SOUTH SUBURBAN COLLEGE PROFESSOR RECEIVES RED TULIP AWARD AFTER THREE DECADES OF TEACHING

Members of the Village of South Holland Education Commission recently presented a Red Tulip Award to South Suburban College Biology instructor, G.A. Griffith (middle). Photo Credit: South Suburban College
Members of the Village of South Holland Education Commission recently presented a Red Tulip Award to South Suburban College Biology instructor, G.A. Griffith (middle). Photo Credit: South Suburban College

South Suburban College Professor Receives Red Tulip Award After Three Decades Of Teaching

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

After teaching biology at South Suburban College for about thirty years, Gerald (G.A.) Griffith was recently was honored with a Red Tulip award from the Village of South Holland Education Commission. The Red Tulip Award is presented every year to exceptional teachers who go above and beyond for South Holland students and make an impact in their lives.

“On behalf of the Commission and the Mayor, Clerk, and Trustees of the Village of South Holland, we are proud to have presented this award to such a worthy recipient as Gerald Griffith,” said Mike Nylen, chairman of the Village of South Holland Education Commission.

Growing up, Mr. Griffith’s mother was a teacher and he said for that reason alone he never thought he would go into education. But after spending his early years babysitting for his siblings and many cousins, he developed a passion for working with young people.

Griffith eventually went to college and by happenstance took a biology class during his senior year just to fill up his schedule. He ended up loving the science course and instructor and went on to get a graduate degree in biology. From there, he discovered his passion for teaching.

“I started teaching at South Suburban College in about 1998. I taught for a few years as an adjunct instructor and then was hired full time. When I was teaching as an adjunct professor, I was teaching at the high school during the day and then teaching at the college in the evening. It really doesn’t seem like that long ago,” said Griffith.

In order to receive a Red Tulip Award, Griffith had to first be nominated. All of the submitted nominations are evaluated based on a teachers commitment toward student achievement, extending themselves beyond the classroom, exhibiting enthusiasm about teaching, caring for students, modeling appropriate behavior for students, and exemplifying professionalism, according to the Village of South Holland.

“To be honest, the award was totally unexpected. I got several emails from several people at the college and the Village on the same day and I was kind of surprised to learn that I had won. I was surprised because I consider myself [to be] a fairly traditional teacher and I don’t consider most of what I do to be all that out of the ordinary,” said Griffith.

In addition to the recognition, the Red Tulip Award also comes with a $250 check from the Village of South Holland.

“I would like to thank the Education Commission and the Village of South Holland for this honor,” said Griffith. “I feel fortunate to have been able to work with people I enjoy personally as well as respecting their views on education. It sounds cliché but I always tell my students to do something that they love and it won’t feel like work, and that’s how I feel about teaching at South Suburban College.”

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