Toni Tollerud, an NIU associate professor for counseling, adult and health education, has nabbed two major awards for her counseling work.

She was named 2000 Mentor of the Year by the North Central Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors, and 2000 Advocate of the Year by the Illinois School Counselor Association.

“I won the awards at different conferences in October and November,” Tollerud said. “I was deeply touched that students thought to go to the effort to nominate me. I was very honored and truly surprised.”

The Mentor of the Year award is for Tollerud’s work as a counselor educator to graduate students, educators and supervisors. The advocate honor recognizes her accomplishments as an Illinois school counselor.

Tollerud graduated in 1990 from the University of Iowa with a degree in counselor education. She became interested in counseling after time in the classroom.

“I was a teacher for six years,” she said. “Students came to me with questions, so I decided to go into counseling to add to their issues better.”

Through her work with the NIU counseling program, Tollerud is able to advise future advisers.

“In the counseling program, I train counselors at the master’s level in student development areas,” she said. “My primary interest is coordinating the school counseling program.”

Since 1999, she has been director of the Illinois School Counselors’ Academy, a professional development program for counselors statewide.

Doctoral student John Beckenbach was one of Tollerud’s students and believes she deserved the awards.

“She is very knowledgeable and compassionate,” he said. “She cares a lot about the subjects that she tackles. I admire her for her advocacy work. She’s great.”

Tollerud thinks her work affects students’ lives.

“I try to help students become empowered to believe that they have a voice and they are able to make a change to impact other students in schools,” she said.