased by the Daily Herald newspaper to its suburban readership.

The Saint Viator High School senior was notified that he had been named to the paper’s All Area Leadership Team, which recognizes 10 high school students who excel in volunteerism and community service. He will be featured on the paper’s front page this month and profiled in a special section devoted to the teen leaders.

Ask D.J. himself and he points to the Viatorians as the role models who heightened his awareness and interest in community service. At the high school, D.J. serves on the student council and on its LINK Crew, which mentors underclassmen. He also anchors the percussion section of the band, playing in its symphonic, jazz and pep bands.

“Being Viatorian is important to me because it allows me to be in a community where I can be myself and share my faith with others,” he says.

A hint of his faith in action turned up in his Eagle Scout project, when he designed new landscaping around a statue of Mary on the school’s campus. D.J. also attended the first Viatorian Youth Congress as a delegate, where he learned about his role in the Viatorian charism and heard from professed and associate members about their vocations.

“Being with the Viatorians has given me experiences and opportunities,” he adds, “that I never would have had otherwise.”

A panel of judges agreed and found D.J.’s commitment to service, extraordinary.