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.
For twenty-four years until her retirement in June, 1993, Ms. Feeney enjoyed teaching fourth and sixth grades. During her years as a teacher, she enjoyed many challenging experiences, including field trips to Chicago, Springfield, and at times to the Krannert Center and a few other areas of the University, such as the museums and farms. One of the schools at which she taught celebrated Village Day (an all-school experience in developing, making, buying, and selling wares as in real-life marketing) for many years. For three years, she was involved in tutoring pupils in spelling, and for all three of these years, her pupils won first place in the all-city spelling bees. During five of her years in Garden Hills, Champaign, she was involved with the principal, teachers, pupils, parents, and community in developing a challenging educational program which won for the school the distinction of being the first downstate Illinois school to win the National Award for Excellence in Education.
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 is happy to be a part of the Cosmopolitan Club and looks forward to meeting and sharing with people from other lands.