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It has been said that not all heroes wear capes. That is certainly the case when it

comes to Minooka Community High School (MCHS) English teacher, Andres Torres.

On Saturday, October 19, 2019, Mr. Torres was honored with an Illinois State Board of

Education (ISBE) Those Who Excel recognition. Governor JB Pritzker joined Illinois State

Superintendent of Education, Dr. Carmen Ayala, in honoring all the classroom teachers,

educational leaders, and support personnel that attended the banquet.

The Illinois State Board of Education annually sponsors Those Who Excel to honor individuals

who have made significant contributions to our state's public and nonpublic elementary and

secondary schools.

"Being nominated and recognized by Those Who Excel was an immense honor, but that

absolutely wouldn't have happened without those who participated in my nomination," stated Mr.

Torres. "My department chair, Sean Hackney, as well as my students inspired me to go through

the process, and it culminated in a banquet of hundreds of teachers from around the state and

was an absolutely career-changing experience. This award is an honor, but more accurately it is

a direct correlation to the amazing students that I teach. They are truly the reason why I excel,

and I am fortunate to work with them." continued Torres.

Excellence, Meritorious Service and Special Recognition awards are presented in seven

categories: classroom teacher, school administrator/principal, student support personnel

(licensed), educational service personnel (unlicensed), school board member/community

volunteer; team, and early career educator.

"Mr. Torres is a phenomenal teacher, and he was nominated for this award by his students,

students' parents, fellow teachers, and administration," stated Sean Hackney, MCHS

English Department Chair. "I am thrilled that he will be recognized at the state level for the

wonderful work that he does here at MCHS." continued Hackney.

The ISBE Those Who Excel banquet was held at the Marriott Bloomington-Normal Conference

Center in Normal, Illinois.