Sarah Rudenga, media center coordinator at Parker Junior High, was the recipient of the Flossmoor District 161 #AboveAndBeyond award.

The district started the #AboveAndBeyond recognition program in December 2019 to spread the word about teachers and support staff’s positive impacts on students’ lives.

Before Rudenga was presented with the honor, Karen Cheung and her daughter Avery, a seventh grader at Parker, told the board about Rudenga’s outstanding efforts and why they nominated her for the award.

Rudenga inspires a love of reading and learning creating a space for students to explore and learn with their peers. 

“She plays a huge part in many clubs and activities around the school,” Cheung said, noting Rudenga works to enliven the media center/library space and to engage students.