Eight alumni to be inducted into District 230 Foundation Legacy Hall

The District 230 Foundation will soon add eight members to the distinguished list of alumni who inspire current students and remind them of all that is possible when you have the support of the D230 community. Legacy Hall was established to recognize and honor graduates from Sandburg, Stagg and Andrew High Schools who make an impact in their careers, their families and their communities.

Since 2008, the Foundation has been proud to recognize alumni from District 230 for their outstanding contributions in eight different categories: Education and Humanities - Science and Technology - Philanthropy and Non-Profit - Arts and Entertainment - Sports and Recreation - Business and Commerce - Government and Military - Community and Volunteerism

To be selected for Legacy Hall, candidates must not only be recognized for their careers, but also demonstrate a willingness to give back to their communities and to share their expertise, knowledge, and time with others. As part of Legacy Hall, candidates are able to return to their alma maters, and share the story of their careers with the students of District 230. The Foundation hopes and believes they will have a lasting impact on students’ paths in the future, creating the future generation of Legacy Hall inductees.

Tickets to the Legacy Hall Induction Celebration, scheduled for Friday, November 3, at Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park, are $50 per person and may be purchased at www.d230foundation.org/legacy-hall.

Congratulations Legacy Hall Class of 2023:

Badie Ali is the Executive Vice President of Chicago-based MPI Media Group, an independent entertainment company, producing and distributing a slate of 2000 cinema, documentaries, performances and television programs. Badie has executive-produced nine feature films. He has also advocated for the Orland Park Community for the past 17 years. He was one of the co-founders of Orland Park Prayer Center and worked to establish many youth programs that teach about volunteering, supporting others, leadership, and how to make a positive impact on their communities. (Sandburg Class of 2000)

Emily Cavanagh is an independent artist, performing, writing and bringing music to marginalized communities, including refugee communities, individuals facing homelessness and HIV, and seniors with memory loss. In 2020 as a response to the pandemic, Emily founded "A Song for You,” writing, recording and sending personalized songs to patients and families in hospice and hospitals. The songs are written from scratch for patients who have passed away, on behalf of families that couldn't be there, for first responders, hospital staff or mothers separated from their children. What began as a small initiative has grown beyond the pandemic into its own non-profit organization. (Stagg Class of 2000)

Kendall Coyne Schofield is known as "the fastest woman in hockey.” She attended Northeastern University in Boston, where she set collegiate records all while earning an undergraduate and master's degree with summa cum laude honors. Kendall became a member of the United States Women’s National Hockey team, and over the span of her 15 years, captured 24 medals in International Competition. She competed in three Winter Olympic games, winning Gold in 2018 and Silver Medals in 2014 and 2022. Kendall was the first woman to compete in an NHL All-Star skills competition- finishing less than a second behind the winner. She is only the second woman to serve as an analyst for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs and was hired by the Chicago Blackhawks as the first female Player Development Coach and Special Events Coordinator. This year, Kendall has continued her career as a member of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, selected as one of the first free agents signed by the Minnesota franchise. (Sandburg Class of 2010)

Bridget Evans graduated from Carl Sandburg High School with her service dog, Coal, by her side. Bridget was born with spina bifida, a spine-related birth defect that impairs her mobility. Since childhood, she's relied on service dogs for everyday tasks. After successfully training her first dog at age 10, she started volunteering to train more pups to become service dogs. In 2010, while studying at the University of Illinois, she founded Illini Service Dogs, an organization that allows students to foster and train service dogs and provides dogs to people for free. Bridget is a Patient Safety Specialist at a company dedicated to the delivery of data-driven patient care. (Sandburg class of 2006

Souzan Naser is an associate professor and counselor at Moraine Valley Community College, where she has won awards for her work on increasing diversity on campus. She is a licensed clinical social worker with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and a doctor of education in educational stewardship, leadership, and learning from the University of St. Francis. Naser is co-founder of Mamas Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity (MAMAS), a leading member of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network’s Chicago chapter, and a board member of the Arab American Action Network. On campus at Moraine Valley, Naser celebrates diversity, moderates, and presents on interfaith dialogue, and facilitates sexual assault prevention workshops. (Stagg Class of 1995)

Natalie Olson O’Boye is a Special Education Vocational Coordinator at Shepard High School, where she works with more than 100 students to develop skills that help them obtain and keep competitive employment. Teaching them how to fill out job applications, setting up mock interviews, and running a closet with professional attire for students to wear on interviews, she is also making contacts in the community to help the students become employed. In addition, Natalie established Alan Bean, an on-campus coffee shop run by Special Education students, and Alan B. Services, a service in which staff can have things created for their classrooms on an order basis. (Sandburg class of 2000)

Michael Schofield pursued his dream of playing football from being a lineman at Sandburg High School to being a starter on the 2016 Denver Broncos Super Bowl championship team. He was also an All-Big Ten Conference honorable mention while playing for the University of Michigan. Michael was drafted by the Broncos in the 2014 NFL draft. Michael has also been a team member of the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and the Chicago Bears. Michael is a role model and contributor to the community. He is one of the founders of the Schofield Family Foundation, which provides support to the military, first responders, families, and youth sports. Michael has also served as a volunteer coach for Sandburg football. (Sandburg Class of 2009)

Dr. Lindsay Sicks graduated magna cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2006 with a bachelor’s in Biology. She received her Doctor of Optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2010 and went on to complete a residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses at Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry. Dr. Sicks serves as an attending optometrist in the Cornea Center for Clinical Excellence. She is involved in the training of students in specialty contact lenses and ophthalmic surgical procedures. She has delivered continuing education and presented research at both local and national optometry meetings. (Sandburg Class of 2002)