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Meet Dr. Maria Sinkule
Dr. Maria Sinkule is a lifelong Addison resident, a dedicated school social worker, and a champion for equity, inclusion, and access to public services. She is a grassroots leader and advocate for those in her community. She is a proud graduate of Army Trail Elementary, Indian Trail Junior High, and Addison Trail High School (Class of 2001) and a current College of DuPage Board Trustee.
Raised in low-income housing by immigrant parents from Mexico, Dr. Maria’s life has been shaped by the values of education, service, and resilience. Her family relied on community support like Medicaid and food pantries, and holiday assistance.
Dr. Maria holds a Doctorate in Social Work from Aurora University and both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She teaches graduate level Macro Social Work Policy and DEI at Aurora University and Research Methods at the University of Chicago, shaping the next generation of social workers.
As the first Latina President of the Illinois Association of School Social Workers, she advocated for statewide policies that uplift students, families, and social workers. She is also a delegate for the Illinois Education Association serving as their grassroots political activist, championing for policies to protect our teachers, staff, and students in Illinois.
Dr. Maria Sinkule’s journey of public service began at the Addison Public Library, where she worked evenings as a bilingual children’s associate while also providing early childhood support during the day. Families quickly came to rely on her for more than storytime, asking her for help with navigating benefits, Social Security, healthcare, and resources for their children. When families couldn’t reach her during the day, she welcomed them at the library in the evenings and on weekends. Word spread quickly, and soon she became known throughout the community as “Maria de la Biblioteca” (Maria of the Library).
Recognizing a critical gap in social services during nontraditional hours, Dr. Maria advocated for the creation of a dedicated Social Services Coordinator position at the library. With support from the library director, the role was established and continues to serve the community to this day. When Dr. Maria learned that some individuals were working to eliminate the position claiming it duplicated existing services, she refused to do nothing. Determined to protect and expand support for her community, she ran for Addison Library Board Trustee and won her first election. It was the beginning of her career in elected office and a powerful reminder of what happens when community voices are heard.
In 2021, Dr. Maria received the Illinois Education Association’s Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award for her extraordinary response during the COVID-19 crisis. When food pantries were closed and families were struggling, Dr. Maria organized emergency food distributions around various schools in her district. She remembers one day getting a call from a local provider that received 400 gallons of milk that they did not have room to store. Without hesitation, she loaded the milk into her car and began driving to low-income apartment buildings. She would tell the children outside to tell their parents there was free milk in the parking lot. She distributed all 400 gallons in 2 hours to families in need.
Mental health is another key focus of Dr. Maria’s work. In communities where mental health stigma persists and services are hard to access, she has stepped in to ensure students and families receive critical care. She coordinates with school-based therapists, navigates hospital systems, and has even ridden in ambulances to support students when their families could not be there, especially when language barriers exist.\
Dr. Maria Sinkule leads with compassion and follows through with action. Whether she’s helping a family navigate complex aid systems or collecting a jar of live bed bugs to advocate for tenants being mistreated by their landlord, Dr. Maria never backs down when her community needs her. She never waits for permission to do what’s right, she rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. It’s this fearless, hands-on approach that makes her the kind of leader we need on the County Board. Someone who understands how policy impacts real people and who will fight to make DuPage county more affordable, accessible, and equitable.
