Good News Sunday: New U.S. citizens honored during ceremony in Elgin

This is Good News Sunday, a compilation of some of the more upbeat and inspiring stories published recently by the Daily Herald:

Waving small American flags and holding up congratulatory certificates, roughly 60 recently naturalized U.S. citizens gathered together and smiled for photos to wrap up Elgin's 23rd annual citizenship recognition ceremony Tuesday night at the Centre of Elgin.

For Ruben Sigcha, it was "the cherry on top" after the long road that led him from Ecuador to being sworn in as a U.S. citizen on May 14.

"It's been a lot of work," said Sigcha, who hopes to bring his mother and sister to the U.S. "This is the beginning of a new journey and a chance to keep on growing."

Elgin Mayor David Kaptain and other area elected officials greeted and shook hands with each of the new citizens, who hailed from countries including Mexico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Thailand and Laos. All either live, work or have taken citizenship classes in Elgin.

The event, for people naturalized in the past year, is coordinated by a group of community volunteers.

For the full story, click here.

GLASA helps people with disabilities participate in sports

The Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association believes that no one should be excluded from taking part in sports, whether as a team or individual.

That's why the organization in Lake Forest offers a variety of programs for people of all ages with physical or visual disabilities. No one sits out in the more than 20 sports offered at over 60 locations in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

According to its website, glasa.org, GLASA's core sports with the most participation are track and field, swimming, sled hockey, wheelchair basketball and tennis -with many more from which to choose.

Mak Nong, a GLASA program manager, coach and athlete, says being part of the organization has been life changing.

"Being part of the GLASA Chicago Bears Wheelchair Football Team has not only provided me with a better quality of life physically, but mentally as well. The camaraderie I feel within this team is unparalleled," he said.

For the full story, click here.

Harper instructor named national music teacher of the year

Algonquin resident Janice Larson Razaq has been named the 2023 Teacher of the Year by the Music Teachers National Association.

Razaq is the director of Keyboard Studies at Harper College in Palatine, where she has been teaching since the 1970s. She teaches individual and group piano lessons to anyone ages 6 to 80 at the college's Community Music Center.

"I want to teach whoever I come in contact with to love music," Razaq said. "I certainly don't have any ambitions to make them all into professional musicians. I just want them to be able to enjoy music and share it with their families and their communities."

Founded in 1876, the Music Teachers National Association supports and helps music teachers grow professionally.

For the full story, click here.

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