| Membership level: Hall of Fame Donna Watkins Inductee Year 2007 |  |
| Donna, now retired and living in a small town in southern Indiana, joins a list of distinguished former Hinsdale High School teachers who have been elected to this Hall of Fame. She taught at the high school for nearly 25 years (1979 - 2003). Her focus was Latin and Etymology and she ended her peerless career as Chair of the Foreign Language Department. And what a successful career it was! In the annual Illinois High School Association Latin Tournament, Donna became a legend. A student of hers won "first in State" in each of fourteen different years. As the coach for the Hinsdale High School team in the annual state Scholastic Bowl Championship, her teams won a first place and two seconds over the years, along with six Sectional titles and nine Conference first places. Donna is the only Hinsdale High School teacher to have been awarded the profession's "Professional Excellence" award in two different years. In the annual National Latin Examination, sponsored by the American Classical League, no Latin Teacher in Illinois has had more students obtain a perfect score, 65 students in all. Donna was a critical reason that in 1991 the Hinsdale language department won the prestigious national "Model Program Award" selected by the United States Department of Education. |
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