Hall of Fame

Sylvester Davis

Sylvester Davis ‘99, ‘04 earned a bachelor’s degree in middle level education and a master’s in educational administration from Illinois State University. He is the Associate Principal and Athletic Director at Kingsley Junior High School in Normal, Illinois. A former middle school teacher, Sylvester has significantly improved attendance and morale, reducing truancy by 23% and disciplinary incidents by 40%. He was named one of McLean County’s 25 Shining Stars for his leadership. Known for creating inclusive, supportive environments, Sylvester mentors high school students and promotes both academic and personal growth. His dedication has earned him numerous honors, including Outstanding Teacher of the Year, Omega Man of the Year, and Mason Man of the Year. He also received awards for Outstanding Community Service Leadership. Beyond his school, Sylvester contributes to statewide educational improvement through his involvement with the Illinois Principals Association, shaping policy and best practices across Illinois.

Dr. Herschel Hannah

Dr. Herschel Hannah M.S. ‘94, Ed.D. ‘04 earned a master’s and doctorate in educational administration from Illinois State University. With over 35 years in education, he began as a science and physical education teacher and later served in various leadership roles, including principal and assistant superintendent. He retired in 2020 as the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for Bloomington Public Schools District 87. Today, Herschel continues to support educational leadership as a mentor, coach, and consultant for the Illinois Principals Association, offering professional development on growth mindset, leadership, school culture, and team effectiveness. He also facilitates the Launching School Leader Network and served on the ISBE Principal Preparation Committee. A John Maxwell Certified Coach and former adjunct professor at Illinois State, Herschel is known for his passion for developing school leaders. His many honors include Educator of the Year and the Humanex Ventures Exemplar in Education & Community Award.

Mary Keltner-King

Mary Keltner-King ’03 earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Illinois State. She also earned a master’s degree in early childhood studies.

Mary teaches in Peoria Public Schools District 150 and is known for creating inclusive, supportive classroom environments. She collaborated with a special education teacher to unite Deaf and Hard of Hearing and general education students, incorporating an interpreter and teaching sign language. Her career began with supporting students and their families, even volunteering to help adults pursue GEDs and further education. With colleagues, Mary secured over $40,000 in grants for enrichment programming and co-created the Valeska Hinton Monarch Project, reaching over 700 early childhood students annually. She also organizes educational and community engagement programs throughout Peoria.

Her honors include the Peoria Federation of Teachers Outstanding Teacher Award, the Clean Water Celebrations Wave Maker Award, and multiple community service recognitions for her creative programming and dedication to student and community success.

Dr. Kimberly Schonert-Reichl

Kimberly Schonert-Reichl ‘81 earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State University. She also earned a master’s and doctorate in educational psychology. Kimberly is the NoVo Foundation Endowed Chair in Social Emotional Learning and a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago. An internationally recognized leader in Social Emotional Learning (SEL), her research focuses on improving student well-being, teacher resilience, and educational outcomes. Her work linking teacher stress to student success has influenced policy and intervention efforts.
She led the integration of SEL into British Columbia’s K–12 curriculum—one of the first such efforts in North America—and continues to guide the field through innovative scholarship. Kimberly is the founding editor of Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy and director of the CASEL Weissberg Scholars Program. Her impact earned numerous honors, including the Janusz Korczak Medal for Children’s Rights Advocacy and the Joseph E. Zins Distinguished Scholar Award.

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh ‘04 earned a bachelor’s degree in bilingual elementary education from Illinois State University. He also earned a master’s in education administration. Matt is an English language and bilingual teacher at Francis Granger Middle School, where he leads with a passion for equity and student success. He developed a district-wide initiative to support newcomer English Learner (EL) students and their families, helping eliminate communication barriers in one of Illinois' largest school districts. His work established home/school liaison roles and connected families to vital school and community resources. Matt also created a professional development program with digital resources for all staff to better serve EL students and continues to mentor early career EL teachers. He has presented this impactful work statewide to inform policy and improve learning supports. Matt received the 2024 ISBE Those Who Excel Award of Special Recognition and was honored as “The One” by a student for his outstanding support and advocacy.