CIOGC congratulates Ms. Laila Elamin for the Golden Apple Award that recognizes outstanding instruction, passion and dedication in the classroom. Golden Apple, a leading nonprofit committed to celebrating and developing great teachers with the ability and passion to make life-changing differences in the lives of students,surprised Ms. Elamin, foreign language and religious studies teacher at Aqsa School in Bridgeview, with the prestigious 2016 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
The awards recognize and honor outstanding teachers for their role in building a stronger, better-educated society. The recipients were selected from a pool of more than 400 nominations, and represent 9th-12th grade teachers throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Recipients are nominated by their students, community members/parents and colleagues who have directly engaged with them and benefitted from their talent and passion.
Ms. Elamin has been described as a true role model for the students at the all-girls parochial school where she teaches perseverance, dedication, integrity, and the importance of striving for excellence. She pushes students to work hard and have a sense of pride in the outcome. As a result of her push for excellence, the school added an honors weight to her classes because of the depth and workload required of students. As a teacher at Aqsa for nearly 30 years, Elamin has played many roles and collaborated with teachers, board members, parents, etc. to serve students. Whether as the advisor of a student club or a part of the school leadership team, she has enriched her students and peers tremendously. She has a thirst for knowledge and always is looking to learn concepts that will benefit her students.