Mundelein High School’s College Counselor, Andrea Rusk, has been recognized by the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) for the 2020 James A. Alexander Newcomer Award. The IACAC Newcomer Recognition Award was inaugurated in 1987 to recognize significant contributions of those members with fewer than five years’ involvement with IACAC. More than one award may be given each year. In 2004, the IACAC Executive Board renamed the award in honor of James A. Alexander.

Rusk joined the MHS staff as a counselor in 2011 and has been in her role as college counselor since the fall of 2016. She is joined by five other awardees including Christian Brown, Augustana College; Margaret Jones, Columbia College Chicago; Kate McKay, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater; Melissa Ramirez, Illinois State University; and Drew Small, Bowling Green State University.

IACAC is an organization of counseling professionals dedicated to serving students as they explore options and make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. IACAC members are counselors, admission or financial aid officers, active retirees, or students who are concerned about the future of education in the State of Illinois and in the nation. IACAC is committed to maintaining high standards which foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process.