CHICAGO — Every day, teachers have a profound impact on students’ lives — and not just academically.

To recognize such impactful teachers, DePaul University’s College of Education will honor nine teachers who have significantly influenced DePaul students’ lives at its inaugural Celebrating Teachers award program June 6. The exceptional teachers were nominated by graduating DePaul students as part of the college’s 50th anniversary celebration.

“We know deeply the value of teaching and teachers at the College of Education as we work to prepare the best educators each day,” said Paul Zionts, dean of DePaul’s 50-year-old College of Education. “Each of us is likely to have been inspired by a teacher who has positively impacted our lives and is due a ‘thank you.’

“I chose to establish an annual initiative inviting DePaul seniors to write about a K-12 educator who had positively influenced them both as an effort to make our students reflect on the value of teachers, and as a forum to celebrate educators who deserve to be honored,” Zionts said.

Below are the teachers and the students who nominated:

• Christopher Cassidy
Chemistry teacher, John Hersey High School, Arlington Heights, Ill.
Nominator: Kathryn Roznai, Mt. Prospect, BS chemistry, 2013; M.Ed., secondary education, 2014

“The true passion that Mr. Cassidy demonstrated every day inspired me to pursue a career in teaching,” said Roznai. “Mr. Cassidy instilled a curiosity for science in me, and I need to follow suit and instill it in my future students. Without this curiosity and drive to learn more, the students will never grasp the concepts. With interest and curiosity comes an understanding for and love of the subject. Each day when I get in front of the class, or when I plan my lessons, I will think of what Mr. Cassidy would do in the situation, and act accordingly.”

• Michele Sanborn
Teacher, Burroughs Elementary, Chicago
Nominator: Liboria Villagomez, Chicago, BS, elementary education, 2014

“Mrs. Sanborn believed in second chances and gave me the nudge that I needed to put me on the right path that has helped transform my life,” Villagomez said. “Being a first-generation student who came from a Spanish-speaking household, this meant a lot. She has been the role model that I looked up to; I wanted to be a teacher just like her. As young as I might have been, I quickly realized that I was capable of a lot more than was expected of me and that meant I wouldn’t settle for less.”

• Sofia Orlowski
Math teacher, John Marshall Metropolitan High School, Chicago
Nominator: Young-Ghee Kim, Batavia, M.Ed., secondary education, 2013

“Her grit and natural resilience inspire me to never give up in the face of adversity and to always keep an open mind toward alternative routes to successful learning,” said Kim. “Not only does she set high expectations for her students but she sets even higher expectations for herself.”

• Amy Kochenderfer-Preiss
Department chair, religious studies, Notre Dame Preparatory School, Pontiac, Mich.
Nominator: Jessica McGlory, BA, digital cinema, 2013

“It’s not what was done in the classroom that has been a catalyst, but rather what occurred outside the classroom,” McGlory said. “My life was not only transformed by this teacher, but in all truth, it was saved. I feel good being exactly who I am and that it is certainly OK to be gay.”

• Michael Piskel
Science teacher, Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, Ill.
Nominator: Alyssa Petrich, Chicago, BS, elementary education, 2013

“As a teacher in high school, he made my senior year science class fun and one to look back on,” said Petrich. “Science is my least favorite subject, and one that does not come easy to me. I managed to pull of an ‘A’ with his teaching style. He accommodates students’ needs and understands each student’s learning style, which helps every student benefit in his class.”

• Myung Chi
Teacher, Daniel Boone Elementary, Chicago
Nominator: Christian Marin, Lincolnwood, Ill., BA, psychology, human services, 2013

“There may have been teachers that inspired and helped us gain a better sense of self-confidence, but then there are other teachers that completely turn our lives around and lead us on a path of greater success,” Marin said.

• Darlene Oakley
Teacher, St. Peter’s Lutheran Grade School, Collins, Wisc.
Nominator: Alyson Hankwitz, Chicago, BA, urban public policy studies

“During my four years in her classroom, Mrs. Oakley challenged me to learn and absorb knowledge to my full potential, supported me in struggles with classmates and extracurriculars, and congratulated me as a grandma would on my achievements,” said Hankwitz. “Mrs. Oakley has most intimately demonstrated to me what a genuine, loving, effective, continuing teacher looks like.”

• Kristin White
Former photography teacher and student activities, Walled Lake Central High School, Walled Lake, Mich.
(Now assistant principal, Walled Lake Western High School, Walled Lake, Mich.)
Nominator: Kendall Raymond, Chicago, BSB, management, 2013

“Mrs. White taught me to not only be a good student, but to be a well-rounded, strong, articulate, independent, driven and passionate person,” Raymond said. “She believed in developing people who would go out in the world and make it a better place, not by being perfect but by making mistakes, learning from them, reflecting on them and growing.”

• Rhonda Johnson
Theater arts instructor, Galileo Magnet High School, Danville, Va.
Nominator: Darius Montague, Chicago, BA, sociology, 2013

“I am nominating the teacher who helped shape me as a person and as an actor,” said Montague. “I will never forget what she told me when I said, ‘I can’t.’ She responded: ‘It’s not that you can’t, it’s that you won’t.’ And she was right – I was the only factor holding myself back. From then on I pushed myself to make Mrs. J proud of me.

“At the end of my senior year, I was honored with being awarded the Thespis Award, given to a senior who had shown diligence, participation and dedication to the Theatre Guild during their four years. I could see in Mrs. J’s eyes when she presented the award that I had made her proud. From the whiny freshman to the young adult about to head off to college, I had progressed and grown into the individual she always knew I could be.”

For more about Celebrating Teachers, including teacher stories and videos, visit http://education.depaul.edu/About/50_Year_Anniversary/Celebrate_Teachers.asp.