Call for Nominations
We are currently accepting nominations for the 2023 award to be presented at Barnfest in the Spring of 2024. We will be announcing the 2023 winner in December of 2023. To submit a nomination, please fill out this google form or send a letter that addresses the ways in which the individual has demonstrated a “commitment to education” in the district. The best candidates are those whose efforts have had a recognizable and positive impact on young people in our community over a sustained period of time.
The deadline for nominations is NOVEMBER 30th. You can submit a nomination using this google form or you can send us a letter. Letters should be addressed to:
Foundation46
Commitment to Education Award
P.O. Box 7261
Grayslake, IL 60030
About This Award
In 2014, Foundation46 began an annual tradition of recognizing a member of the community for demonstrating a commitment to enriching and enhancing education. The purpose of this award is to recognize someone within the District 46 community each year who demonstrates an understanding that it “takes a village.” The education of the children in our community is our collective responsibility as members of a community. The award has been named for its first recipient, the “Tom Meskel Commitment to Education Award.”
Our 2022 Recipient
Kristin Roy Heupel was nominated for this award by Tom Meskel himself. Kristin joined the board in 2011, and Tom believed that she breathed continued life into the Foundation as it transitioned from the successful birth of an organization to its next steps. Kristin was very good at either personally creating a new thought for our consideration or planting an obvious seed that would sprout into action. Tom expressed that Kristin brought a spark back to the Foundation, and that spark has ignited a passion for so many others to volunteer. Her commitment to enriching and enhancing the education of our D46 Students has positively impacted so many students, staff, and community members over the years.
Our 2020 Recipient
Early in 2020, we all watched in disbelief as the Covid -19 pandemic unfolded. Our District 46 educators, staff and community members were faced with so many unforeseen challenges and adversities that year. We wanted our Commitment to Education award for 2020 to reflect and honor all the hard work that they have put into our education system during such unprecedented times. With that in mind, we dedicate our 2020 Commitment to Education Award to all of our D46 Educators, Staff and Community Members. It truly takes a village and we acknowledge and appreciate all the extra hours that have and continue to be spent helping our kids stay connected & learning!
Our 2019 Recipient
Alec Renner, the recipient of the 6th annual Tom Meskel Commitment to Education Award, has contributed in major ways for over ten years to the Grayslake Science Olympiad program. During this period, he was the key organizer and primary coaching resource for 5th and 6th grade students at Frederick School – and, he has also contributed to the programs at GMS and the two Grayslake high schools.
It is difficult to describe the level of personal investment that is necessary to organize, lead, and coach a science competition activity with 23 extremely diverse areas of emphasis, ranging from microbes, disease detection, simple machines, and bottle rockets to windpower, spiders, snakes, and electrical circuits, but Alec did this – and our students benefited greatly! Alec challenged his students to question, to experiment, to work with each other, and to always wonder “what if?” He has shared not only his quick wit and substantial academic knowledge with our students, but also his dry sense of humor. Most importantly, Alec worked particularly well with students who otherwise might not have participated in many activities – to become engaged and inspired and to feel that they had a place where they are welcomed and valued.
Our community is truly fortunate to have benefited from Alec’s amazing dedication to our students. He has inspired hundreds of students to become more than what they thought they could be. Alec Renner truly personifies the concept of a sustained ‘commitment to education.’ We are blessed to have him as a member of our educational community.
Our 2018 Recipient
Nicole McRee coached the Science Olympiad team at GMS for thirteen years, served as a team leader on her interdisciplinary team, and a leader of district wide professional learning communities. She voluntarily coordinated Family Science Nights at the elementary schools for many years, volunteers with the Illinois State Science Olympiad Executive Board, and has given freely of her personal time in support of other educational programs such as theatrical productions and trips with the band and choir. What is perhaps most compelling is the evidence that Nicole’s commitment to education has been contagious. She has inspired learning and volunteerism in other adults within our community. The adults who volunteer with the Science Olympiad program must learn a good deal about the subject matter to support student learning and countless volunteers have continued working with the program long since their children graduated eighth grade. As if coordinating a Science Olympiad team and giving her time to support science and learning is not enough, Nicole has encouraged volunteerism from her families through team building activities. Her Science Olympiad teams have come together to volunteer at Bernie’s Book Bank and Feed My Starving Children. Nicole is an outstanding example of what it means to go above and beyond in her role as an educator.
