MLK Humanitarian Awards Honor Coach, Longtime Former Employee, Partnership Ministry of Two Catholic Churches
Coach Nickie Sanlin, Brent Reeves, and the parishes of St. Joseph Catholic Church
of Lebanon, Ill., and Corpus Christi Catholic Church of Shiloh, Ill., were this year’s
recipients of McKendree University’s 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Awards
at a celebration held on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts.
The annual awards celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Reverend Dr. King. This year’s
recipients have demonstrated care and compassion, understanding and tolerance for
all people, and humanitarian principles and ideals. They have also led or participated
in service programs that reflect these ideals.
This year, the awards were given in three categories: the community award, the staff award, and the lifetime achievement award.
Nickie Sanlin, director of volleyball, head men’s volleyball coach, and assistant athletic director for impact and strategic engagement at McKendree, received the staff award this year. She is described as being a leader among leaders who inspires others to be empathetic and understanding. Her influence has shaped her teams, and she constantly uplifts others with authenticity, consistently focusing on the humanity of her students. She has created a space where all people feel seen, heard, and valued.
The sister parishes of St. Joseph Catholic Church and Corpus Christi Catholic Church were the joint recipients of the community award. This organization embodies a living commitment to compassion, unity, and dignity of every person, providing free meals to McKendree students at the St. Joseph House each Monday evening since 2019. Modeling empathy in action, they demonstrate that community is built in shared experiences. These parishes care for students, regardless of race, religion, language, and background, providing them a home away from home.
“When we started serving, we had nine students; this past year we served over 300 students,” said Sharon Sullivan of Corpus Christi. “It means a lot to us to have the support of our parishes, our parishioners who provide the meals, and the university. We thoroughly enjoy having conversations with all of the students – we like that you come in and share your week, but most of all, you share your love for the university with us. We hope that you continue to join us on Monday nights, and we will continue to give our radical hospitality back to you as you give yours to us.”
Brent Reeves, the former director of cultural affairs at McKendree, received the lifetime achievement award. He has been described as one of the friendliest people on campus who constantly brought his passion for serving others to the campus community. He worked tirelessly to create a welcoming culture for people of every race, orientation, and nation as a staff member at McKendree. He retired from the university in 2024 after 28 years of service.
“Thank you to the students, faculty, and staff for allowing me the opportunity to share my work life with this institution of higher learning,” Reeves said. “My mother always pushed me to leave things better than when I found it, and I’ve always used that as a driving force in anything I did.”
After the recipients received their awards, Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, who serves as bishop of the Iowa Conference and the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, spoke about building loving communities in times of crisis.
“We are called to continue Dr. King’s legacy by building loving communities,” Bishop Bigham-Tsai said. “We can do this by crossing boundaries to help those who are different. Let us build networks of support and solidarity with marginalized communities and follow Jesus’s example by welcoming the stranger and the immigrant. Let us use our voices to defend justice for ourselves and our neighbors. Finally, let us read books to better understand the divine and one another instead of doomscrolling and feeding the algorithms that are driving the polarization of our country.”
-McK-
