Harper to honor five alumni at annual awards ceremony

Harper College will hold its 2023 Distinguished Alumni Awards to honor and celebrate former students for outstanding career and community achievements. The awards ceremony will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, October 19, in the Wojcik Conference Center on the college’s main campus, 1200 W. Algonquin Road, Palatine. It will begin with a reception followed by the awards ceremony.

The initiative was launched in 2008 as part of Harper’s 40th anniversary celebration. Since then, 83 recipients representing a variety of educational journeys and professional paths have been honored. Honorees have included mayors, leaders in health care, scientists, professional athletes, trailblazers in the arts, entrepreneurs, business leaders and more.

The 2023 honorees include:

Outstanding Recent Alumni Award Honoree

Jennifer AK Mepham, M.S.N., B.S., R.N., C.H.S.E.

System simulation education specialist, Advocate Health

Distinguished Alumni Award Honorees 

Veronica Gott

Director, English Learner Program, High School District 214

Doryce McCarthy

President, OMNI Youth Services

Kari-Ann Ryan

Director of marketing and development, Mid-West Moving & Storage; founder of LMJ’s Lost Souls Alzheimer’s Fund

John Schippman

Vice president of content, sports, NBCUniversal Local, Chicago

“Harper College is proud to recognize these accomplished alumni leaders for their remarkable contributions to their professions and in their communities,” said Shannon Hynes, director of alumni and affinity groups. “Our Distinguished Alumni Program is an opportunity to highlight our former students who now inspire others.”

View the recipients' biographies and learn more about the ceremony and the Distinguished Alumni program. For more information, please contact Harper College Alumni Relations at 847.925.6701 or alumni@harpercollege.edu.