The 2025 inductees to the Waterloo High School Legacy have excelled in a variety of career fields, but all will come together Sept. 25 to be honored as a celebration of the schools’ impact on them as individuals and their respective industries.

Next month, longtime Waterloo district teacher Jodi Burton will join alumni Alexandra Kay (Class of 2010), Becky Stone (Class of 2005), Karl Ettling (Class of 1975) and Aron Aycock (Class of 2011) as the latest group to be enshrined along the WHS hallways.

Jodi Burton

Although Jodi Burton was born in Litchfield and attended school in suburban Chicago, she has become a fixture in the Waterloo district, celebrating 50 years as a member of the school community in 2026.

Burton served 35 of those years as a reading, language arts and math teacher at Waterloo Junior High School while also leading a highly decorated cheer program, reaching the National Cheerleaders Association National Championships three times.

Retirement in 2011 did not keep Burton from being involved in the district, though. Burton is currently serving her fourth term as a member of the Waterloo School Board of Education, taking on the role of vice president during two of those terms.

She has also been a member of the Illinois State Board of Education, also winning ISBE’s Distinguished Board Member Award. She is also a founding member of the Waterloo Legacy Society.

“I am honored to receive this award, and I must thank all of the wonderful educators with whom I have worked in my years at WCUSD No.5. I can only hope that I was able to share my love of reading with many students and encourage them to become lifelong readers and learners. I also thank the Waterloo community for showing their trust in me as an elected school board member for the past four terms.” 

Aron M. Aycock

Aycock’s time at WHS was capped off as he was named valedictorian, though he also earned the title of prom king and was an Illinois State Scholar and Top Dog Award recipient on top of participating in baseball – third place state as a team and first team all-conference individually – and football – first team all-area and conference – scholar bowl and WYSE Team.

He continued his education at the University of Missouri, graduating magna cum laude with an atmospheric science major and math minor, having also participated in the Mortar Board Honor Society.

Aycock’s training toward his exemplary pilot career began with the U.S. Air Force ROTC, where he was a distinguished graduate among the top 10 percent of cadets. From there, he continued to U.S. Air Force-NATO pilot training.

He received further education through an F-150 training course and a Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Graduate and Instructor course, with further training in Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base.

His career has featured time as a U.S. Air Force F-15C Fighter Pilot, Flight Commander, NATO Instructor Pilot and NATO Evaluator T-38 Pilot.

Aycock currently holds the rank of captain, with a promotion to major planned in November of this year.

He has additionally spent time serving in Air Force recruiting events and has participated in four flyovers conducted for the NFL, college football and F1.

Additional accolades include Flight Commander of the Year for the 80th Operations Group at Sheppard Air Force Base and Operator of the Year for the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Force Base in Japan. He has also seen temporary deployments throughout Japan, Korea and Guam.

Alexandra Krekorian

Best known by many through her stage name Alexandra Kay, Krekorian kept active during her time at WHS by participating in both softball and cheerleading, developing some of her stage skills during her time in the drama club, speech team and, of course, chorus.

Her music career began soon after her graduation in 2012, when she got her start in hip hop and R&B and worked with Nelly and Huey Alexandra, signing an independent record contract.

Krekorian’s independent country music career got started when she was 22, as her Facebook videos covering many 1990s favorites went viral dozens of times.

This led to numerous collaborations with music industry icons including Randy Travis, JoDee Messina, Gary LeVox, Tracy Lawrence and Scott Stapp of Creed as well as Tim McGraw, whom she joined on the McGraw Tour 2022 while also sharing the stage with Lawrence and Clay Walker. She’s also toured with Jelly Roll.

Also in 2022, Krekorian made her Grand Old Opry debut in Nashville, where she’s performed a number of times since.

Her talent and musical skill has led to her becoming an International Country Music Artist, performing at C2C in London as well as headlining her own sold-out show in Manchester.

In 2023, she headlined her Backroad Therapy Tour 2 through Canada and the United States, which she followed with another tour called the Dive Bar Dreamer Tour which was in turn followed by her most successful All I’ve Ever Known tour with over 50,000 tickets sold.

