Sheila Simons was presented with the 2020 Luis Clay Mendez Distinguished Service Award Tuesday afternoon following a year of what we can only imagine has been an incredibly stressful and hard year for her as Eastern’s lead COVID-19 investigator.

Simons has put in the work day in and day out for Eastern and we at The Daily Eastern News are happy to see her recognized for everything she does.

Not only has she led the university in combatting a pandemic, but she has done so with a kind heart and a fierce spirit. In this pandemic, those qualities are needed more than ever.

As vaccines roll out and things slowly but surely drift toward normalcy, we hope Simons is able to take a deep breath and look back on all of the amazing things she has done for Eastern and the surrounding communities.

We know Simons will forever be remembered for her dedication to Eastern’s safety and well-being during a time of uncertainty and fear.

We at The Daily Eastern News would like to congratulate Simons on being recognized for all she does, as well as thank her for caring so deeply about the students, faculty and staff at Eastern. This year would not have happened without her.