CAC was conveniently close to home when Navreet Heneghan chose a law school summer internship in 1999 . She stayed on after the internship, helping for years even as she started her own law practice, married, and raised children.

“It is one thing to sit at home with your friends and complain,” she said. “It is quite another to say, ‘I can do something about that.’” She learned at CAC what levers to pull to accomplish change in the community, and she used her knowledge to educate others.

With a strong background in community activism, she won a seat on the board of education for School District 45 Villa Park, a K-12 district serving about 3,500 students not far from Elmhurst. She retained her ties to CAC and occasionally relied on its advice—including on one highly contentious issue.

 Board members had discovered that district administrators were on the verge of signing a deal that would allow a church building to be erected on district property. The church had already raised $1 million for the structure and drawn up architectural plans. 

“We had no idea this was going on,” Heneghan t said.  

“I knew I could talk through the issues with CAC,” she said. Not only did the Center help her think through the constitutional issue of separation of church and state but also more philosophical reflections on the role of transparency in public bodies. 

Once she had the advice of CAC, Heneghan went back to the board and the situation was able to be rectified.