Music, dancing, and school spirit were all on display on Oct. 30, 2025 when news station CBS 2 Chicago came to MHS to highlight and celebrate our students.
“Honestly, truly, I love the energy,” Dana Kozlov, CBS reporter, said. “The student energy; it was great and the jazz ensemble, I loved the energy here in the gymnasium. The people here were very welcoming and enthusiastic about us being here and were great about helping us organize segments.”
Kozlov said that MHS is her third school she’s reported on for the school spotlight segment in the last two years. “I love it because I learn something new at every school. I grew up in the area, so I’m familiar with a lot of them.”
“Each school has its own programs and vibes,” Kozlov continued. “It was great to come here to Mundelein because I’d never been [here] before. I just find [the schools I’ve been to] all unique.”
“I find [these visits] special because it just helps us to connect to our community because our community is all of the Chicago area,” Kozlov said. “It allows me to continue to meet new people and connect with the broader community and specific communities too.” Kozlov said she learned many things about MHS, such as how good the jazz band is. “I would never have known that.”
Student Life & Activities Coordinator Jim Schiffer, who organized the event, said that he wanted to do the news segment because he “felt that this was a wonderful way to highlight all of the great things happening at MHS.” He further explained that he wanted to showcase how students find their “and.”
“The main thing I want [the viewers] to take away is what an incredible school community we have here. We have a lot to be proud of as a school– our inclusive community, the diversity of our student body, our strong academics, dedicated staff, and the wide range of ways students get involved to ‘find their and,’” Schiffer continued.
During the school assembly, many activities were displayed to showcase what the Mustangs have to offer. These included the MHS band performing songs such as “Sweet Caroline” and the school fight song, the cheer and dance teams performing a dance routine, and interviews with Dr. Corey Tafoya, the school’s superintendent, as well as seniors Yael Pikus, Xavion Haynes, and Jimena Torres Gonzalez.
“It was a really cool opportunity to get to speak in front of the school as well as represent the student body of Mundelein,” said Pikus.
“I felt really honored. I was excited as well to be a part of something so cool,” Pikus continued. She further explained that she was honored that the school thought of her this highly and chose her to be interviewed.
Haynes said that he was surprised to be chosen to be interviewed since he didn’t expect it. “I was a little surprised, a little bit nervous, and excited all at the same time.” Haynes later attributed his being chosen to the many fine arts extracurriculars he does, such as show choir, band, and theatre.
“It felt really awesome to see that I can share what I’ve been doing with people who will come to high school and I hope I can represent all of the other students,” Haynes continued. He explained that he found this comforting to do.
“[I was chosen when] Mr. Schiffer asked if I wanted to be featured for the student interview, so I said yes. When I found out I got the email, I was thrilled,” said Torres. “It’s a big accomplishment.”
“This was memorable because it will be stuck in my head forever. I can show them a clip of me being interviewed and tell them ‘this is one of my highlights that made my senior year be the best of them all,” Torres continued. She said this was a great opportunity to voice her opinions on MHS.
All the excitement and hype this event has brought has left the Mundelein High School community thrilled to host CBS and grateful for this opportunity to show the spirit, achievements, dedication, and energy the Mustangs have to offer.