Krekorian’s other awards and achievements include being named among CMT’s Next Women of Country in 2025; publication in Rolling Stone, People Magazine and CMT and a record label deal signed with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville in February 2025.

More recently, she began touring with Brad Paisley’s Truck Still Works Tour in July, shortly after opening The Coffee Girl here in downtown Waterloo.

“My four years at WHS were some of the best years of my life,” Krekorian said. “The WHS speech team and drama club are where I got my start as a performer. The chorus program is where I realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. GO DOGS!”

Karl James Ettling

When it comes to school extracurriculars, Ettling kept himself busy at WHS through band, chorus and FFA.

All leading toward a career in the aeronautical industry, he received his certification in drafting/design in 1996 at Cerro Coso Community College in Ridgecrest, Calif., where he also earned the distinction of Student of the Year in Mechanical Technology Programs that same year.

An honor roll student in the Fall of 1996, Ettling underwent additional coursework in metallurgy, reverse engineering and computer aided design.

From June 1997 to today, Ettling has served as a Lead Boeing Field Representative in Ridgecrest, providing technical support and troubleshooting to customers in the field, with much of his time also spent in a leadership role, mentoring and guiding younger Boeing representatives.

He’s contributed as a Subject Matter Expert for the Additive Manufacturing program at the China Lake Boeing site and provided strong technical expertise in airframe structures, making good use of his reverse engineering skills.

Ettling presently works and consults with Naval Aviation Depot teams through the Damage Evaluation Disposition process, allowing the Boeing China Lake team artisan, under his leadership, to perform major structural repairs for various Navy customers.

Additional, he’s served as part of the Global FSR Leadership Additive Manufacturing Group as an SME Consultant.

Ettling’s professional distinctions include five Boeing Meritorious Invention Awards as a Unique Shop and Tool Designer. He was also a 2024 Manufacture Leadership Award Finalist and holds three patents.

Within the aircraft repair industry, Ettling is well known for his leadership skills in using additive manufacturing means to aid technicians in performing critical aircraft structural repairs.

His professional mantra is: “IDEAL is just that! Also known as ‘thought process,’ no reality… Now, ‘INNOVATION’ is to make that ideal into physical reality! Also known as, ‘invention.’”

Rebecca Stone

Stone’s activity at WHS includes time as student council president and senior class vice president. She also received the Oddfellows Scholarship, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Pat and Lee Toal Scholarship, WHS Top Dog Award and was Student of the Month.

Her higher education includes time at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Lindenwood University, public affairs coursework at the University of Missouri, municipal planning and zoning certificate from the University of Ohio and data and AI storytelling certificate from Purdue University.

Stone has worked in a number of positions including multi-unit business leader in retail, financial representative, National Foster America Fellow, Public Policy Manager of Advocacy and Government Engagement with the St. Louis Regional Chapter/Greater St. Louis Inc., State Director for National Multi-State Operator with Jushi Holdings, Principal Consultant with Vesta Insights, Vice President of Business Operations with Andria’s Food Group, Executive Director for Southwestern Illinois Planning Commission, Adjunct Professor at Lindenwood University and Strategic Partner with RK Solutions Group.

As Stone described, she’s worked directly with underserved communities and populations throughout the state of Missouri to implement the Family First Prevention Services Act, where she’s been able to collaborate and work with Congress and the Ways and Means Committee to pass the Family First Transition Act, providing states throughout the country with funding to bridge the gap in implementation.

In Illinois, she’s worked directly with the Treasury to evaluate and enact monetary protocols for a new industry to ensure cash controls were actively monitored throughout the state.

With the Planning Commission, she worked directly with county chairmen throughout the St. Louis region to revitalize the commission through structural enhancements and operational efficiency.

She credits WHS for laying the foundation for her prolific career.

“Although I graduated from WHS decades ago, the impact it had on my life remains deeply significant. When I experienced the unexpected passing of my mother at a young age, I was left with a sorrow that no teenager is ever prepared to endure. During that incredibly difficult time, the Waterloo community became a source of strength and stability. Teachers, classmates and staff surrounded me with compassion, creating a supportive environment where I could begin to navigate my grief. More than that, the school provided me with the opportunity to grow, to discover my resilience and to begin to develop a sense of leadership.”