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U-46 guidance counselors lauded for lifesaving actions

Two Elgin Area School District U-46 employees recently were recognized by the school board for saving the lives of two students who were choking.

In January, Eastview Middle School social studies teacher Jason Davids quickly and successfully administered the Heimlich maneuver to a student who was choking on a piece of candy during class.

That same month, Channing Memorial Elementary noon-hour supervisor Rosa Fernandez also successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver on a kindergartner who tried to swallow two pennies. This was the second child this year Fernandez saved, according to Channing Principal Josefina Melendez.

"We are extremely grateful for Ms. Fernandez's quick thinking," Melendez said. "She is our hero!"

Also, in recognition of National School Counseling Week, Feb. 6-10, the school board presented a proclamation of appreciation to the district's 37 high school guidance counselors who serve more than 11,500 students in five high schools and two alternative programs.

Counselors meet with students throughout the school year to create an academic plan and help students with personal, social and emotional issues.

"The most important part of being a counselor is having passion for students and an invested interest in the future of today's youth," U-46's lead counselor Chris Boden said. "Ensuring that every student has a plan for their future and helping them accomplish their dreams and goals is what truly defines a school counselor's role in U-46."

Sam marks 10 years at ECC's helm:

Elgin Community College students recently surprised college President David Sam with a celebration for his 10th anniversary leading the institution.

Among the highlights of Sam's tenure is getting voter approval for a construction bond in April 2009 and overseeing a $178 million expansion increasing the college's size by about one-third.

ECC has been endowed with numerous awards under Sam's leadership.

It was dubbed a leader college by Achieving the Dream in November 2012, becoming one of 66 institutions nationwide to earn recognition for its work raising persistence and completion rates and closing achievement gaps.

In 2013, the college received the Bellwether Award from The Community College Futures Assembly for its Alliance for College Readiness initiative and again was named a finalist in 2016 for its Integrated Career and Academic Preparation System program.

That same year, the National Association of College and Business Officers recognized ECC with the 2013 Innovation Award for its financial literacy program.

ECC received the 2014 Central Regional Equity Award from the Association of Community College Trustees.

In 2015, representatives from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation visited the college to learn more about its efforts to narrow the achievement gap for Latino students.

That year the Illinois Emergency Management Agency designated ECC as a "Ready to Respond" campus after its police department successfully met rigorous safety criteria.

Last year, ACT selected ECC as the National Exemplar in Career Preparedness.

Sam himself was recognized with the 2016 Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award by the Illinois Community College Trustees Association and received the Distinguished Service Award from The Elgin Cosmopolitan Club.

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