This year, five of the 10 winners of the distinguished Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching are NEIU alumni:

• Carol (Linville) Broos (M.A. '86 Music)
  Music, 4-8
  Sunset Ridge School in Northfield
  "Carol creates a classroom environment for discovery, opportunity and expression. She feels her classroom is where mistakes are allowed and creativity is heralded. The personalization that Carol creates is the cornerstone of her teaching music, theater and technology." – Golden Apple Foundation  

• Samina Khan (Biology)
  Science, 6-8
  Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School in Chicago
  Samina sees Science as a global activity and a field of evolving human endeavor that needs to be studied by all students. She feels arousing curiosity in her students opens them to new ideas and helps develop a level of healthy skepticism about scientific discoveries and other claims made in the name of science.

• Brooke Tippet Thompson (M.A. '97 Music)
  Music, K-8
  Pierce School of International Studies in Chicago
  "Brooke jokingly refers to her classroom as the "Taj Mahal" of music rooms! She feels her mission is to teach through music. Her students learn to work together to produce a beautiful and fulfilling sound, thus developing an aesthetic sense." – Golden Apple Foundation  

• Natalie Neris-Guereca (B.A. '02 Elementary Education: Teacher Education)
  5th grade
  Pershing West Magnet School in Chicago
  "Natalie teaches to heal, just as her favorite teacher did. She teaches to represent possibility. She feels that she can say confidently to her students, "I know how you feel," and her words are sincere. She knows that she can equip her students with the tools necessary to accomplish their full potential." – Golden Apple Foundation  

• Donnell White (B.A. '02 Elementary Education: Teacher Education)
  Math, 7-8
  Clark Academic Preparatory Magnet High School in Chicago
  "Donnell thinks teaching is fluid and requires constant reflection. He believes what works today may not work tomorrow. What works on one student may not work on another. To help his male students overcome academic apathy Donnell created an organization called Proud Young Men." – Golden Apple Foundation  

Since 1986, when the program began, a total of 27 NEIU alumni have received Golden Apple Awards. These awards recognize outstanding teachers in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and Will counties in Illinois. In addition to the honor and public recognition, Golden Apple Award winners enjoy these additional rewards:

• A paid semester sabbatical at Northwestern University
• A laptop computer
• A cash award of $3,000
• Induction into the Golden Apple Academy of Educators

Currently, approximately 3,800 NEIU graduates are teaching in the metropolitan Chicagoland area. Ninety-eight percent of all NEIU College of Education graduates report they feel well prepared for their jobs one year after graduation.