Speech coach surprised with statewide honor
Cheryl Frazier, director of speech and forensics at Southland College Prep Charter High School, started the speech and drama program there shortly after the school’s founding in 2010 and has built the program into a nationally recognized speech powerhouse.
In a surprise ceremony last week at the school in Richton Park, Frazier was honored as an Illinois Charter School Lifetime Achievement Award winner by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, a not-for-profit organization that advocates for the improvement of public education through high quality charter schools for underserved communities.
The INCS Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to someone who has contributed deeply over many years to the success of the charter school community in Illinois and dedicated their career to helping underrepresented students achieve their goals, officials said.
Frazier was presented a check for $10,000 from Southland College Prep’s Board of Directors in recognition of her achievements, along with proclamations from the villages of Richton Park and Matteson, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller and state Sen. Michael Hastings.
“Through her work, Mrs. Frazier has changed the lives of our students and generations to come,” said Blondean Y. Davis, Southland’s CEO.
Frazier, who started coaching speech at her alma mater, Thornwood High School, in 1987, has coached students at the predominantly African American charter school in Richton Park to state and national championships.
“I always felt my job, my purpose, my passion was to make sure our children know who they are, where they came from and their purpose in this life and world,” Frazier said.
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools will honor Frazier and the recipients of the Outstanding Senior, Elementary and High School Teachers of the Year and Principal of the Year Awards on Dec. 6 at a ceremony in Chicago.
During the surprise rally for Frazier, school officials also announced Southland senior Lauren Russell was awarded a $1,000 scholarship as the INCS Outstanding Illinois Charter School Senior.