Early childhood educator named MCC Faculty Member of the Year

McHenry County College recently announced Lisha Linder as its 2022 Faculty Member of the Year. The award recipients, selected by peers, are chosen based on their commitment to teaching, contribution to the college community, and professional development.

Linder has taught early childhood education and education programs at MCC for 22 years and has served as the department chair for equally long.

"Lisha is beloved by her colleagues," said Dr. Talia Koronkiewicz, vice president of Student Affairs at MCC. "She is active on numerous committees throughout the College and is highly respected for her strong work ethic and her genuinely positive, kind demeanor. You will often find Lisha in the halls or classroom laughing and smiling with her students or her faculty peers. She brings a joyful spirit to MCC."

In addition to her role as an educator, Linder serves as the director of the Children's Learning Center on campus which provides child-care and preschool programming for children of faculty, staff, students, and community members. In this role, Linder has led the staff in making many quality improvement changes to curriculum, room arrangement, guidance strategies, and policies to ensure that MCC is providing high-quality care and education. These efforts helped the college obtain a Silver Circle of Quality through the Illinois Gateways to Opportunity.

"I truly enjoy working and learning with my students who are preparing to enter the education field," Linder said. "I hope that most of my students will go on to work in the education field in some capacity. I want them to be passionate about children, learning, and their own career choices. I hope that they will enjoy working with students as much as I do."

Linder has a Bachelor of Science in early childhood education from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master's in teaching and leadership from St. Xavier University.