Elmhurst University recently honored five alumni and longtime supporters with two of the University’s most prestigious awards, the Founders Medal and the Alumni Merit Award, for their outstanding contributions to the University and the broader community.

The Founders Medal celebrates those who have distinguished themselves through philanthropic or personal service to the University. This year’s medal was awarded to Trustee Emeritus Thomas Kloet and his wife, Margaret Kloet, of Bluffton, S.C. As supporters of Elmhurst University for more than 20 years, the Kloets have given to the Annual Fund, the athletics program, the Elmhurst University Jazz Band, the new health sciences building, scholarships and other areas. Most recently, they made a $500,000 gift to the University to establish the Kloet Student-Managed Investment Fund. The University awarded an honorary doctorate to Thomas Kloet in 2018, in recognition of his distinguished career as a global business leader and his service to the University.

The Alumni Merit Awards celebrate Elmhurst graduates who have made significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. The recipients exemplify the impact of an Elmhurst education, where personalized paths for development enable students to thrive as adaptive leaders throughout their careers and lives.

• This year’s Distinguished Young Alumni award honors George Martinez ’20, of Bensenville, Ill., a regional enrollment manager at the University of Dayton who has remained actively engaged with Elmhurst U. as an advisor and mentor. Currently working as a graduate intern in the Weigand Center for Professional Excellence, he helps to connect students with experiential learning opportunities.
• Michael Lyskawka ’22, MSN ’24, received the Distinguished Service to Alma Mater award. A registered nurse in pediatrics at Advocate Children’s Hospital and an adjunct faculty member at Elmhurst, Lyskawka, of Arlington Heights, Ill., continues to be a mentor to students and serves as the faculty advisor for the University’s music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the Polish Club.
• The Distinguished Service to Society award honored Christy Whitney Borchard ’76, retired president and founding CEO of HopeWest, a community-owned nonprofit organization devoted to health and community services in Western Colorado. Since 1979, when she founded an all-volunteer hospice in Durango, Colo., Borchard, a resident of Meeker, Colo., has been a leader in many areas of nursing.

All of this year’s winners were recognized at the University’s annual Founders Recognition Evening on Oct. 10.