New faces inducted by the Triton College Alumni Association to its 2025 Alumni Wall of Fame represent a wide variety of professions, including a fire chief, journalist and business owners.
Michele Fiore, Nicholas Steker, Madonna Fantetti Slepicka and Albin Lechowski received the recognition for making a significant impact in their profession and community.
Michele Fiore combined her love of writing, performing and television to begin pursuing a career in journalism at Triton.
“While classrooms and teachers can’t show you exactly what you’ll face as a broadcast journalist in today’s world, what Triton College did give me was invaluable, real-life working experience,” Fiore said. “When I wrote for the Fifth Avenue Journal, I learned to look around my world to see the stories people were talking about, then I learned how to source people to talk about those topics, set up times and places to meet with them, conduct interviews, and finally to review everything that was said and put it all into a story. At Triton TV, I got to see what it was like to be in front of the camera, and also what it was like to be behind the camera, two very important experiences which determined which route I would take in my career.”
She found herself covering many challenging stories, including in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood on July 4, 2020, doing a story for FOX32 about a 7-year-old girl who had been killed by gang crossfire.
“As I spoke those sad words I could hear fireworks going off in the distance, and happy voices oohing and aahing at their beauty,” she said. “Think about trying to hold back tears on live TV as you’re in-the-moment hearing happy-happy, knowing a family is grieving the unbearable loss of a child. I went off-script calling out that it was truly a tale of two worlds in Austin that night.”
Triton helped put Fiore on a path to see and report things she’ll never forget.
“I grew up close to Triton in Elmwood Park and so this area will always feel like home,” she said. “Being recognized here where my heart continues to be is surreal. I wonder what my 19-year-old self would think of all this. Like everyone, my career hasn’t always been easy, so getting such a public recognition after years of putting in the hard work feels good. I only wish my parents had lived to see this day.”
Nicholas Steker, Franklin Park Fire Department’s battalion chief, attributes much of his success to what he was taught at Triton.
“I believe it provided me with a strong foundation within the fire service in our area,” he said. “I attended classes at Triton College with several veteran firefighters, new firefighters, and those aspiring to be firefighters. Then, once I was hired in Franklin Park, many of my former classmates became mentors and vice versa. I had friendships now already forged through their fire science program. The built-in network led to long-term relationships.”
Passionate about helping others, Steker enrolled in Triton’s Fire Science Program in 1997 and earned his associate’s degree in 1999. He was then hired as a full-time firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Franklin Park Fire Department.
In 2004, he completed a bachelor’s degree in fire science management at Southern Illinois University’s satellite program which was held at Triton.
Today he’s in his 26th year with the Franklin Park Fire Department where he has climbed the ranks. He became a lieutenant in 2003 and battalion chief 20 years later. He’s second in command of a 43-person department. In addition, he’s come back to where it all began as he’s an adjunct faculty member in Triton’s Fire Science Program.
“Having the privilege to serve as adjunct faculty gives me the opportunity to pay it back,” he said. “Society and students of today have changed so much. I try to teach that traditional fire service mentality that has led to my many successes. I do see a lot of myself in some of these kids. It’s not for everyone and I tell them that’s completely ok. The ones that are committed know that I will do whatever I can to help them.”
In fact, one of Steker’s former students now works with him in Franklin Park.
“I’ve watched him grow as a student, to a firefighter, and he just became a father,” Steker said. “How rewarding is that? I’m grateful every day for the opportunities Triton has provided me with as both a student and as a faculty member that has now stretched almost 30 years.”
Madonna Fantetti Slepicka had already earned her associate degree at Triton many years before she returned at age 50 to take a bread class.
The problem was it was an all-day class and she couldn’t get in so she took a class on food safety and another on chocolate.
Like Forrest Gump learned with chocolates, Fantetti Slepicka had no idea what she was going to get out of the class. For the past 15 years she’s been the owner and operator of River Forest Chocolates.
Taking advantage of Triton’s diverse array of educational offerings was something Fantetti Slepicka knew could benefit her career. After first getting her associates at Triton she moved on to Eastern Illinois University to attain her bachelor’s degree in business.
Jobs in retail, real estate and teaching took a backseat when she found a new passion: chocolates.
“I always went back to Triton to learn new things,” she said. “Triton gave me my accounting and marketing background. It gave me all those tools in my box. When they told me I was nominated (for the Wall of Fame) I was flattered to be nominated. Reading the backgrounds of all those who have been nominated, it’s impressive, it gets to be pretty overwhelming.”
More than 40 years ago, Lechowski chose to attend Triton because of two things — its location and its heating, ventilation and air conditioning program. The number of homeowners and businesses who have benefitted from his services is innumerable.
“Since Triton’s program was close to home, I was still able to work full time while attending college,” he said. “I looked forward to school because I enjoyed the classes. Triton has always been an outstanding college.”
Albin Lechowski is the owner and president of Al Air Inc. in Norridge.
“I learned a lot at Triton,” he said. “And I learned a lot from my dad who always taught me to treat people the way you want to be treated and to do the job right and to be honest. It gives you a good feeling inside when you’re doing good.”
He’s doing so well that even with his 68th birthday approaching in the fall, he’s not sure when he’ll retire, even after his recent accolades.
“I don’t do the big jobs, but I still climb on roofs and go to the customers,” he said.” It’s a good feeling troubleshooting, solving problems. I’m lucky. We’re a family-owned business and my son is working right under me. As a Wall of Fame inductee, I’m honored and feel like I’m making a difference in my community.”
C. R. Walker is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.