Past Presidents’ Luncheon, Featured Speaker, Catherine Adel West

Catherine Adel West was born and raised in Chicago, IL where she currently resides. She graduated with both her B.A. and M.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois – Urbana. She is the author of Saving Ruby Kingand The Two Lives of Sara. In addition, her work is published in Black Fox Literary Magazine, Five2One, Better than Starbucks, Doors Ajar, 805 Lit + Art, The Helix Magazine, Lunch Ticket, Gay Magazine, and Every Body Shines, a body positive anthology.

catherineadelwest.com


 

Book Signing with Catherine Adel West
Friday 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance

Featured Speaker, Briana Morales, 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year

Briana Morales is a proud Latina and freedom fighter for students in alternative education, where she has spent her career loving and learning alongside students furthest from justice in East St. Louis, IL. Throughout her career she has helped    students turn pain into power through narrative poetry of witness. Briana was honored in 2021 as a NCTE Early Career Educator of Color and more recently as the 2023 Illinois Teacher of the Year.