McHenry County College named Juan Gonzalez of Crystal Lake as the recipient of the Spring 2011 Joseph A. Blanco Spirit Award, a $600 gift given to a student with special needs who displays a positive attitude while pursuing a degree or certificate while overcoming a disability.
Gonzalez has been a student at MCC since Fall 2009. He plans to use his award toward classes at College of Lake County next fall to study computer science. He is interested in a career in either computer science, web design or as a vision teacher.
“Juan is the epitome of what this award is all about,” said Joe Blanco, a Special Needs Department tutor who nominated Gonzalez. “He has a sharp intellect, but struggles with extremely low vision. Whenever I meet him for tutoring, I feel energized by his positive attitude and desire to excel in his studies. He has come up with some creative solutions to help me help him learn college algebra, using technology and black paper with silver markers for contrast,” Blanco said.
Blanco said that Gonzalez works at least twice as hard as students without his disability to comprehend the material and to do his homework and tests. “Juan is the spirit of our department and his ‘can-do’ attitude makes him the best choice for the Spring 2011 Spirit Award. I am privileged to have the opportunity to work with him,” Blanco said.
Blanco founded the award in 2009 as a way to recognize students for their hard work and can-do attitude despite their disabilities.
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