From a high school art studio - to the Capitol Building in Washington.

That's the path taken by a Northwest suburban art student whose work was selected by 8th District Congresswoman Melissa Bean to be exhibited in the nation's capital for an entire year.

Hoffman Estates High School senior Sayali Sakhardande visited Washington last summer to see her work, "Future Generations" hanging in the hallway of the Cannon House, the oldest Congressional office building leading to the Capitol Building.

Illinois lawmakers are back in Springfield today, although we don't expect them to get much done. If they do get around to business, they should address cuts in the Illinois Monetary Award Program, also known as MAP grants. Lawmakers cut funding in half for the program, and that's affecting about 145,000 low-income Illinois students who get financial assistance through it. They only budgeted enough to cover about $2,600 per student through the first semester, which means come January, state collegians depending on the funding will lose it.