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Eileen Feeney is a proud native of Champaign County, whose basic roots of faith, values, and education began and developed within a loving family. In this farm family, sharing responsibilities was a natural development as family members learned how to care for the animals, and share in other duties involved in living on a farm. Getting an education was very important in the Feeney family. Ms. Feeney received an excellent elementary education in a nearby country school. Always wanting to be an elementary teacher, she continued her studies in higher education with that goal in mind, receiving her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Education. She taught in other areas of the state before returning to Champaign in 1969, where she began teaching in Unit 4 public schools. At the same time, she attended the University of Illinois, where she received an Advanced Certificate in Education. Ms. Feeney was accepted as a member of Kappa Delta Pi at the University of Illinois and was very much involved for many years in the administration of its development on campus. She is also a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, with which she has been involved in various capacities for many years. She continues participation in both societies to share and grow in educational affairs. Ms. Feeney believes that teaching students has been a vital and important part of her life. To better prepare herself for the task of teaching, she took trips to many of our fifty states as well as to countries on three continents, including Russia, China, Scandinavian countries, and the British Isles. She tried to incorporate what she learned in these travels into her classes. Since retirement, her itinerary has included Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Germany, and Italy. She believes that travel is most enriching to the mind and spirit, and it is her goal to visit as many more countries as possible. Since her retirement, Ms. Feeney has donated some of her time to helping and visiting the sick and elderly in local hospitals and nursing homes. She feels strongly about sharing one's time and talents with all segments of society. She also loves to read, play bridge, and visit with friends. Ms. Feeney looks forward to providing leadership to the Cosmopolitan Club and to meeting and sharing with people from other lands. |