http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20140515/rogers-park/azieb-gebrehiiwet-way-honors-20-year-owner-of-lunt-avenue-day-care
'Azieb Gebrehiiwet Way' Honors 20-Year Owner of Lunt Avenue Day Care
By Benjamin Woodard on May 15, 2014 5:19am
_at_benjamdub
ROGERS PARK -- The southwest corner of Lunt and Ravenswood avenues was
renamed as Azieb Gebrehiiwet Way in honor of an African immigrant who 20
years ago founded what is now a thriving, international day care business.
It all began in Rogers Park.
"Is it really true? I don't know," said Azieb Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet, 69, in
disbelief after her family surprised her with the street renaming
Wednesday. "It's way beyond my thinking."
Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet opened her day care -- called Eyes on the Future -- on
Loyola Avenue with just a few students. Then, 10 years ago, she moved to
the storefront at 6969 N Ravenswood Ave.
Now the center has 280 students and has expanded to the building's two
other units, tripling its size.
And the business has gone international. Five years ago, Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet
and a business partner opened a sister school in Lagos, Nigeria, which now
offers classes through high school and will soon open a health clinic.
"It's the love for service" that keeps her going, she said.
Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet immigrated to the United States with her husband, who
was attending the University of Chicago.
But they couldn't return home to Eritrea after war broke out there in the
'60s.
While working in the banking industry and taking her children to a
Wrigleyville day care, she decided to start out on her own.
So she founded Eyes on the Future.
As the day care's 20-year anniversary approached, her daughter, Smret
Smith, wanted to do something special for her mom.
As her request, Ald. Joe Moore (49th) introduced an ordinance in February
renaming the street corner.
Since then, it's been a top-secret affair.
"The hardest thing was keeping it a secret," Smith said
The city installed the new street signs Tuesday while Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet
was away. On Wednesday, Mihzun-Gebrehiiwet's students, teachers and family
surprised her with the honorary signs.
"They really tricked me," she said. "I want to pinch myself."
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Received on Thu May 15 2014 - 14:09:09 EDT