Iris Y. Martinez to deliver Northeastern Illinois University Commencement Address

First Latina Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County will speak to graduates of her alma mater on Dec. 15

CHICAGO, Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Iris Y. Martinez, who made history as the first Latina elected to the Illinois State Senate and first Latina Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, will deliver the December 2024 Commencement Address for Northeastern Illinois University.

The ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15 at Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 S. Racine Ave., in Chicago. Tickets are required and made available only to graduates and their guests. The ceremony will be livestreamed at neiu.edu/commencement.

Martinez earned her bachelor of arts degree from Northeastern ('09 Nontraditional Degree Programs, University Without Walls) while serving as a State Senator and raising her daughter, Jacklyn Nicole. She was honored by the University earlier this year as the 2024 Distinguished Alumna, the highest honor the University bestows upon a graduate.

"Iris is a fierce advocate for affordable housing, expanding access to healthcare, improving care for seniors and differently abled populations, and education," said Northeastern President Katrina E. Bell-Jordan. "She fought for the Grow Your Own Illinois initiative to support individuals who want to teach in or near their home communities and has supported the Golden Apple Scholars Program in Illinois to prepare aspiring educators to effectively teach in Illinois schools-of-need. Iris championed a law allowing people who are not comfortable speaking or understanding English, as well as those who have trouble hearing, to get assistance from an interpreter in a courtroom. She also spearheaded a law to ensure that all healthcare facilities treating Medicaid patients in managed care plans develop and implement language services."

In her tenure as Clerk, Martinez prioritized modernizing court operations through technology, enhancing transparency and safeguarding the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. She championed legislation to protect the identities of child and adult victims of sex crimes and played a pivotal role as one of the founding members of Illinois Unidos, uniting over 200 Latino leaders to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Among her many accomplishments, Martinez served as President of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and is formerly the 4th Congressional District State Central Committeewoman for the Democratic Party of Illinois, the City of Chicago's 33rd Ward Democratic Committeeperson, and Chairwoman of the Hispanic Caucus for the Democratic National Committee.

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN:          Sunday, Dec.15, 2024
                      Commencement begins at 2:00 p.m.
                      Tickets are required.  
                      Livestream: neiu.edu/commencement
WHERE:        Credit Union 1 Arena, 525 S. Racine Ave. in Chicago
RSVP:            Media are asked to RSVP by emailing Chris Childers at [email protected].

ABOUT NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Northeastern Illinois University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Founded in 1867, Northeastern is a Minority-Serving Institution and the longest-standing four-year public Hispanic-Serving Institution in the Midwest. The University has additional Chicagoland locations, including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro, and the University Center of Lake County.

SOURCE Northeastern Illinois University