2017 Alumni Achievement Awards
District 128 Foundation for Learning Alumni Achievement Awards, established in 2014, are presented annually to individuals who graduated from a District 128 high school at least five years prior to nomination, and who have made significant contributions, and demonstrated leadership and character in his/her field and to his/her community. Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis and remain active for three years. The Foundation for Learning Board of Trustees comprise the selection committee.
2017 Honorees
Steven Breitenfield
Vernon Hills High School Class of 2002
Steven Breitenfield is a speech-language pathologist with Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon, Iowa. His position provides evaluation and treatment of speech, language, voice, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in individuals birth to elderly.
Steven has a wide variety of professional experiences including assisting in a Videofluroscopic Swallow Study, and providing therapy to patients with cognitive impairment, brain injuries, and dementia. He also has worked with children with expressive and receptive language disorders. Steven has treated tracheostomized and ventilator-dependent patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aphasia, neurological impairments and brain injuries. Steven worked as a pathologist intern at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton with a wide variety of patients. He worked with patients with aphasia, dementia, dysarthria, dysphagia, dysphonia, Guillain-Barré, mild-cognitive impairment, Multiple Sclerosis, Myasthenia Gravis, Parkinson’s disease, right hemisphere disorder, spinal cord injury and tracheostomized patients. Steven also performed a Fiberoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES), provided thermal-tactile stimulation and used the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI).
In addition to his professional work, he has volunteered as a GED Tutor with YouthBuild of Lake County and a tutor with the American Indian Association of Illinois.
Brett Butler
Libertyville High School Class of 1975
Brett Butler was a two-time All-American at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he graduated from with a bachelor of science degree in education in 1979. An outfielder, he went on to play Major League Baseball for the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and again with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He is the author of an autobiography titled, "Field of Hope," that chronicles his major league career and his battle with cancer. He has been the recipient of the Lou Gehrig Award, the Arte Award of Courage, the Branch Rickey Award, the True Value Roberto Clemente Man of the Year Award, the Baseball Writer's of New York "You Gotta Have Heart Award," and the American Cancer Society Award.
Brett is one of 26 players in Major League History to compile at least 500 stolen bases (558) and 2,000 hits (2,375) for a career. He retired in 1997 with a lifetime batting average of .290.
After retiring as a player he held a variety of managing and coaching positions including minor league coaching positions, manager positions and major league positions that included 1st base coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks and 3rd base coach for the Miami Marlins. Butler is now a motivational speaker who speaks nationally to corporations, ministries, churches, schools and other organizations.