Des Plaines, Ill. (Aug. 14, 2025) — Oakton College will celebrate the achievements of four outstanding alumni at its 2025 Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 11. Community members are invited to attend this free event honoring graduates who have made a lasting impact in their professions and communities.
The ceremony and a reception will begin at 6 p.m., at Oakton’s Des Plaines campus, 1600 E. Golf Road, Room 1500. Advance registration is requested by RSVPing via the form or contacting 847.635.1813 or alumni@oakton.edu by Sept. 3.
2025 Distinguished Alumni Honorees
Broderick Hollins Sr., Chicago
After earning an associate in General Studies from Oakton, Hollins became the first formerly incarcerated person to walk across the stage at Northwestern University’s graduation ceremony in June 2025. He earned both degrees through Northwestern’s Prison Education Program partnership with Oakton. Following his release from prison in 2022, Hollins began a reentry apprenticeship with God Restoring Order (GRO), a mental health service provider that specializes in trauma-informed treatment for boys and men ages five and up from low socio-economic groups and/or Black and Brown communities. Hollins is dedicating his career to advocating for incarcerated individuals’ rights. His work encourages others to speak up for the resources and opportunities they deserve.
Monika Makurath, Aushburn, Va.
A first-generation American and college student, Makurath began her academic journey at Oakton. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University Chicago and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her groundbreaking research has been published in top-tier journals including the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)”, “Nucleic Acids Research” and “Molecular Cell.” She’s also presented at leading conferences, including the 2023 Biophysical Society Meeting. Makurath is a postdoctoral fellow at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Janelia Research Campus.
Scott Sophier, Skokie
Sophier, an Oakton associate in Arts graduate, is a 22-year veteran of the Evanston Police Department and has served as Commander since 2015. Known for his servant-leadership style, he builds trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the community. Committed to community-focused policing, he has led initiatives emphasizing safety, empathy and respect. Sophier conducts workshops on trauma-informed de-escalation and bystander intervention, mentors emerging officers, and works to strengthen the bond between the department and the people it serves.
Dorothy Wisniewski, Mount Prospect
Wisniewski earned an associate degree in Accounting at Oakton and made history in 2024 when she became the first woman to serve as City Manager of Des Plaines. Wisniewski oversees the City’s departments, including Finance, Communications, Public Works, Police, Fire, Community and Economic Development, HR, IT, Legal, and Emergency Management. Under her leadership, the Finance Department won the Government Finance Officers Association’s prestigious Triple Crown Award, an honor earned by only 200 departments nationwide.
The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate what is possible through an Oakton education — from academic excellence to community leadership. Learn more about the honorees, the awards program, and other alumni initiatives at oakton.edu/alumni.