Our 2017 Recipient
Abbie Pietruszynski is recognized throughout the community for her steadfast volunteerism across PTOs and with the D46 Sprouts program, but Abbie’s commitment to education really has run much deeper. Before beginning a career in music education, Abbie volunteered with the Junior Achievement program which prepares children for the future by fostering experiential learning. She later taught music at Prairie Crossing Charter School, where she developed a curriculum that integrated K-5 music with the content being learned in other subjects throughout the day, helping students make important connections with music.
Although no longer working for pay outside of the home, Abbie’s commitment to education has not faltered. When her own children grew to be school age, she began working tirelessly with the PTO at Woodview School. Over the course of the last seven years, she has volunteered consistently and reliably for PTOs at both Woodview and Frederick Schools, serving as an officer and spearheading new student activities such as the Wings Over Woodview Fun Run. Abbie’s willingness to take the time to share what has been learned and developed in one building with PTO members in other buildings has been deeply appreciated by others who are also so giving of their time. Abbie has also taught music at Vacation Bible School over the course of several years.
Abbie has committed a great deal of time, energy, and enthusiasm to the development of children. Her commitment is simply awe-inspiring and certainly deserving of recognition as a Commitment to Education Award recipient. Please help us congratulate her and take a moment to thank her for all she has done for our kids.
Our 2016 Recipient
John Badovinac’s compassion, energy, and motivation are contagious. He leads by example and makes it easy for us to follow. In 2007, John first brought his “Boot Camp” activity to Meadowview School’s Imagination Day. It is a terrific motivational activity that gets the kids to use their physical abilities and pushes them just enough to take risks comfortably. Year after year, it is one of the most popular Imagination Day events.
When his daughters moved from Meadowview to Frederick and GMS, John followed suit, adding his “Boot Camp” to the Frederick spring program, and also signing on as a Science Olympiad event coach. Over the next few years, he coached a number of Science Olympiad activities, and in 2011 led the Frederick team to the State competition, where they earned a first place ranking. John reached out to the College of Lake County to find specialized educators who would mentor our students by sharing their time and interests and of course, improve the team’s performance.
Although his kids have moved on to high school and college, John continues to coach two Science Olympiad events: the Solar System and Air Trajectory. He spends endless time and effort to pull together lesson plans that will help the kids improve their knowledge and skills. He also hosts showcase events at the beginning of each new school year to introduce students and their parents to Science Olympiad.
Finally, we must recognize John’s role as one of the founders of Foundation46. John’s unique brand of leadership, his foresight, his drive, and his enthusiasm allowed the community need of additional support to our schools to be realized. This Foundation, whose purpose is to “enhance and enrich the educational experience offered to all students in D46” is what John is all about.
We know that as individuals, we can do a great deal to help our own kids achieve. But what do we do to help others’ kids? When do we move outside of our own personal world and step out into that village – to help all of our kids become the best that they can be? Thank you John Badovinac for inspiring all of us to do more.
Our 2015 Recipient
Mary Lillstrom has been a part of Mary’s Peppermint Stick Preschool for more than 40 years since she began volunteering there as a teenager, taking over as the director in 1984, and later purchasing the school in 1996. In that time, she has touched the lives of countless children and parents as she has focused on the education of the whole child, as well as the whole family, to form “caring, sharing, loving, peaceful people.” Mary fosters in her students an understanding of the needs of the homeless by involving her students and families in supporting the PADS program at Grayslake’s United Protestant Church, and in making quilts for those less fortunate. Mary and her preschool are embedded deeply in our community. She regularly brings her students to the Grayslake Historical Society and together, they decorate a tree for the annual Giving Trees program. She teaches both parents and her “little people” to love and accept first because positive growth happens naturally when children are securely attached, supported and nurtured—and we as a community benefit many times over when those children (roughly 2,000 and counting!) complete preschool and become a part of the District 46 community.
Our 2014 Recipient
Tom Meskel’s love of education comes naturally, as he was born into an Iowan family of teachers. He provided instruction to his sailors throughout his Navy career and taught math and science for 32 years. After retiring from Niles West High School, he served on the District 127 Board of Education while he continued to provide instruction to student teachers. Today, Tom continues to supervise student teachers and has committed seven years of volunteer time to the Foundation. When Tom learned this fall that the District 46 Science Olympiad teams were in need of additional volunteer coaches, he volunteered to teach Simple Machines at not just one, but two schools. Tom has shared that he holds a belief that the future of our young people is directly related to the provision of educational opportunities for them. In his words, “I love schools, and the people who make them work.” Thank you Tom for inspiring us all and reminding us what it means to do what you love and to love what you do!