School News

On May 22nd, Homestead held it's 2023 awards ceremony congratulating the Class of 2023 seniors who are recipients of various community awards and scholarships.  Click below to see the winners.

Homestead 2023 Awards Presentation

 Ceremony Program PDF

Beginning June 1st, all families must complete the annual online registration for the upcoming school year.  Parents and guardians can complete online registration in their Infinite Campus parent portal. Please complete online registration by August 1.

For all the 23-24 Back to School Information, please check out our webpage at www.mtsd.k12.wi.us/homestead/backtoschool

Click here to check out the full story and Julia's interview from CBS58

A Mequon student was hesitant but took a risk entering an art contest. But after winning, one of Julia Gaskin's pieces was on display at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

"I was honestly really surprised," Gaskin, a Homestead High School senior, says. "Even when I won at the regional level, I was like wow -- I won that?"

Gaskin submitted pieces to the Scholastic Art Competition; won a gold and silver medal regionally, and then she won a national silver medal for "Airplane Sketches." She says her creativity took off while on a flight to Florida.

"It was a just a line experiment, a color experiment. I ended up really liking how it turned out, so I made it into a full piece," Gaskin says.

The 17-year-old says she often uses her iPad to draw and create collages, and she often finds inspiration from photos on the social media app Pinterest. But Gaskin says one of her favorite canvasses is actually cardboard.

"I can't draw on just a blank white piece of paper," she says. "But with cardboard it's already been used. It's got all of the spots on it and everything, and you can imagine there's been a story. Then you can tell the story through the art that you're making.

Gaskin is an Advanced Placement 2D Art & Design student finalizing her portfolio to be critiqued later this spring. She says her emotions have influenced how her art has developed this year, and her national recognition has given her a boost.

"It's really helped me to be more confident in my art and be prouder of what I make," Gaskin says.

After graduation, Gaskin says she will study video game design in college. Before high school ends though, she will have a new piece on display at the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend. The MOWA Teen Council's exhibition, "Breaking the Cycle," will be on view April 22 to July 9, 2023.

Homestead High School is proud to announce that students Michelle Dubrovsky (grade 12) Madeline Frank (grade 11), Julia Gaskin (grade 12), and Alison Kellner (grade 12) have been recognized by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Awards.

NCWIT helps organizations recruit, retain, and advance women from K-12 and higher education through industry and entrepreneurial careers by providing community, evidence, and action. The AiC awards honor women in grades 9-12 for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions.

Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in
the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Dubrovsky has participated in girls tennis for all four years of high school and has been on the varsity tennis team for the last two years. She is vice president of the Homestead chapter of She’s the First, a club with the goal to make sure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard. Additionally, Dubrovsky is a member of the National Honors Society and has completed four years of Merit Awards at Homestead. “After high school, I hope to attend a four-year university,” said Dubrovksy. “I am still hearing back from my top schools, so I have not made a decision yet as to where I will be attending in the fall.” Noting a passion for computer science that began during her freshman year, Dubrovsky has taken as many computer science courses at Homestead as she can in order to further her knowledge of the subject. She also plans to major in computer science in college.

Alison Kellner is part of the National Arts Honor Society (NAHS), National Honor Society, and the Programming Club. Upon graduation, Kellner plans to attend Northeastern University to major in Cybersecurity. “My interest in computer science started after my freshman year and it never fizzled out,” said Kellner. “I took as many computer classes as I could fit into my schedule. I hope to go far in the computer science community and help people along the way.”

Each of the girls has demonstrated an exceptional drive to furthering their knowledge in computer science, according to Homestead High School computer science teacher, Harrison Palzewicz. “Michelle has a deep passion and curiosity for the world of Cybersecurity,” Palzewicz said. “Her growth in Computer Science classes here at Homestead prove that she will make a big impact in the field. Julia is an artist with computing. Her work continues to stand out because of her creative touch and mind for details. Madeline is always thinking about growing the Computer Science community. She has always been interested in helping others and continues to grow stronger in her advanced programming skills. And Alison's ability to break down complex problems is very impressive.”

To celebrate this achievement, these students are invited to attend the NCWIT-WI Affiliate Aspirations Award Ceremony on Sunday, May 7 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) campus.

To find out more about NCWIT and AiC, visit: https://www.aspirations.org/

Homestead High School is proud to announce that senior Alexa Bremmer is a recipient of a
Herb Kohl Education Foundation Scholarship for Student Excellence and Initiative. Bremmer is one of 190 high
school seniors across the state of Wisconsin who was selected to receive the award and $10,000 scholarship.
Award recipients demonstrate exceptional academic achievement, leadership, citizenship, and school and
community involvement.

Award recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders and representatives of
education-related associations and the program’s co-sponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association
Foundation, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, regional Cooperative Educational Service
Agencies (CESA), the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, and the Wisconsin Homeschooling
Parents Association.

“I speak for all who know her when I say that Alexa is a true Mighty Highlander,” said Homestead Principal Eric
Ebert. “We are so proud of her and all that she has achieved in and out of the classroom. This award is a
testament to Alexa's dedication to excellence and service to her community. She could not be more deserving
of such an impressive honor.”

During her time at Homestead, Alexa has been involved in HOSA-Future Health Professionals Chapter and
currently serves as the president. She is also involved in Best Buddies and Homestead’s REACH mental
health club, and is working on a Crohn's disease and Probiotic research project that she hopes to publish soon.
Outside of school, Alexa volunteers at Ascension/Columbia St. Mary’s hospital in the outpatient and day
surgery department, runs her own successful online resale business, enjoys tutoring her peers and younger
students, bolsters her learning by taking additional online courses via Northwestern, and enjoys shopping for
her business, reading, and traveling.

“I plan on pursuing an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and after hope to attend medical
school with a career aspiration of becoming a surgeon with a focus in robotic assisted surgeries,” said
Bremmer. “I am currently deciding between Georgia Tech, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and UW
Madison for my undergraduate education.”

The Herb Kohl Educational Foundation, established by the well-known Wisconsin philanthropist and
businessman, has been recognizing educational excellence since 1990 by annually awarding scholarships to
nearly 200 graduating high school students throughout Wisconsin.