When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and riots broke out in Chicago, Valencia Breckenridge went to the aid of her school’s sole white teacher.  Because his car had broken down at their inner city school, she invited him to her family’s home.  “Every experience in life has a purpose,” she believes.  Realizing her teacher took a risk daily to work in her neighborhood opened Breckenridge’s eyes.  “My teachers told me I need not be a product of my environment,” she explains.  Always a good student with a love for learning, Breckenridge, who grew up in the projects, holds degrees from both the University of Chicago and Northwestern University.  She is director of development for Pioneer Clubs, which fits her philosophy of being kind to strangers, for one never knows when God is entertained, unaware.  Married to a childhood friend, she has two sons, John and Connor Douglas.  It was the positive experience and the excellent education her sons received at Glen Crest Middle School that moved Breckenridge to “give back” to the community.  For two years, she has volunteered on Tuesdays mornings at the school, holding a breakfast discussion group.  With a trend of Chicago families moving to the suburbs, Breckenridge knows well the adjustments and challenges these transfer students face.  Discussing mostly conflict resolution, Breckenridge has earned the students’ respect; and, was nominated by Kenise Lawrence as a “Person of Character,” in part because she showed the “real her.”  Valencia Breckenridge simply calls herself a “seed planter.”  

 “It touches them in a different way,” says Amy Hohulin, who has co-chaired the art appreciation program at Abraham Lincoln School for the past five years. Speaking of the children who, from grades K-5 enjoy six art presentations per school year, Hohulin notes that the older children especially gain appreciation when they travel to Chicago’s Art Institute and view actual paintings. Her volunteer work also includes being vice president of the board of directors for Anima (formerly known as the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus.) Both of her daughters sing for the chorus, even bringing along donated items for a school with whom the group of children sang. The new name, Anima, means breath, life, soul and spirit, as translated from Latin. Because the chorus, which originated in 1964, includes youth from kindergarten through seniors in high school, and because the group draws from a large suburban area, Anima more appropriately describes the choral members. Hohulin cooks for the PADS program as well and she works out of her home in the field of communication. A native of Quincy, Hohulin credits her parents, described as “do-ers,” with her commitment to the arts and to volunteer service. Dick Winans nominated Amy Hohulin as a Person of Character for all of the above reasons.

Dick Winans is a reader. Averaging a book a week, he makes regular visits to Glen Ellyn Public Library. Before he retired, his career in sales called for frequent travel; and, with a library book in hand, waiting in airports was easier for Winans. A father to four and grandfather to six, he is fortunate to have his family all living nearby. When Winan’s daughter-in-law became involved in the Friends of the Library, she recruited Dick. At first he stuffed envelopes for the library until his volunteer duties evolved into much more. He has helped with the construction of the library’s parade float and he delivers books to homebound library patrons. Every January Winans concentrates his efforts on sorting books, to begin preparations for the library’s annual fundraiser, the used book sale. Kathy Doyle, and the Glen Ellyn Friends of the Library, nominated Dick Winans as a Person of Character because (he is) “a model of why Glen Ellyn is such a close-knit community.” Explaining that he sometimes comes in to help with library work “unexpectedly,” Doyle describes him as “cheerful” and unassuming. Dick Winans credits his mother, who did a “tremendous amount” of volunteer work for his school, as he was growing up, in Joliet. It’s likely character can be inherited, as well as taught.

“My parents were very community-minded,” says Anne Bouchard, who was nominated as a Person of Character by Gilda Ross. She grew up in Wayne but graduated from Swarthmore College, in Pennsylvania, after which Bouchard practiced then retired from law to raise her children. Her volunteer work began in district #89, when her son and then daughter attended Westfield School; and, continues today in district #87, where her children attend Glenbard South High School. Bouchard is on the committee for ACTS (Advocating Character Through Service) where she helped supervise over 350 students at South to make “valentines for vets.” Teaming up with an existing endeavor through the village of Glendale Heights, all four Glenbard high schools participated in making hand-crafted valentines, as well as every student at Glencrest Middle School. Distribution of the valentines was divided between active military personnel overseas and veterans in VA hospitals. ACTS is being introduced within the district, is open to all students, and has as its intention to identify and then act upon a need in the community. Recognizing that the Quaker influence “molded” her at Swarthmore, a school her parents also attended, Anne Bouchard, like the Quakers, desires to “make the world a better place.”

Kathy Schmidt was a five year old girl growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia when she lost her mother. Because her brother was much older, he and his wife began caring for Kathy, all the while encouraging her to seek a profession and to become a secure and satisfied adult. The lesson in life worked. Kathy went to Pennsylvania State where she met her husband, who also became a lawyer. She taught law at Loyola but she sought and obtained an education degree, as well. When a move to Glen Ellyn to raise children led her to meet neighbor (the late) Carolyn Strayer, Kathy’s future began to unfold. Strayer was serving on the school board and Kathy was inspired to follow in her footsteps. Four times she has been elected to a Glen Ellyn school board. For ten years, she was board president of school district 41 and she is currently on the board of high school district 87. Volunteer outreach also includes her efforts at Glenbard East High School, where Kathy helped administer EKG tests to athletes in a program called “Young Hearts for Life.” A program through Midwest Heart Foundation and led by Dr. Joseph Marek, the purpose was to detect any student at risk for sudden cardiac death. Professionally, Kathy is a full time special education teacher at Glen Crest Middle School where she enjoys teaching her students algebra, best of all. Law training prepared her for teaching with its emphasis on skills such as organizing thoughts and solving problems. Teaching, however, has “nicer hours” and more of an upbeat atmosphere, she admits. Pam Zimmermann nominated Kathy Schmidt as a Person of Character for reasons which include her “passion for the education of young people.” Says Kathy about teaching, “I enjoy all the kids and I am never, ever bored.”  

Becky Beilfuss considers herself “divinely guided” to be doing something she so loves. As executive director of Teen Parent Connection, she leads an organization which helps 400 families a year to avoid the six cycles of failure; violence, abuse, neglect, poverty, ignorance and dependency. In DuPage County, 4% of births are to women under the age of 20. Since 1985, this non-profit agency has been working with young parents and their children, from prenatal to age five. A mother at sixteen, Beilfuss understands firsthand the challenges of teen parenthood. She began as a volunteer with Teen Parent Connection 18 years ago when she was a mother to three, and credits her predecessor, Janet Bornancin, for helping her to realize that things Beilfuss may have doubted were, indeed, “possible.” Young volunteers who return to the agency to “give back” sometimes become employees, such as Courtney Simek, who came to Teen Parent Connection for support and information before the birth of her son, four years ago, and now is a public speaker at the county’s high schools. Explaining the realities of teenage parenthood to students, Simek also assists with support groups for new parents and is completing a college degree. Lora Vitek, a colleague and friend to Beilfuss, recommended her as a Person of Character. Citing several reasons, Vitek remarked that Beilfuss “carries tremendous respect for everyone she touches.” Each person walking through the doorway, usually referred by the DuPage County Health Department, is assisted to the best of the agency’s ability. Being a teenaged parent is not easy, admits Becky Beilfuss, but she and her staff at the Teen Parent Connection proudly believe that they “grow hope.”