2025 Annual Kanak Family Update

Holiday Update 2025

As another year winds down, we’re excited to share what’s been happening in our family. It’s been a year full of accomplishments, adventures, and, as always, lots of love (and occasional chaos).

Angie is still keeping busy as a training specialist with the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts, helping judicial subject matter experts create engaging educational content. This role does allow her to travel to exotic, faraway lands—like Springfield and Lombard—where she experiences an entirely different culture! In all seriousness, Angie’s co-workers are wonderful, and she truly enjoys working with them. On top of that, her photography business continues to thrive, keeping her very happily busy.

Gene is still living the dream as a public relations specialist with USBC. While much of his travel is domestic, he also made it to some truly faraway places this year, including Sweden for the International Bowling Federation Youth World Cup. He’s grateful to work in an industry he loves and continues to enjoy the people and experiences his role brings.

Both of us are thankful for the flexibility of working from home. Our offices are on opposite sides of the house to avoid talking over each other during our numerous Teams and Zoom calls, but we jokingly call each other office mates. We couldn’t ask for a better setup and feel so lucky to see each other every day.

Mary is in the thick of her sophomore year at Cornell, majoring in Chemical Engineering. She finished her freshman year strong and returned home after a whirlwind trip to Georgia for the Club Softball National Championships with her Cornell teammates. Last season marked the first time in program history that the team advanced to the national tournament. Mary has become a natural leader on the team and enjoys the lower-pressure environment of club sports, giving her space to focus on an intense course load. Back home, she returned to her old job at White Castle over the summer.  When she returned to school in the fall, she got a job at Cornell's call center and even secured a research position on a polymers team—something we don’t fully understand, but she is thriving! Mary is also very active in her fraternity, serving as social chair. We miss her terribly but are incredibly proud of the risks she is taking even when things don’t go perfectly. She is currently applying to summer internships, hoping to gain new experiences (and maybe leave White Castle behind). Our recent visit to see her at Cornell was amazing though leaving her is always hard. Even when she admits to feeling homesick or overwhelmed by her classes, we are so proud of her determination and resilience.

 

Geno continues to amaze us as a junior in the Dance Department at the Chicago Academy for the Arts. His days often start at 6 a.m. and don’t end until after 8 p.m., but he navigates the city like a pro, using both the Metra and L systems—and now with his license, he’s even more independent. He landed his first paid gig as the Nutcracker in the North Shore Dance Company’s production, and just the weekend before, he’ll perform multiple pieces at his school’s Senior Showcase, choreographed and cast entirely by the seniors. This past summer, he earned the rare honor of attending both the Hubbard Street Intensive and the Giordano Chicago Dance Intensive. We are so proud not only of his accomplishments but of the person he is—what I jokingly call our “decency police,” always guided by a strong moral compass, unafraid to stand up for the underdog, and consistently showing kindness in a world that could always use more.

It’s been a busy, exciting year for all of us, and we’re grateful for every moment—big achievements, small joys, and everything in between. We hope your year has been filled with love, laughter, and a few adventures of your own.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a bright new year!

—Angie, Gene, Mary & Geno