Neighbors in the News OCC staffer singled out for Living Diversity Award

• Lincolnwood resident Jordana Lambropoulos, GED manager at Oakton Community College, Des Plaines, is the recipient of Oakton's 2018 Living Diversity Award. The award celebrates the idea of "creating a college environment of equity, inclusion, care, compassion and respect for people of diverse backgrounds and abilities."

Lambropoulos was recognized at the college's fall semester kickoff. Selected by the Oakton Diversity Council, the award comes with a $1,500 monetary stipend sponsored by the Oakton Community College Educational Foundation.

Lambropoulos began working at Oakton in 2000. She has a master's degree from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona. In her role at the college, she is responsible for overseeing Cook County residents who are interested in earning a high school equivalency diploma. Upon completion of required placement testing, community members are then able to enroll in classes at Oakton.

Lambropoulos is also active in the community volunteering at orphanages, hospitals and health clinics.

• Rolling Meadows fourth-grader Adam Feng won first place in both the empty-handed form and short weapon form at the 2018 International Chinese Martial Arts (Wushu) Championship, held Saturday, Sept. 15, in St. Charles. Feng competed with several hundred Wushu athletes from around the globe.

Feng has practiced Wushu Martial Arts at Soaring Eagle Kung Fu School since age 5. He trains four days a week and is learning both traditional Shaolin style and contemporary Chinese martial arts. There are lots of jumps and kicks in his training. His weapon forms include long staff, broadsword, chain whip, double-edged sword, and spear.

• Brian C. Mueller of the financial services firm Edward Jones, in Arlington Heights, won the firm's exclusive Spirit of Caring Award designed to recognize those financial advisers who exemplify the values, culture and spirit of giving back. Mueller was one of the 263 financial advisers out of the firm's more than 16,000 financial advisers to receive the award.

Mueller also received a promotion to the position of regional leader for the Northwest suburbs. He will now be responsible for the firm's branch offices in this region while continuing to help his clients and local community with their investment needs.

• Thirteen Hoffman Estates Park District Figure Skating Academy skaters are competing this weekend with skaters from eight states in the Upper Great Lakes Regional Figure Skating Championships, in Peoria. The following skaters are competing in the following categories: Isabella Martins, Intermediate Ladies; Morgan Brynjelsen, Excel Pre-Juvenile Girls; Emily Niziolek Excel Pre-Preliminary Girls; Anna Wakabayashi, Pre-Preliminary Girls; Julia Seta, Pre-Preliminary Girls; Julia Jacubiec, Pre-Preliminary Girls; Laiken Lockley, Junior Ladies; Sydney Song, Excel Pre-Juvenile Girls; Lourdes Andriukaitis, Novice Ladies; Samantha Chapin, Excel Pre-Preliminary Girls; Abigail Vallejera, Excel Pre-Preliminary Girls; Riley Roquet, Pre-Preliminary Well-Balanced; and Breanna Lee-Kidd, Pre-Juvenile Girls.

• Send your 'Neighbors in the News' items to Norrine Twohey at ntwohey@dailyheral.com.share.