Where are you from and how long have you lived in town? What brought you to the area?
I am from Riverside, California and Rashied is from Los Angeles, California. A new job opportunity brought us to Illinois – Rashied signing with the Chicago Bears in 2005. We lived in Mundelein for 8 years and moved to Libertyville in 2014. We always loved the Libertyville downtown area and moved to the area because of the great schools and community.
Do you have child(ren)? Age(s)
Yes, Alanna age 11 and Eli age 9.
What are your favorite things to do in the area with and without your kids? Family friendly restaurant? Date night?
We are foodies and our favorite thing to do in the area is eat at the great family-friendly restaurants. We love Shakou, Burnsies, Pizzeria Deville, Dos Amigos, Lino’s and My Flavor It Place. Our family also enjoys walking the downtown area, biking the local trails and visiting the Cook Memorial Library to grab a good book or movie.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor or in the corporate world? Please share!
Rashied serves on the Libertyville Boys Club Board and coaches our son’s flag football team, (they just won the Championship – LBC 2019 Bantamweight Champions, Go Raiders! 😊) and the Varsity tackle team for 7th and 8th.
We also started our own charitable organization called Saturday Place in 2010. Saturday Place is an academic enhancement program for 3rd and 4th grade Chicago Public School students who are performing a year below grade level.
The mission of Saturday Place is to inspire, prepare, and provide the discipline our students need to succeed now and beyond the program. Our students are able to further invest in their education and future by expanding their learning on Saturday, giving them an extra day of school every week. Saturday Place provides this opportunity for children and families from neighborhoods that are under-resourced and it is truly a fruitful investment. Students’ improved academic achievement, confidence, and leadership development is proof of what students can accomplish when provided with adequate resources. (Website: https://www.saturdayplace.org/) Please see website to see why we started Saturday Place.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Libertyville is a great community and we stay in the area for the great education, safe and family-friendly environment and activities.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
We are college sweethearts! Rashied and I met in college at San Jose State University. I played softball and Rashied played football, and we wore the same jersey number, so it was meant to be. 😊Go Spartans!
What is next for you?
We will continue to stay involved in the community. My husband enjoys volunteering and looks forward to serving on the LBC board. We will also stay active in volunteering at our kids’ school and giving back to the Chicagoland community through our charitable organization, Saturday Place.