Following a multi-year hiatus, the York Community High School Alumni Association is proud to announce the return of the York Distinguished Alumni Program(YDAP) and reveal its inductees for 2025 and 2026.
Launched in 2012 in collaboration with Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205, the program recognizes exemplary York graduates as "Dukes of Distinction." Honorees are selected for their extraordinary accomplishments, leadership, outstanding contributions to society, and embodiment of York’s traditions of teamwork and selflessness. To date, fifty-two alumni have received this prestigious honor. After pausing in 2021 due to the pandemic aftermath and district-level changes, the all-volunteer Alumni Association has taken a leadership role by officially reviving the program and the nomination process last year.
"It is extremely important for high schools to have such a program, especially one as rich in history as York," said Kathy Wilson, Alumni Association President. "We have witnessed the positive impact on both students and alumni when they are brought together by this experience."
The newly announced Distinguished Alumni include:
2025 Inductees:
Julia Schmitt Healy (Class of 1965)
Roberta Larson Duyff (Class of 1966)
Robert Knuepfer Jr. (Class of 1970)
Desiree Baron (Class of 1982)
2026 Inductees:
Bruce Karr (Class of 1955)
Carl Landwehr, PhD(Class of 1964)
Bonnie Grabenhofer (Class of 1967)
Jenny Cloud Riddle (Class of 1982)
Tefft Smith II (Class of 1994)
Dr. Jenna Weglarz-Smith (Class of 1996)
All inductees will be celebrated during a public ceremony on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at York High School. The community is welcome. A reception will begin at 6:15 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 7:00 p.m. The following day, the honorees will meet with current York students to share their career journeys and answer questions.
For more information on the recipients, the program, and to submit a nomination visit York Distinguished Alumni Program | Elmhurst CUSD 205.. To learn more about us, visit the Alumni Association website under elmhurst205.org (find us at Community Groups under More), or directly click this link for York Alumni Association. For questions or to help with the program, contact us at alumni@elmhurst205.org.