This Inspiring Story Brought to You by Grape-Nuts

Disabled Athlete Scores a Big Win for Handicapped Competitors in Illinois

A Chicago-area swimmer rose to the challenge to fight rules that discriminated against disabled athletes. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains. Nothing bothers Mary Kate Callahan. Now an active teen, Callahan’s life changed when she was 5 months old. A virus attacked her spinal cord and left her paralyzed from the waist down.   “I didn’t let that stop me,” Callahan says. Despite this challenge, she has accomplished more during the past few years than many do in a lifetime. Callahan visits schools and speaks to children about overcoming obstacles. She took third place in a triathlon. But her biggest success came in changing Illinois High School …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (4)
• Videos (1)

Gov. Quinn: 'Shame On' Fenwick for Firing His Brother as Coach

Fenwick High School in Oak Park fired 28-year coach John Quinn, the brother of the Illinois governor.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn lashed out at Fenwick High School for firing his brother as the boys basketball coach, according to The Chicago Tribune.  His brother, John Quinn, is a Hall of Fame coach with 469 wins in his 28-year career. He will remain on the faculty at Fenwick but no longer coach. “He’s a kind and gentle man who understands the importance of sportsmanship, and I feel that my high school has lost its soul,” Quinn said at a speech in front of the Capitol, according to the Tribune. “It’s a devastating blow to my brother, John, and I think the administration there has let down the students, the alumni and shame on them.” Pat Quinn is an alumnus of Fenwick.  According to the Tribune, Fenwick "decided to make a change in its …

• Photos (2)

VIDEO: Jeopardy Finalists Lost to Locals in Bar Trivia

Fenwick teacher Colby Burnett, who won $250,000 in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, was interviewed by students at the school and said, "I'm not the smartest man in the world. I just played a game."

How does it feel to be the smartest man in the world?  That's the kind of question Fenwick High School teacher Colby Burnett is facing after winning $250,000 on the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions earlier this week.  In a YouTube video posted to the Fenwick TV account, a student asked Burnett that, and he shared some fun insights from his run on the show.  "I'm not the smartest man in the world," Burnett said. "I just played a game and luck really favored me. ... It's just what they asked were things that I knew." He went on to say that he and some of the others on the show went to a trivia night at a local bar in Santa Monica after taping was over. They got second place.  "It was a really funny thing, we just played against all these …

• Videos (1)

Fenwick's Colby Burnett Wins $250K on 'Jeopardy!'

The world history teacher won $100,000 last year in the show's Teacher's Tournament and even more in its Tournament of Champions.

Fenwick High School teacher Colby Burnett won the $250,000 grand prize Tuesday in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions. Burnett, an AP World History teacher at Fenwick, won the show's Teacher's Tournament and $100,000 in prize money back in November and added to that total by beating the best of the best.  On Monday he built a big enough lead—$22,200 to the other contestants' $4,800 and $400—that he was able to coast on Tuesday. He got off to a poor start in the first round, but out of the commercial break we were reminded why we love him. Host Alex Trebek brought up the fact that Burnett's mother worked three jobs ("Two and a half, but let's say three because she worked that hard," Burnett said) to help put him through school. Now he's a…

•  7 Comments
• Photos (1)

Final Jeopardy! Fenwick Teacher Builds Big Lead in Tournament of Champions

Fenwick High School's Colby Burnett keeps rolling on Jeopardy! He racked up $22,200 on Monday's show and is now a day away from winning $250,000.

I love watching sports, especially when I have a rooting interest. I also enjoy following live chats about sports to get instant reaction. So when I heard that Fenwick High School teacher Colby Burnett was advancing in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, I tuned in on Monday to see how he would do and took the approach I do to watching sports.  Burnett, an AP World History teacher at Fenwick High School, won the show's Teacher's Tournament and $100,000 in prize money back in November, and he's rolling again in this tournament. The grand prize is $250,000.  In the finals, Burnett is facing Kristin Morgan, a NASA strategic analyst from Alabama, and Keith Whitener, a research chemist from North Carolina. Read more: Fenwick Teacher Talks …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Fenwick Teacher Going for $250K Prize on Jeopardy!

