Kimberly Radek-Hall honored at Sigma Kappa Delta induction ceremony

OGLESBY — Illinois Valley Community College instructor Kimberly Radek-Hall was honored recently for 20 years of service as Sigma Kappa Delta’s faculty advisor. SKD, the two-year college English Honor Society, was founded in 1996 and Radek-Hall sponsored the local Mu Alpha chapter in 1997.

Throughout her 20 years, she has inducted more than 590 students, had one student win the National Literary Analysis Writing Award and attended the national convention three times. The Mu Alpha chapter was awarded Ivy Chapter status six times.

“SKD fills a need for students who love language and literature, whether they are majoring in English or otherwise,” Radek-Hall said, “we have provided members with opportunities to engage with the world and each other in ways that they may not get in the classroom.”

She added, “Being an advisor has allowed me the privilege of spending time with the most dedicated and passionate students as they figure out, sometimes directly through exposure to literature and drama — and sometimes tangentially — who they are or would like to be.”

The last formal SKD induction ceremony was held in the spring of 2014. Students formally recognized at the recent ceremony are:

Spring 2017 — Mekenzie Ahlstrom of Granville, Carrie Becker of Mendota, Aaron Bauer of LaSalle, Hanna Bima of Princeton, Bethany Black of Oglesby, Dash Burgess of Oglesby, Abigail Coutre of Peru, John Delaney of Spring Valley, Joseph Dudek of LaSalle, Rachel Edgcomb of Oglesby, Elizabeth Griffin of LaMoille, Brianna Hagenson of Sheridan, Jacob Hall and Ashley Hollenbeck of Ottawa, Zachary Hunt of Mendota, Grant Innis of LaSalle, Quinn Killian of Gridley, Taylor Kreiser of Lostant, Brianna Lau of LaSalle, Brianna Legner of Princeton, Reilly Leonatti of Dalzell, Justin Lewis of Princeton, Cynthia Meiners and Hope Morgan of Streator, Nicholas Needs of Peru, Anna Oelschlager of Streator, Allissa Orozco of Mendota, Akari Oya of Peru, Xuxa Piotrowski of Spring Valley, Julia Pohar and Carolyn Poore of Peru, Kiersten Pratt of Arlington, Joshua Rinehart of Oglesby, Emily Scully of Peru, Corrie Sparling of LaSalle, Lauren Tjaden of Oglesby, Hannah Uranich of LaSalle, Parker Weber and Quincie Weber of Peru, Abby Wenzel of Mendota, Jacob Wertz of Spring Valley and Jennifer Wheaton of Marseilles.

Fall 2016 — Kaylee Althaus of Sublette, Claribel Arteaga of Ottawa, Dakota Scott Baker of DePue, Kayte Bernardoni of Lostant, Stephanie Bias of LaSalle, Mallory Bima of Oglesby, Ivan Carrasco of LaSalle, Ryan Cinotte of Spring Valley, Tyler Clark of Princeton, Rick Cook of Ottawa, Avery James Detmers of Ladd, Laura Faletti of LaSalle, Chabela Feuntes of Peru, Jade Goff of Ottawa, Allison Hawbaker of Mendota, Danielle Hawkins of Peru, Kori Jo Heth of Grand Ridge, Monica Joerger of LaMoille, Elizabeth Kammer of Lostant, Brian Kelsey of Peru, Allyson Kim of Mendota, Lorraine Koltunczyk of Earlville, Antonia Jenifer Kovacs of Putnam, Nicole Krischel of Wenona, Charles Marchini of Ottawa, Rylee Martinaitis of Dover, Rayna Martinson of Mendota, Thomas Mateika of Peru, Joseph Meyer of Mendota, Hannah Meyers of Minonk, Rebecca Monica of Mendota, Christopher Moshage of Utica, Kristen Pinn of Hennepin, Michelle Reese of LaSalle, Daniela Rios of DePue, Jonathan Rosalez of Mendota, Alexis Scarpaci of Dalzell, Terumi Scully of Peru, Sarah Tipton of Dalzell, Kaitlyn Toedter of Earlville, Jessica Torres of Peru, Trevor Wehner of Sheridan, Savanna Weitzel of Ottawa and Cody Zinke of Mendota.

Spring 2016 — Tiffany J. Deguzman of Princeton, Harold Fay of Hennepin, Alexander Hall of Princeton, Madalyn Loiselle of Hennepin, Alexis Miller of Streator, Samantha Bentley of Mendota, Payton Deady of Ottawa, Doris Dunn of Ottawa and Shannon McGrath of Marseilles.

Fall 2015 — Tracy Baldenegro of Peru, Lauren Bantista of Marseilles, Reese Berger of Mendota, Brittany Blomquist of Hennepin, Michael Bondi of Earlville, Jacob Bonnell of Ohio, Brenna Boyer of Ogelsby, Amelia Bystry of Princeton, Brittney Dooley of Marseilles, Trevor Finnan of Utica, Justin Galetti of Standard, Ashley Garcia of Streator, Sarah Geiger of Princeton, Christine Henderson of LaMoille, Brittany Jennings of Princeton, Nathan Killelea of Ottawa, Evan Kreiser of Lostant, Torri Leek of Peru, Laura Lenhausen of Ottawa, Shea Lowe of Streator, Jennifer Meisel of Peru, Alexis Mink of Princeton, Jill Nickelsen of Wyanet, Cody O'Brien of Lostant and Vanessa Olivares of Spring Valley.

Spring 2015 — Austin Burnette of Mendota, Nicole Doran of Peru, Christopher Jacobsen of Spring Valley, Hope Kennedy of Ottawa, Alexis Knottnerus of Mendota and Courtney Ossola of Granville.

Fall 2014 — Kayla Bersztaitis of Ladd, Cody Bornemann of Granville, Marissa Buinickas of Ottawa, Catherine Calderon of LaSalle, Carly Charbonneau of Ottawa, Cherie Couch of Ottawa, Caleb Dougherty of Ottawa, Christina Elnicki of Oglesby, Megan Fitzgerald of Lostant, Whitley Funfsinn of LaSalle, Lauren Gehant of Mendota, Lorena Jaramillo of Princeton, Brianna Kaleel of Mendota, Alec Lindemann of Ottawa, Ryan Marlett of LaSalle, Micaela McGinley of Ottawa, Rebekah Meyers of Minonk, Aubrey Molln of LaMoille, Andrea Neff of LaSalle, Elizabeth Palm of Streator, JoEllyn Parks of Mendota, Leigha Pastorik of Ottawa, Joslin Picatto of Utica, Elizabeth Rice of Magnolia, Cortnie Riordan of Princeton, Melissa Rolando of LaSalle, Ariel Rowland of Princeton, Shannon Rowland of Streator, Chantel Saubert of Peru, Hunter Schultz of Princeton, Ashley Shambaugh of Ottawa, Kaylee Sienza of Oglesby, Brittany Stayton of Streator, Tonisha Thacker of Peru, Erik Thompson of Oglesby, Angela Trost of Streator, Alexander Trumbo of Ottawa, Jesse Wenger of Oglesby, Milda Willoughby of Mendota and Reid Wixom of Mendota.