District 75 staffers honored by Illinois Latino organization
Two staff members from Mundelein School District 75 received recognition from the Illinois Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents at the organization's fifth annual Statewide Conference May 1.
Bilingual Coordinator Annais Diaz received the #IALASStepsUp Award for her work to "empower students, parents and communities, even in the face of adversity and uncertainty," according to the association.
Diaz received this honor because of her work with district families during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been instrumental in connecting resources from District 75 to the community, helping organize the entire food distribution effort and providing lunches and breakfasts to families at multiple community distribution sites.
Diaz will often deliver breakfast, lunch and learning packets directly to homes.
Additionally, she has also been a part of the organization and distribution of groceries with Mundelein High School and The Chapel in Mundelein, which is providing groceries for more than 120 families in the community.
Regarding her work with the families of District 75, Diaz, a Mundelein resident, said, "It is my greatest passion to give back to the community that has blessed me with so much. I love being able to interact with our families and make them feel safe and always welcomed, the same way everyone has done so for me."
Of her recognition from IALAS, Diaz said, "It is truly an honor to receive recognition from IALAS for the work that we all do daily for our students, families and community. Our work is a labor of love that goes beyond just the academics."
Diaz has worked for District 75 for six years, beginning as a first-grade teacher in the district's Two-Way Immersion program and, most recently, as the district's Bilingual Coordinator, a role that has her supporting educators and families in all four district schools.
"It is both an honor and a privilege to be able to come to work with the most passionate, motivating, creative and inspiring individuals that I am blessed to know," Diaz said.
District 75 Lead Parent Coordinator Jorge Moncada received the Teacher Spotlight for the third quarter of the 2019-20 school year, recognizing his efforts as "an advocate for all students and hard work toward achieving educational equity," according to IALAS.
Moncada was honored for his work with students and families throughout the school year. As Lead Parent Coordinator, he is a conduit between the families and schools, establishing relationships and ensuring materials and correspondence is translated.
He works closely with local organizations, including the Welcome Center at Mundelein High School, to ensure families have their needs met. He also works in multiple classrooms at Washington Early Learning Center supporting Spanish-speaking students.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Moncada has been directly involved with food distribution efforts (both the weekday lunch and breakfast distribution and the bimonthly grocery delivery) and ensuring families have equal access to technology; often delivering necessities directly to families.
"I am honored to be nominated by IALAS for their spotlight recognition. As a Latino leader in our diverse Mundelein community, it is truly an honor to accept the recognition, while fully crediting the amazing colleagues and families I've been blessed to work with throughout my years in District 75," said Moncada, who has worked for District 75 for 20 years.
District administration is proud of the contributions of Diaz and Moncada to families.
"Jorge and Annais both embody what it means to be servant leaders," Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dan Swartz said.
"While the current situation shines a spotlight on their work, those on the outside don't know that this is the norm. Both of these educators focus 110 percent of their energy to ensuring that the students of Mundelein District 75 have their needs met on a daily basis: mind, body and spirit."
"We are very proud that these two professionals are being recognized for the important work they do," Superintendent Dr. Kevin Myers said.
"Always putting others before themselves, they make regular contributions to our schools and community and share their enthusiasm with those around them. Congratulations to both of them!"
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