Addison Trail teacher and alumnus participate in College Board ceremony to recognize Gov. Pritzker for expanding access to Advanced Placement (AP) for Illinois students

On Sept. 15, Addison Trail world language teacher Judie Vitiritti-Lynch (pictured above, at left in the middle row) and Addison Trail alumnus Alex Gamino (class of 2020 – pictured above, at center in the bottom row) attended the College Board’s ceremony to present Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker with the Outstanding Policymaker Award for his leadership and commitment to providing access to Advanced Placement (AP)/college-level opportunities for Illinois students. The event took place virtually because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to the College Board, “Pritzker was the first Illinois governor to include funding in the state budget for low-income students’ AP Exam fees. He also acknowledged the dedication of AP students and teachers in his budget addresses before the legislature in … 2019 and 2020.”

During the ceremony, Gamino (who attends Loyola University Chicago) thanked Pritzker for the support he and state policymakers have given to the AP program. Gamino was able to take nine AP courses at Addison Trail, which helped him earn college credit while in high school. He credits “this community of teachers, leaders and learners” for helping to build his confidence as he pursues a career in education. Vitiritti-Lynch is the State Advocate Lead for Illinois through the AP Advocates program and also was the first recipient of the Midwest Award for Leadership in the Teaching of the Italian Language and Culture in November 2016.

Read more about the Outstanding Policymaker Award at https://tinyurl.com/yyz3oku8.