Highland Park Neighbors Magazine Articles

Each year, Highland Park Community Foundation (HPCF) honors an individual or organization with the Jack Blane Community Service Award, named for dedicated public servant Jack Blane. The award recognizes those who go above and beyond in serving the Highland Park/Highwood community and improving residents’ lives. Last month, HPCF proudly honored Highland Park High School counselor, Chair of the Board of Directors of Josselyn, and Moraine Township Trustee Pablo Alvarez with the 2024 Jack Blane Community Service Award.

Pablo has been an active community member since moving to Highland Park and becoming a counselor at Highland Park High School in 2008. Of his position at the high school, which he still maintains, Pablo said, “I really enjoy working here because it’s not just about choosing classes or writing a recommendation. It’s about providing a healthy outlet for students to share what they’re going through and helping them manage it. It’s about developing positive connections with the students because high school is such a crucial time in their lives. It’s about helping them navigate the highs, lows, and everything in between. I also enjoy leading our famed chess team that attracts a wide range of diverse students, allowing them to create incredible memories!”

His dedication to his students goes well beyond his position as a counselor, however. Tom Koulentes, former HPHS Principal and current HPCF Board Member, shared how particularly impressed he was by Pablo’s commitment to using his role as a counselor to support students’ success. As an example, Tom highlighted the establishment of the Latino Boys Groups. “One of the most remarkable things he did was to create our Latino Boys Groups. He would meet with boys from each age group once a week and talk about grades, attendance, extracurriculars, etc. What developed were groups of young men who really cared about each other and were committed to supporting each other to get through the challenges of high school.” Creating the Latino Boys Groups is just one of the many ways Pablo has engaged with and impacted students beyond the counselor’s office.

Pablo also looks for ways he can help students beyond the school walls. Through his work, Pablo became aware of Josselyn, a nonprofit that provides community-based mental health care. “I was really amazed by the amount of support they have available for students and families. A lot of times, it’s challenging to find effective counselors and resources for families that are underinsured or uninsured. I accepted a Board position to help fill those gaps and ensure that their client base had access to effective counselors, psychiatrists, and other resources offered by Josselyn.” When reflecting on Pablo’s contributions to the organization, Susan Resko, Josselyn’s CEO and President, said, “Pablo goes above and beyond the typical job description of a Board Chair.” As an example, she said, “We recently received notice of a state grant for Nuestro Josselyn to greatly expand programming. Pablo is very involved in the program expansion and its communications with community partners. He has a special affinity for the program as it directly benefits many of the young people that he works with at the high school. He has been instrumental in ensuring this grant has the maximum impact and benefit for our community’s youth.”

Notably, Pablo’s impact on the community isn’t limited to our younger population. He is both an elected trustee of Moraine Township and Chair of the Township’s Latino Advisory Board. “At Moraine Township, we provide a safety net of services for residents that includes a food pantry and door-to-door van transportation for seniors and disabled residents, along with emergency relief and energy assistance for income-qualified residents. Working with the Latino Advisory Group, I collaborate with other Latino leaders to address the needs of the Latino community in Highland Park and Highwood. I also work with the Park District of Highland Park and previously developed a partnership with the Botanic Garden and Ravinia to benefit our communities. We try to make it so all families can take advantage of the resources in the area to benefit their kids and entire family,” Pablo said. Anne Flanigan Bassi, Moraine Township Supervisor, added, “Pablo is an elected Moraine Township Trustee and Chair of the Township’s Latino Advisory Board, a group of people that work with the Latino community and partner with the Township to try to identify gaps that agencies or the Township can address. Under Pablo’s leadership, the committee has partnered with Ravinia, Botanic Gardens, Park District of Highland Park, and others to make more resources available to our residents.” Pablo was also involved in the Friends for Health Board, and he worked with students at the Highwood Library throughout COVID, helping to supplement the education they were receiving virtually.

The Jack Blane Community Service Award was presented to Pablo at HPCF’s 2024 Gather for Good event on Friday, September 20, at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Highland Park. Beyond honoring Pablo’s dedication to service in the community, through the event, the Board raised funds to support HPCF’s annual grants and awareness about the Foundation’s mission of addressing unmet needs in Highland Park and Highwood—a mission to which Pablo himself is clearly committed.