Mercy Home for Boys & Girls recently announced that Liz Kuhn Tomka has been named the Vice President of the Education and Career Resources department.

Tomka received her undergraduate degree in family studies form the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and, upon graduation, became a full-time MercyWorks volunteer at Mercy Home. She later enrolled in the Columbia University School of Social Work and received a certificate in school social work.

After working as a program coordinator, and later the Chair of the Department of Student Life, at a charter high school for five years, she returned to Mercy Home in 2010 to manage the volunteer program. She transitioned back to her passions of education and social work in 2012 and has provided leadership for our after-school programs and academic resources since that time.

The Education and Career Resources department, formerly known as the Academy, was established 12 years ago to organize our young people’s educational and vocational needs. Since its beginning, it has helped countless children reach their goals and enhanced our service to them in many ways.

For example, our high school seniors graduate at a rate of 100 percent year after year, and our young men and women have been given opportunities to gain valuable work experience and explore careers. They have gone on to higher education and success in a variety of professions, where they are leaving their mark.