The liberal arts at Wittenberg University helped me find a way to look at challenges, which was then reinforced in law school. You can’t make the best decision unless all voices are heard. As a result, I have always looked at all sides of a problem in an earnest, honest, and passionate way.
My Wittenberg experience also introduced me to wonderful professors who changed my perspective and cared about me as a person. I remember gaining a new understanding of international relations thanks to Dr. Gerry Hudson in political science. I also took a class with Elizabeth Brinkman on women in literature, and to this day I seek out works by women authors.
From a scholar-athlete standpoint, I found Wittenberg to be a place that challenged me athletically just as it did intellectually. I learned in both the classroom and on the field of play to work together, to explore, and to challenge the status quo, asking what is possible at every step.
In my professional pursuits as a full-time lawyer and now as lieutenant governor, I regularly use the skills I gained through the liberal arts—critical thinking, problem solving, and research and analysis, to understand the issue at hand. I also seek to mentor others just as I was mentored at Wittenberg.
Sheila Simon, elected as lieutenant governor of Illinois in 2010, is the second-highest executive officer in Illinois. As the governor’s point person, Simon leads efforts to increase college completion, inspire ethical government, improve services in rural areas, advocate for women, and keep Illinois waterways clean and safe, among other initiatives.
Simon received a BA from Wittenberg University in 1983. A stellar student-leader and All-American high jumper while at Wittenberg, she was recently honored by the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association as one of nine members of the Sky’s Honorary Title IX Team, created as part of the league’s celebration of the 40-year anniversary of passage of the landmark Education Amendments Act. Simon received a JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 1987.