Judy Santacaterina honored
for dedication to NIU forensics

by Tom Parisi

On this day, NIU’s veteran forensics coach was left speechless.

During the March 5 Illinois Inter-Collegiate Forensics League Tournament hosted by NIU, coach Judy Santacaterina ended up on the receiving end of the event’s most heartfelt award.

Before a packed assembly in Cole Hall, Santacaterina was surprised with a special recognition and tribute from team members and about 20 returning NIU alumni. They raised nearly $3,000 to be donated to the university in her name.

“They completely blindsided me,” Santacaterina said. “It was the most memorable and profound moment of my professional career.”

Half of the gift will be used as seed money to start an NIU Alumni Foundation scholarship that will provide support to future forensics students. The other half is being used to purchase a tree to be planted outside the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, currently under construction along Annie Glidden Road at Stadium Drive.

Santacaterina, who typically refers to her students, past and present, as “my kids,” works as an adviser in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and has been involved in the NIU forensics program for the past 25 years, most often coaching students in individual events.

“She was an award-winning competitor in forensics at NIU and has remained committed to it her entire adult life,” said Communication Professor John Butler, who serves as director of the NIU forensics program, which finished fourth of 25 teams at the state meet. Butler and seven other alumni who were mentored by Santacaterina have gone on to forensics coaching positions at institutions across the state.

“I truly believe that Judy is the most talented individual-events coach in the country,” Butler added. “Students work very hard to get to Northern so they can work with her, and she has a lot to do with why we’re able to attract very strong communication graduate students who are interested in coaching forensics. The kind of devotion she shows to students is impressive and a joy to witness.”

This isn’t the first time Santacaterina, one of the few female forensics coaches statewide, has received recognition for her contributions to the field. Bradley University honored her with the Larry E. Norton Award in 1997, and the American Forensics Association awarded her the Distinguished Service Award in 1999.

“Each and every person who has and will come through this program will always owe a little piece of who they are to (Santacaterina),” communication alum Jeff Przybylo said during Saturday night’s awards presentation. Przybylo now serves as director of forensics at William Rainey Harper College.

“Judy, we wanted to do something to say thank you,” he said. “And we wanted to do it in a way that would always stand as a symbol of our gratitude.”

The tree that will be planted in honor of Santacaterina will be accompanied by a plaque. It will read: “Thank you for your love and guidance. We will always remember our roots. Love, the Kids.”

3-14-05