AP World History teacher Colby Burnett won the teacher's tournament on the show in November, and this week he made the finals in the Tournament of Champions.

Fenwick history teacher Colby Burnett is schooling his opponents in the Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions, and this week he won another round to make it to the finals.  Burnett, an AP World History teacher at Fenwick High School, won the show's Teacher's Tournament and $100,000 in prize money back in November, and he's rolling again in this tournament. The grand prize is $250,000.  Read more: Fenwick Teacher Talks About Jeopardy! Experience Going into Final Jeopardy on Thursday, Burnett held a slight lead over his opponents, Stephanie Jass of Michigan and Dan McShane of New York. The category? Russian history, for the world history teacher. Jackpot.  According to TV Latest, the clue was, "Launched Oct. 1, 1928, it was brought to a …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Former Fenwick, OPRF Students Playing for Notre Dame, Northern Illinois This Season

There are a lot of athletes from Chicago suburbs—and Patch towns—on some of the best teams in college football this season.

The BCS bowl season has begun, but two area schools will wait until after the new year to play in some of the most prestigious bowl games—and their rosters feature lots of area talent from Chicago suburbs and Patch towns.  Notre Dame, the No. 1 team in the country, plays Alabama in the BCS National Championship game Jan. 7. And No. 15 Northern Illinois, a surprise BCS team, heads to the Orange Bowl to play No. 12 Florida State on New Year's Day. Former Fenwick player Joe Ramano of River Forest is on the roaster at Notre Dame and former Oak Park-River Forest High School players Daniel Green and David Green will play for Northern Illinois. A number of athletes from Patch towns are on the rosters of these teams, as well as others playing in …

• Photos (1)

Fenwick Alumni Sponsor Toy Drive, Gift Wrapping Party

Event at Jimmy's Place in Forest Park to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago.

There's nothing quite like doing good in a group. That's one notion behind the Wrapped Up in Friar Pride Toy Drive and Gift Wrapping Party on  Dec. 4. The event, the fourth sponsored by the Fenwick High School Young Alumni Assn., will be from 7 to 10 p.m. at Jimmy's Place, 7411 Madison St. in Forest Park. Friar alums and other friends of Fenwick will share some much needed holiday cheer with those less fortunate and help teach a future generation of Friar alumni about the importance of giving back to the community.  The effort will benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. People are being asked to bring a new gift for a child that is 10-17 years old. Need Some Ideas? Here Are Just a Few. For boys: sports equipment, …

• Photos (1)

Fenwick Teacher Talks About Jeopardy! Experience

Fenwick High School teacher Colby Burnett says he's still the same guy after winning Jeopardy!, plans to buy mom Oak Park condo.

Colby Burnett was all smiles upon winning his final television appearance on the Jeopardy! Teacher's Tournament on Nov. 20. The Fenwick High School AP World History Teacher and alum of the school was actually back at home. "The show shoots way ahead of time," Burnett said. "When I got back from California [where the show is shot], all my students were like, 'did you win?'" Burnett had, of course, won the Jeopardy! Teacher's Tournament and $100,000 in prize money, but he had to wait until last Tuesday to share his excitement with students, friends and family. Get breaking news alerts and follow us on Facebook for more news: "You'd be surprised what you can keep a secret with $100,000 on the line," Burnett laughed. Winning the Teacher's …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Fenwick Teacher Wins Jeopardy! Teacher's Tournament

Fenwick High School instructor Colby Burnett captures the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament.

Fenwick High School always knew Colby Burnett had what it takes to be a winner. Now Burnett, who teaches advanced placement world history at the Oak Park school, has earned another distinction: he is the winner of the Jeopardy! Teachers Tournament. Burnett got to tell the world - or at least the entire Fenwick student body Tuesday when the segment aired, he told ABC-7 Chicago. The entire student body and the entire faculty, along with Burnett, watched and cheered as he gave the winning question. A graduate of Fenwick, Burnett appeared as part of the Teachers Edition, a two-week long competition billed as, "the country's brightest educators," engaged in a battle of wits. According to the Chicago Tribune, Burnett won't be keeping the money …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Lynette Simmons Hoag

9:48 am on Wednesday, November 21, 2012

So Awesome!   more ›