Dr. Daniel Geiter, of Chicago, is one of five alumni inducted into 2016 Alumni Hall of Fame at Moraine Valley Community College.
“I am honored,” Geiter said of his selection. “My Moraine Valley years were important to my development into a ‘student’ and after four degrees, I felt like I had actually accomplished something unthinkable. This induction is a manifestation of the hard work and dedication of the educators and support staff at Moraine Valley who saw the best in me when I could only see the worst in me.”
Geiter earned an Associate in Arts degree from Moraine Valley in 2009. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from Saint Xavier University, a master’s degree from the University of Chicago; and a doctorate degree from Benedictine University.
He serves as president of Ward College, founded to help ex-offenders get an education to help reduce their chances of being reincarcerated, and was chief executive officer at Catalyst Educational Research Center in Chicago. In addition, Dr. Geiter was a professor and a research specialist at Saint Xavier University, and an instructor for the general education degree program at the Langston Hughes Educational Initiative in Chicago. He is a member of the American Conference on Education, Urban League Educators of Chicago, American Association of African American Educators, and the American Association of Distance Educators.
“We are so pleased to have Daniel as one of our 2016 inductees,” said Patricia Trebe, assistant director of annual giving and alumni relations at the Moraine Valley Foundation. “Daniel is an amazingly positive person who always searches out the bright side of life. His journey as a felon to a college president is just remarkable not only in the fact that he made it through, but that he never forgot from where he came. His fight continues for young men who, like himself, feel helpless and lost. He truly is a shining example of the power of education.”
In addition to Dr. Geiter, the newest members are Kathleen Karwoski, of Oak Forest; Gina Leahy, of Justice; Nicole Selvaggio, of Oak Lawn; and Keith Karlson, of Chicago.
