Donna Hornsby and Mary Stover
Ombudsman is proud to honor three outstanding educators who will be retiring at the end of this school year.
Lou Gaeding has worked with Ombudsman for more than 17 years, Mary Stover has worked with Ombudsman for more than 15 years, and Donna Hornsby has been with us for more than 13 years. They are dedicated educators who put students’ needs first, and our Dundee/Elgin, Ill., center director Eileen Fay submitted the following kind words to commemorate their collective retirement:
I have only known Mary and Donna for two years, but it seems like a lifetime. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of working with them can tell you that they were meant to be together. They finish each other’s thoughts and sentences, like an old married couple. This unique relationship has granted them the opportunity to set and achieve high expectations for themselves and the students. They are dedicated to student success and that can been seen every day at our center. They have helped hundreds of students improve their lives and graduate from high school in their time at Ombudsman. They never hesitate to go the extra mile for students and staff alike. Each student is treated fairly and never made to feel like they cannot succeed. I am not sure what our center will look like after their retirement, but we can only hope to strive for the same excellence they both have for over a decade of dedicated service.
Lou Gaeding and student Manny Jasso
Lou, your devotion to student progress and center efficiency is testament to what teaching at Ombudsman is all about. When asked to do what may have seemed at first impossible, you never failed to meet the challenge – from adapting to wholesale changes in the Ombudsman program to working with the most demanding of students. We wholeheartedly thank you, Lou, for all you have done over the years. The decades truly hold a host of those grateful for your dedication. We wish you the best in the years ahead as you appreciate time well deserved enjoying your retirement.
Congratulations, and thank you for your service and dedication to students!