Grateful for U of I

I am humbled and honored to have spent three days last weekend as a University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana Alumni Achievement Award recipient.

I can honestly say this University sets the example to other Big Ten Universities for excellence, as do the other wonderful and worthy alumni who received awards.

Hearty congratulations to Donald Bitzer, Karen P. Layng, Doug Litteken, Mary Ellen Penicook, Tracey Meares, Nathan Gunn and Julie Jordan Gunn. Thank you, Chancellor Robert Jones, David Bambrey, Amy Barklam, Sheila Renee Wenger and all the student Ambassadors for a special and rewarding weekend that I will cherish forever!

Thank you to the School of Social Work for a fabulous education; thank you to Rick Snider, my colleague extraordinaire; and thank you to my lovely daughter, Liliya Koenig, who joined me in accepting this tremendous honor.