JJC Theatre Professor Receives Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition from AACC

Joliet Junior College (JJC) associate professor Brian Fruits-Esparza has earned Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) for 2026.

"I'm truly humbled and honored," Fruits-Esparza said of the award. "Everyone on this campus - faculty, staff, administration - we all wear so many hats and do so much for our students. I really feel like I'm accepting this on behalf of my colleagues, the JJC Fine Arts Department, the theatre program and so many people across the College who do incredible work every day."

The award was established by the AACC "to recognize individuals making a difference in the classroom." For a theatre professor like Fruits-Esparza, that means serving JJC students in and out of the classroom. This aligns with the College's holistic approach to supporting student success and wellbeing.

"At the heart of my teaching is a commitment to service - service to students, the institution and the broader community," he said. "Whether guiding theatre students through their first performance or supporting general education learners in discovering their voice, I aim to create spaces where curiosity, empathy and growth thrive. I believe in meeting students where they are and helping them uncover what's possible."

Fruits-Esparza achieves this by combining creativity with care and holding various roles beyond professor at JJC. The Crawford Honors College faculty member helped launch JJC's Pathway to Reporting, a program that equips student advocates to foster respectful, consent-based collaboration in the arts. He also works with many departments across the College to support other student success and wellbeing projects and initiatives, including athletics, the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Advocacy, the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities, social and behavioral sciences and more.

"This recognition motivates me to keep paying it forward," he said. "I try to carry a piece of every great educator who shaped me - people like Rosanne Truppa, Brian Knox, Linda Dean, Janine Asmus, Mark Bernstein, Andrew Pederson, John Yorke, Jon Barz and Stephen Hancock - into my own classroom.

"I'm still learning, still growing and still working to get better. More than anything, I'm proud to be a member of this faculty and to stand alongside people who care deeply about what we do and who we serve. I am just a small part of the bigger puzzle."