College of Education
College of Education list
Annie Burke ’20
Annie earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State University. She also earned a master’s in educational leadership. She currently teaches second grade at Mary Morgan Elementary School in Byron, Illinois.
Known for her dedication to student success, Annie adapts her teaching to meet the diverse needs of her classroom, ensuring every student feels valued and inspired to learn. A committed leader, she organized Family Bingo Night, an event that has engaged over 600 participants in just two years to promote literacy and celebrate student achievement. Annie also serves on the district’s leadership team and contributes to a positive school culture as part of the social committee. Her passion for education and holistic student support earned her the 2024 ISBE Those Who Excel Early Career Educator Award, recognizing her impactful contributions both in and beyond the classroom.
Sylvester Davis ’99, M.S.E. ’04
Sylvester earned a bachelor’s degree in middle-level education and a master’s in educational administration from Illinois State University. He is the associate principal and athletic director at Kingsley Junior High School in Normal. A former middle school teacher, Sylvester has significantly improved attendance and morale, reducing truancy by 23% and disciplinary incidents by 40%. He was named one of McLean County’s 25 Shining Stars for his leadership. Known for creating inclusive, supportive environments, Sylvester mentors high school students and promotes both academic and personal growth. His dedication has earned him numerous honors, including Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Omega Man of the Year, and Mason Man of the Year. He also received awards for Outstanding Community Service Leadership.
Beyond his school, Sylvester contributes to statewide educational improvement through his involvement with the Illinois Principals Association, shaping policy and best practices across Illinois.
Herschel Hannah, M.S. ’94, Ed.D. ’04
Herschel earned a master’s and doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University. With over 35 years in education, he began as a science and physical education teacher and later served in various leadership roles, including principal and assistant superintendent. He retired in 2020 as the assistant superintendent of human resources for Bloomington Public Schools District 87.
Today, Herschel continues to support educational leadership as a mentor, coach, and consultant for the Illinois Principals Association, offering professional development on growth mindset, leadership, school culture, and team effectiveness. He also facilitates the Launching School Leader Network and served on the ISBE Principal Preparation Committee. A John Maxwell Certified Coach and former adjunct professor at Illinois State, Herschel is known for his passion for developing school leaders. His many honors include Educator of the Year and the Humanex Ventures Exemplar in Education & Community Award.
JoAnn Hartman ’54, M.S.E. ’68
JoAnn earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from Illinois State. JoAnn was posthumously awarded the Legacy Award for her legacy in the classroom and a family legacy of educators spanning four generations.
Her 40+ year teaching career was primarily with McLean County Unit 5, followed by a decade of volunteer work in first-grade classrooms. Known for her individualized support, creative lessons, and detailed tracking of student progress, JoAnn fostered a love of learning in every child. She continually grew as an educator, adapting to meet each student’s needs with patience and passion. Her influence extended beyond the classroom, inspiring four of her five children, a grandson, and a great-grandson to pursue education. Admired for her warmth, curiosity, and commitment, JoAnn embodied the ideal teacher, leaving behind a lasting impact on students, colleagues, and generations of future educators.
Mary Keltner-King ’03
Mary earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Illinois State. She also earned a master’s degree in early childhood studies. She teaches in Peoria Public Schools District 150 and is known for creating inclusive, supportive classroom environments. She collaborated with a special education teacher to unite Deaf and Hard of Hearing and general education students, incorporating an interpreter and teaching sign language. Her career began with supporting students and their families, even volunteering to help adults pursue GEDs and further education. With colleagues, Mary secured over $40,000 in grants for enrichment programming and co-created the Valeska Hinton Monarch Project, reaching over 700 early childhood students annually. She also organizes educational and community engagement programs throughout Peoria.
Her honors include the Peoria Federation of Teachers Outstanding Teacher Award, the Clean Water Celebrations Wave Maker Award, and multiple community service recognitions for her creative programming and dedication to student and community success.
Nancy Northrip ’80
Nancy received a bachelor’s degree in early childhood from Illinois State. She began her career in the classroom before co-owning ULTIMATE Gymnastics in Gurnee, Illinois, where she supported the athletic and personal development of over 1,400 students weekly for 40 years.
Nancy’s dedication to education extends far beyond the gym. She serves as director of the Golder Family Foundation Board, supporting education, the Jewish faith, and public health. For 26 years, she has served on the Golden Apple Foundation Board, recently completing her first term as chair, where she champions the recruitment and preparation of future teachers—often recommending Illinois State. She also served on the boards for Noble Network Charter Schools and Lambs Farm. Nancy has raised over $1 million for Make-A-Wish Illinois and was honored with the 2022 Volunteer Fundraiser Community Events Award. In 2024, she received the Patricia Blunt Koldyke Award for Community Service from Golden Apple for her decades of impact.
Jessica Ochoa ’23
Jessica earned a bachelor’s degree in bilingual/bicultural elementary education from Illinois State. She is a first-grade dual language teacher at Champaign Unit 4’s International Prep Academy and is deeply committed to advancing dual language education. In her first year, she joined the Teaching and Learning Committee to research and pilot inclusive teaching practices. Her team’s findings, aimed at improving accessibility and success for multilingual learners, were presented to staff and widely adopted across the school. For this impactful work, Jessica received the Early Childhood Emerging Professional Award from Illinois Public Media.
She also attended the AVID Summer Institute to share her strategies with educators beyond her district. Jessica serves on the school’s social committee, represents her grade level at council meetings, and participates in hiring processes. She also co-leads a K–2 after-school Spanish club, nurturing bilingualism and cultural interest among young learners.
Kimberly Schonert-Reichl ’81
Kimberly earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State University. She also earned a master’s and a doctorate in educational psychology. Kimberly is the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social Emotional Learning and a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago.
An internationally recognized leader in Social Emotional Learning (SEL), her research focuses on improving student well-being, teacher resilience, and educational outcomes. Her work linking teacher stress to student success has influenced policy and intervention efforts.
She led the integration of SEL into British Columbia’s K–12 curriculum—one of the first such efforts in North America—and continues to guide the field through innovative scholarship. Kimberly is the founding editor of Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy and director of the CASEL Weissberg Scholars Program. Her impact earned numerous honors, including the Janusz Korczak Medal for Children’s Rights Advocacy and the Joseph E. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award.
Matthew Walsh ’04
Matt earned a bachelor’s degree in bilingual elementary education from Illinois State University. He also earned a master’s in education administration. Matt is an English language and bilingual teacher at Francis Granger Middle School, where he leads with a passion for equity and student success. He developed a district-wide initiative to support newcomer English Learner (EL) students and their families, helping eliminate communication barriers in one of Illinois' largest school districts. His work established home/school liaison roles and connected families to vital school and community resources. Matt also created a professional development program with digital resources for all staff to better serve EL students and continues to mentor early career EL teachers. He has presented this impactful work statewide to inform policy and improve learning supports. Matt received the 2024 ISBE Those Who Excel Award of Special Recognition and was honored as “The One” by a student for his outstanding support and advocacy.