DeKALB – In addition to practical things taught in the classroom, Laura Vazquez hopes her passion for drawing attention to issues such as homelessness and sexual assault is something her students pick up.

“I go and say, ‘Let’s put a light on this,’ ” said Vazquez, a communication professor at Northern Illinois University and documentary filmmaker. “... I believe in activism, and I want to pass that on to my students.”

Vazquez was honored recently by the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth with its Distinguished Service and Leadership Award for her work documenting the plight of homeless women and children.