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Public Relations and Marketing | Published May 01, 2023
When a student has a great instructor, it can leave a lifelong impact. Students at College of Lake County (CLC) can recognize those that leave a lasting impression by nominating their instructors for the Outstanding Faculty Awards through the Illinois Community College Trustee Association (ICCTA). This year, Martha Lally and Judi Schulte were honored as the full-time and part-time nominees for the college.
Every year, ICCTA honors faculty at community colleges across the state that showcase outstanding work. Each college selects its own winners based on student nominations, and then state-wide winners for each category are chosen by ICCTA. Fifty-two CLC faculty members were nominated by students this year.
Martha Lally
Lally, a psychology instructor, actually started as an adjunct faculty member at CLC in 2001 before becoming full-time in 2008. She began her professional career as a clinician with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. She also has a specialty in brain and behavior, and lifespan development.
“When I started out, I wanted to be a practitioner,” Lally said. “I always taught as an adjunct as I did my practice. I taught at least one course this semester thinking that at some point, I would probably want to come and teach full time. And that's exactly what I did.”
As someone who studies psychology, personal relationships with students are a big part of Lally’s teaching method.
“Connecting with my students is very important to me,” Lally said. “I like to have personal connections because I care about my students. I work with them, and I want them to succeed.”
Outside the classroom, Lally is involved with students through the psychology club which she helped start in 2010.
As this year’s CLC award recipient, Lally was also nominated for the 2023 ICCTA Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award, and in April, learned she is a co-recipient of the award.
Judi Schulte
Like Lally, teaching wasn’t something Schulte had initially planned for her career. She worked in banking until her daughter was born. When the opportunity to teach at CLC came up, she decided it was right for her.
“It was one of those things that just fit,” Schulte said.
Schulte teaches a variety of math courses. Because math is a subject some students struggle with or think they won’t enjoy, Schulte likes helping students feel empowered while learning to improve their experience. In her class, students don’t need to raise their hand to ask questions, they can comment freely.
“Many students feel intimidated,” Schulte said. “I want them to feel like they work hard so they feel good, like they achieved something. Students can learn from each other, so it’s good when they talk more.”
Lally and Schulte were honored during the April board meeting.
About College of Lake County
College of Lake County is a comprehensive community college committed to equitable high-quality education, cultural enrichment and partnerships to advance the diverse communities it serves in northeastern Illinois. Offered at three campuses in Grayslake, Vernon Hills and Waukegan or online, college classes are affordable and accessible to help each student achieve academic, career and personal goals. More than 70,000 students graduated with degrees and certificates since the college opened in 1969. College of Lake County is the only higher-education institution ranked among the top 15 best places to work in Illinois by Forbes in 2019 and is a national leader in many areas, including campus internationalization, sustainability and conservation.