The Following is this Week’s I AM, YOU ARE, WE ARE Honoree by Ashton Greer and Nicole Van Hyfte
Once a Cottrell kid, always a Cottrell kid. Lisa Cottrell is not just any teacher – she is a special needs teacher. Not only is she a special needs teacher – she is a foster parent. She takes time out of her day to not only see to it that each of her children succeed, but that each of the families succeed as well.
Lisa was born and raised in Danville. She comes from a huge Catholic family – she is one of thirty-five grandchildren. Most of her family grew up on the east end of Danville. She attended Cannon School, Southview, and Danville High School. The only time she did not live in Vermilion County was when she attended Eastern Illinois University to become a teacher. “I got back and interviewed, and I believe I was hired because I came back. This city raised me, so it’s my job to do for the kids what my teachers did for me.”
Lisa, her husband Chad, and her three kids now live just outside of Danville. Her children, now 15, 14, and 11 were all just babies when they came to Lisa and Chad through the foster care system. Lisa had been going through fertility treatments when a student came to her worried for what would happen to her and her siblings once they were removed from their home. Lisa said, “that day I called my husband and told him I was done with fertility treatments. Let’s foster.” So that is what they did.
Not only did they adopt three kids, but she keeps in touch with most of her former students who are like family. She recently had her first “second generation” kid in class – a child who was told by their parents to “go find Cottrell.”
Lisa spends her downtime growing a garden, running her kids around, reading, and spending time in her happy place – the front porch.
When asked why she stays in Vermilion County, Lisa says it is because this is where her heart is. “This is where I was raised, where I met my husband, and where I had all my huge milestones. It’s a small community but has the greatest things happening.”
Thank you, Lisa, for loving on our Vermilion County kids and for radiating kindness throughout the community.
If you have someone you would like to share,
visit https://forms.gle/deCPiQ1cxn1pDLhZ9
or contact Ashton Greer, City of Danville agreer@cityofdanville.org or
Nicole Van Hyfte, Vermilion Advantage nvanhyfte@vermilionadvantage.com.
