Samantha DeDina, '12, and John Palmer, '00, J.D. '03, Receive Inaugural Northern Lights Award
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
Ecological Restoration Superintendent Samantha DeDina, '12
(Photo: Jonathan Koepke)
Public Defender John Palmer, ’00, J.D. ’03
(Photo: John Palmer)
As a heartfelt tribute to Liz McSpadden, ’10, M.B.A. ’16, a dedicated volunteer who continued to show up for her alma mater throughout her battle with cancer, the Northern Illinois University Alumni Association announced two extraordinary volunteers to receive the inaugural Northern Lights Award.
Samantha “Sam” DeDina, ’12, and John Palmer, ’00, J.D. ’03, were chosen for their committed volunteer contributions and for embodying the qualities that made McSpadden a truly impactful volunteer: generosity, initiative, reliability, joyfulness and curiosity.
Both Palmer and DeDina are respected for their strong dedication and reliability.
“If every alumnus dedicated themselves to the College of Law the way John Palmer does, our student body would be incomparably driven towards success,” read Palmer’s nomination from the College of Law.
Melissa Burlingame Greenhagen, assistant director of the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy at NIU, nominated DeDina.
“Sam is someone students, faculty, and colleagues can always count on,” she said. “Her reliability makes her an invaluable resource for both the university and the students who depend on her guidance.”
Just as the late McSpadden inspired Huskies through speaking engagements, supporting the Huskie Food Pantry, or sending notes of encouragement, Palmer and DeDina found their niches within the university where their skills and backgrounds shine.
Working for the Winnebago Public Defender’s Office, Palmer supervises new attorneys and 711 clerks. He finds fulfillment in mentoring those new to the legal field, similar to his volunteer work at NIU. He credits the College of Law for giving him the right experiences that landed him a job offer before graduation.
As an NIU alumni volunteer, Palmer judges trial competitions, facilitates ethics seminars and coaches external trial competition teams. He believes that sharing his experiences with law students is the most practical and meaningful way to enhance the future practice of law.
“As a law student, I can remember meeting other graduates who offered their own time to come back to NIU to share their experiences,” Palmer said. “Hearing their stories impacted me, not only because it showed me that there is life beyond law school but also because I saw how being a lawyer could be a rich and rewarding experience. They inspired me, and I can only hope that in some way I can inspire today’s students to become tomorrow’s attorneys.”
Still, Palmer confesses there is a bit of selfishness to his volunteer activity.
“For well over a decade, I have been asked to judge closing arguments competitions,” he said. “Although I enjoy offering my advice, every year I take something away for myself. Sometimes it is because I hear some fresh ideas that I want to use in my own trials, but mostly because seeing the eagerness of law students reinvigorates my own love of the practice of law. It reminds me of why being a lawyer can be so impactful on both an individual person and the whole of society.”
Like Palmer, DeDina’s professional background fuels her volunteer efforts. As an Ecological Restoration Superintendent at ENCAP, Inc., DeDina guides field crews to complete restoration and natural areas stewardship activities for private and public clients. She also manages contracts, recruits summer interns and coordinates their prescribed burn program. DeDina finds fulfillment in creating management plans for ecologically sensitive areas, educating the public on the importance of natural area restoration, and creating meaningful green spaces that benefit communities, plants, and animals.
As an NIU alumni volunteer, DeDina has participated in various speaking, educational, and mentor opportunities and advocated for increased native landscaping on campus. This eventually led to the naturalization of portions of NIU’s lagoon shoreline. She also guided field trips for environmental studies and conservation biology classes and spoke to students about careers in ecological restoration and shoreline restoration.
Having worked on several additional projects, primarily assisting with grant funding applications, DeDina enjoys being in the company of like-minded people.
Liz McSpadden, '10, M.B.A. '16
(Photos: McSpadden Family)
“I really enjoy working with the NIU Community, especially the Environmental Studies program that I feel especially connected to,” she said. “I knew I wanted to work in ecology upon graduation but had no idea where to start or what careers would be available. I enjoy sharing my insight on the expansive ecological restoration industry and associated careers to help students get excited about their future. There is a lot of important work to do!”
Palmer and DeDina look fondly back on their NIU years.
“By offering some of my time to the school and its students, I can recapture all of the good things that made my experience so fulfilling,” Palmer said. “Being selected for the Northern Lights Award makes me feel that I have made a positive difference. I am flattered, and that feeling alone is reward enough.”
Both DeDina and Palmer are deeply grateful to be recognized as Northern Lights Award recipients in memory of Liz McSpadden.
“I cannot be more humbled to honor the memory of someone who contributed such significant efforts in the service of others despite her personal circumstances and with such grace,” DeDina said. “Receipt of this award fills me with gratitude for the opportunity to continue to make connections in the NIU community and be able to influence the trajectory of student’s futures in small but meaningful ways. As individuals, we control nothing but influence everything. You never know who you may be influencing.”
NIU alumni volunteer their time in meaningful ways. Want to brainstorm ways you can get involved? Contact Eric Glasby, '15, M.S.Ed. '18, at eglasby1@niu.edu.