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The University of St. Francis in Joliet honored five alumni with its Distinguished Alumni Awards on Sept. 28 as part of its 2024 homecoming festivities.
Presidential Alumni Award – Diane Habiger ‘77
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Habiger graduated from the College of St. Francis with a bachelor’s degree in English.
She has served on the boards of Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Joliet Catholic Academy, Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home, Rotary Club of Joliet and USF Board of Trustees.
She received the the inaugural Marx Gibson Community Leadership Award. Lewis University’s De La Salle Award, ATHENA Award. The Community Foundation of Will County’s Philanthropy Award and was inducted into the Joliet Catholic Academy Hall of Fame for Business and Industry.
College of Arts & Science Alumni Award – Charles Szoke ‘78
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Szoke graduated with a bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation from the College of St. Francis and a master’s degree in public service management from DePaul University.
He retired with the Channahon Park District in January 2019 and received the Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s Robert Artz Lifetime Achievement Award.
Szoke serves on the boards of People for Channahon Parks Foundation, and Reclaimed, volunteers for the Rotary Club of Channahon-Minooka and Honor Flight Chicago and has served as an adjunct instructor in the recreation and sport management program at the University of St. Francis.
College of Business & Health Administration Alumni Award – Hon. Vincent Cornelius ‘86
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Cornelius graduated from Joliet Catholic Academy, was inducted in JCA’s Hall of Fame for Business and received JCA’s Career Achievement Award.
He earned a degree in business administration from USF and a juris doctor degree from the Northern Illinois University College of Law.
He was elected to serve as a circuit judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court of Will County and as the 140th president of the Illinois State Bar Association.
[ Joliet attorney installed as 140th president of the Illinois State Bar Association ]
He received the NAACP Medgar Evers Award and the Black Bar Association of Will County’s Seeker of Justice Award.
He currently serves on the boards of Illinois Judges Association, the Illinois Judicial Council, Silver Cross Hospital, NIU College of Law, Joliet Catholic Academy, Calvary Church of Naperville, and the Advisory Board of the Diamond Youth Foundation.
College of Education Alumni Award – John Greenan ‘02, ‘05, ‘18
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Greenan graduated from USF with a bachelor of arts in history, a master of science in educational leadership and a doctor of education in Educational leadership.
He’s now in his 23rd year at Lockport Township High School District 205 and his first as assistant superintendent for personnel.
Greenan has volunteered in USF’s Student Alumni Mentoring Program and is currently a College of Education ambassador.
Leach College of Nursing Alumni Award – Cherlonda Howard ‘19
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Howard earned her nursing degree from Prairie State College in 2014 and graduated from USF in 2019 as a family nurse practitioner.
She works full-time as a family nurse practitioner and is launching a medical weight management clinic with Advocate South Holland.
She volunteers with Advocate Wrigley First Aid, tutors nursing students at Prairie State College and mentors USF nurse practitioner students.