Who are NLU's Alumni?
NLU's earliest alumni would be proud of the generations that have followed in their footsteps—students who have become social advocates and activists, leaders of community and social initiatives, steadfast proponents of best practices in education, and entrepreneurs and individuals who have the courage and determination to forge their own path in today's increasingly complex society. They include:
- Denis G. Antoine, Ambassador to Grenada
- Hector Rico, Executive Director, Latino Organization of the Southwest
- Margo E. Schreiber, Director, Illinois Department on Aging
- Delores Petway Holmes, Founder of Project Ghana
- J. W. Croft, Executive Vice President, Field Museum of Natural History
By the Numbers:
Total number of NLU Alumni: 64,474
Alumni by College:
- College of Arts & Sciences: 12,221
- College of Management and Business: 14,972
- National College of Education: 37,281
| year | count | year | count | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 196 | 1994 | 2278 | |
| 1982 | 995 | 1995 | 3594 | |
| 1983 | 1023 | 1996 | 3227 | |
| 1984 | 888 | 1997 | 3275 | |
| 1985 | 1031 | 1998 | 2992 | |
| 1986 | 810 | 1999 | 3199 | |
| 1987 | 1392 | 2000 | 3115 | |
| 1988 | 1592 | 2001 | 3099 | |
| 1989 | 1922 | 2002 | 3444 | |
| 1990 | 2175 | 2003 | 3553 | |
| 1991 | 2570 | 2004 | 2825 | |
| 1992 | 3010 | 2005 | 3311 | |
| 1993 | 2981 | 2006 | 3402 | |
| 2007 | 2575 |
Alumni by Geographic Location
Illinois: 45459
Florida: 3403
Wisconsin: 4311
DC/Virginia: 5922
Other States: 4132
International: 1247
Alumni Members of the NLU Board of Trustees:
Five NLU graduates are also current members of the University's Board of Trustees:
- Beverley J. Kroll, Chief Executive Officer Peryam & Kroll
- J. Clinton Mabie, Director of Donor Services and Program Development, The Chicago Community Trust
- Russell J. Riendeau, Senior Partner, The East Wing Search Group
- Sheila T. Romano, Executive Director, Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities
- Beverly E. Shaw, Director, Good News Reading Program
Distinguished Alumni:
Each year NLU honors alumni for their distinguished service. Past winners include:
- Jill Melanie Sick
- Deaconess Josephine Lewis
- Paula Pierce, PMP
- Tom Layman
- Eunice Claire Joffe
- LaVon Mercer
- Margaret Lindman, Ed.D.
- Laurie Lawlor
- Molly Beck Lazar
- Mary Cook Milligan
- Marjorie Craig Benton
NLU Alumni/Golden Apple Award Recipients:
Several NLU alumni have been the recipients of the prestigious Golden Apple Award for Excellence in teaching, including:
| Award Year | Teacher | Degree |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Lois Fisch | M.Ed |
| 1990 | Barbara Canady Chuck Sentell |
Masters Masters |
| 1991 | Elsa Gonzalez | pursuing a degree in school psychology at the time she won in 1991 |
| 1992 | Jim Effinger | M.Ed |
| 1993 | Griselle Diaz-Gemmati | had completed coursework at the time she won in 1993 |
| 1994 | Lillian Degand Susan Kajiwara-Ansai Susan Young |
M.Ed. in science education (2 Masters total, one in ’99) Ph.D. candidate at the time she won in 1994 M.Ed. |
| 1995 | Mark Larson | M.A. |
| 1996 | Georgene (Jean) Sims Charles (Barry) Gold |
Masters in elementary education Masters |
| 1997 | Clare Billingham Cheryl Chapman Nancy Dailey Margaret Nadziejko Sue Vani |
Masters MAT in early childhood Masters in reading M.Ed., passed away in 2005 Masters in curriculum and instruction |
| 1999 | Jacquie McGrew Sandra Pye |
post-graduate work Masters |
| 2000 | Carl Berg Shari Frost Lucy Klocksin |
B.A. and Masters Ph.D. M.Ed. |
| 2001 | Jim Arey Murray Fisher |
M.Ed. Type 75 Admin. Certificate |
| 2003 | Carolyn Grantham Margaret Pyterek Jennifer Santo |
B.A. and M.Ed. Ph.D. B.A. and MAT |
| 2004 | Aaron Podolner Venessa Simmons-Woods |
M.Ed. |
| 2005 | Mathias Schergen Jill Gontovnick |
M.Ed. M.Ed. |
| 2006 | Ziomara Perez Sandy Lucas |
BA 1997 ECE/Human Development |
| 2007 | Megan Poyner | M.Ed. |
| 2008 |
Holly Bontkowski Nancy Kontney |
M.Ed. IDS M.Ed. IDS |