Originally from Gary, Ind., Pettaway acknowledges the culture shock of moving to Naperville as a young 18-year-old African American student in the ’90s. In her keynote address, she will discuss these experiences as both a student and administrator during the past 20 years. She also will discuss her interactions with students and how these experiences have made an impact, she hopes, for the better.
“An impact on one, two, three students along the way is a significant thing,” says Pettaway. “You impact one person, and another person impacts one person, and another person impacts another person. And you can have a whole lot of impact.”
Additionally, Pettaway serves as the College’s liaison for INROADS, a top 10 tier internship program for the development of underserved youth for corporate and community leadership. In recognition of her leadership and service, she accepted the INROADS’ University Partner Award for the Great Lakes Region in 2013 on behalf of the College.
Open to the campus community, the Prayer Breakfast will take place at 7 a.m. Monday, Jan. 16, in the Harold and Eva White Activities Center. Reservations are required; contact Chelsea Armstrong at 630-637-5151 or cmarmstrong@noctr.edu.
By Stephanie Passialis ’17