Eisenhower celebrates staff, alumni for WHM

To celebrate Women’s History Month, District 218 has recognized graduates from Eisenhower, Richards, and Shepard high schools who have achieved noteworthy success academically, professionally, artistically, in public service, or in some other field of endeavor.

Eisenhower celebrated the following alumni among many others:

Debbie Ciciora has worked at Eisenhower for 21 years. Debbie has attended Illinois State University, Moraine Valley Community College, and South Suburban College. She works as a paraprofessional in the BUILD Program and in Core classrooms.

She’s probably best known for managing The Closet, a resource for students at Eisenhower to receive everyday essentials like clothes, shoes and personal hygiene products.

For her service to Eisenhower students Debbie won the Illinois Education Association Educational Support Person of the Year Award in 2020. She won ESP of the Month as well.

Debbie participates actively in the IEA-NEA, serving on the ESP Council and as a local and regional representative.

Gladys Fatima Marquez graduated from Eisenhower and works there as an English Language Learner teacher, She has distinguish herself as chairperson of the National Education Association Hispanic Caucus, co-chair of the NEA Ethnic Minority Affairs Committee, NEA Director (IL), community organizer, activist, and leader for the Illinois Education Association.

In her leadership role, she has organized nationwide events to raise awareness about the plight of immigrants in America. She has organized various national events including “Teach-Ins” at immigration detention centers, humanitarian missions to shelters at the border, and helped organize massive marches in protest of the national policy leading to the separation of immigrant families and the incarceration of immigrant children.

In addition to this advocacy work, Ms. Marquez lobbied in support of a clean Dream Act, and fought for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), advocated for Deferred Action for Parental Adjustment (DAPA), and helped facilitate countless Know-Your-Rights clinics to help protect immigrant communities across the nation. Her goal has always been the advocacy and protection of those living in shadows of America’s broken immigration system. That is her life’s work.

She has earned two master’s degrees in Educational Administration and Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on the instruction of English Language Learners (ELL). She currently works on her doctorate in Interdisciplinary Leadership with a focus on Organizing and Social Entrepreneurship.

Maria Infante graduated from Eisenhower in 2016. She will graduate in May 2021 from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Public Health with minors un Public Policy and Gender and Women’s Studies.

Her past work experience includes serving as a health curriculum intern for Super 7 Girls, a nonprofit in Chicago dedicated to transforming the life outcomes of girls of color; being a research assistant for a capstone project within the School of Public Health at UIC in which she helped analyze a student-orientated yoga and mindfulness program in a CPS school with goals to increase graduation rates, address health inequalities, and increase knowledge of the benefits of taking care of one’s mental health.

“I am currently working as a COVID-19 Tracer and Aide at UIC and finishing my practicum with the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry at the Center for Disease Control. I volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and American Brain Tumor Association to help raise money and awareness,” she added.

Maria also volunteers with various nonprofit organizations within Chicago when able. “People may recognize me from running the Ice Cream booth at the St. Donatus carnival,” she said.

Luella Williams-Provenza graduated from Eisenhower in 2002.

Luella serves as Chief Impact Officer for Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. In her role she "oversees food access programming on behalf of Second Harvest providing disaster relief in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic across 23 counties in South Louisiana."

Tina Jacklin works as the choral director at Eisenhower.

“When it comes to teaching the whole child, no one does it better than Tina Jacklin. Whether she’s being called Mrs. Jacklin, Ms. L, or mom, she devotes countless hours to developing and fostering our students’ musical talent,” said Dr. Justin Antos, the Eisenhower band director who wrote her nomination.

“Her effectiveness as an educator can be witnessed in the numerous success stories of her students. She is one of the best choral directors I have ever seen and is one of District 218’s greatest assets,” he added.