FREEPORT — Chris Kuberski, president of Highland Community College, was awarded the 2021 Women of Achievement Award for Business at the 41st Virtual Leader Luncheon held through the YWCA of Northwestern Illinois in Rockford.

Kuberski was among six individuals recognized for the award. Each is marked for making a positive impact in their community and aligning their work with the YWCA mission: eliminating racism and empowering women.

Kuberski has worked to make sure students have access and are prepared for college through numerous early college partnerships with regional high schools. One of her recent accomplishments was partnering Highland with Western Illinois University and the Freeport School District to create an education pathway to address an area K-12 teacher shortage that allows Highland students to achieve a degree without leaving northwest Illinois. Through her efforts, Kuberski endeavors to influence the lives of women and families by helping to provide an affordable and quality educational pathway.

“During Chris’s community college career, she has worked as a teacher, an administrator, a partner, and a community volunteer to further the mission of higher education in a way that impacts some of the most challenged people in society,” Liz Gerber, vice president, student development and support services, who nominated Kuberski, stated. “Running a non-profit educational institution requires superb leadership skills, creativity, and a special kind of commitment that drives someone to show up as her best self every day.”

Kuberski was named president of Highland Community College in May 2020. She started at Highland in 2015 as executive vice president. Before joining Highland, Kuberski held multiple administrative positions at Rend Lake College in Ina, Ill., including the vice president of academic instruction and the liberal arts division chair. She also instructed English/speech at Rend Lake College and English as a Second Language at Southern Illinois University in Nakajo, Japan, and Carbondale, Ill.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Ill., in the area of English, Secondary Education, and a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.