Successful Alumni are Source of Pride

Alumnus Catches Criminals and Writes about Crime
Each year, Moraine Valley honors an alumnus who received a degree or certificate more than five years ago and has gone on to make positive contributions in his or her field with the Distinguished Alumnus Award. This year’s recipient is Michael Black, an administrative sergeant and firearms instructor with the Matteson Police Department.

Michael earned his associate’s degree in criminal justice from Moraine Valley as an adult student after receiving a bachelor’s degree at Northern Illinois University. “The instructors at Moraine Valley were excellent,” Michael says.

Michael uses his experience as a police officer to write award-winning crime novels. His love of writing led him to earn his Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction writing from Columbia College Chicago in 2000. However, he says, “Moraine Valley was my favorite college experience.”

News Gathering at Moraine Valley Leads to a Career in Radio
The Pacesetter Award is given to an alumnus who has attained significant career achievements in the five years since receiving a degree or certificate from Moraine Valley. Melissa Kennedy was honored this year with this award. She works as the promotions manager for WBBM Newsradio 780.

After earning her associate’s degree from Moraine Valley in 2003, Melissa completed her bachelor’s degree in marketing and public relations from Columbia College Chicago. While at Moraine Valley, she served as the editor-in-chief for the Glacier student newspaper, which helped her decide to pursue her present career. “I can attribute my current success to my decision to attend Moraine Valley. Everyone genuinely cared about my success,” Melissa says. “They want students to leave with the tools they need to have a great life.”