I was born and raised in the South Suburbs of Chicago. I went to the University of Iowa until the middle of my Junior year, and then transferred to DePaul University to finish my Bachelor’s in History. I then continued on at DePaul for a Master’s of Public Service Management. 

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 14 years, and have enjoyed learning about the rich history of our little pocket of Chicago. I’ve helped to coordinate International Night since 2016, and was excited to expand my role with the PTA this year as President. It’s been a fun adventure planning other events like Winter Fest, Teacher Appreciation Celebrations, and the first Free Book Fair. Over the years, Peterson Elementary has become a home away from home for my kids. I’m grateful to have watched my children enter the doors of Peterson as timid Kindergarteners and soon to watch one walk out a confident graduate.  I look forward to three more years at this amazing place!

Nací y crecí en los suburbios del sur de Chicago. Fui a la Universidad de Iowa hasta mediados de mi tercer año y luego me transfirieron a la Universidad DePaul para terminar mi Licenciatura en Historia. Luego continué en DePaul para obtener una Maestría en Gestión de Servicios Públicos.

He vivido en el vecindario durante 14 años y he disfrutado aprendiendo sobre la rica historia de nuestro pequeño rincón de Chicago. He ayudado a coordinar la Noche Internacional desde 2016 y estaba emocionado de ampliar mi papel en la PTA este año como presidente. Ha sido una aventura divertida planificar otros eventos como el Winter Fest, las celebraciones de agradecimiento a los maestros y la primera feria del libro gratuita. A lo largo de los años, la escuela primaria Peterson se ha convertido en un hogar lejos del hogar para mis hijos. Estoy agradecido de haber visto a mis hijos entrar por las puertas de Peterson como tímidos estudiantes de jardín de infantes y pronto ver a uno salir como un graduado confiado. ¡Espero pasar tres años más en este increíble lugar!

I was born in the 1900s, 1984 to be exact, and raised in the Lakeview area of Chicago, IL. I’m Puerto Rican through and through; my grandfather came to Chicago in 1955 and saved up to send for my grandmother and five children,  raising ten children total!

I began my time at Peterson in February as a substitute Teacher Assistant. On my very first day of subbing, I chose to take a job at Peterson over a closer, neighborhood school. I attended Northeastern Illinois University many years ago, so I went out on a limb and returned to my old stomping grounds. Upon arrival, I was greeted and welcomed by Mr. Caban and Ms. Lopez and just like that, I was glad I came!

Coming from such a big and ever growing family is what resonates with my experience at Peterson Elementary! I love being a part of this community, meeting families new and old, and watching them grow as well. And like a family, seeing the potential for these children and wanting the best life can afford them. I can't speak on my own future plans just yet but I can say I am inspired. Cheers to the future!

Nací en la década de 1900, en 1984 para ser exactos, y crecí en el área de Lakeview en Chicago, IL. Soy puertorriqueña de pies a cabeza; Mi abuelo vino a Chicago en 1955 y ahorró para enviar a buscar a mi abuela y a mis cinco hijos, ¡criando a diez hijos en total!

Comencé mi tiempo en Peterson en febrero como asistente de maestro sustituto. En mi primer día como suplente, elegí aceptar un trabajo en Peterson en lugar de una escuela vecinal más cercana. Asistí a la Universidad Northeastern Illinois hace muchos años, así que me arriesgué y regresé a mis antiguos terrenos. Al llegar, el Sr. Caban y la Sra. López me saludaron y dieron la bienvenida y así de fácil, ¡me alegré de haber venido!

¡Venir de una familia tan grande y en constante crecimiento es lo que resuena con mi experiencia en la Escuela Primaria Peterson! Me encanta ser parte de esta comunidad, conocer familias nuevas y antiguas y verlas crecer también. Y como una familia, ver el potencial de estos niños y desear la mejor vida que pueden ofrecerles. Todavía no puedo hablar de mis planes futuros, pero puedo decir que estoy inspirado. ¡Salud por el futuro!

I was born in Baghdad, Iraq and after my first birthday my parents fled the country to seek asylum in the US. My parents and I ended up in a refugee camp in Turkey, before taking a boat to Athens, Greece. While in Athens, my mother gave birth to my only sibling, Edwin. My brother and I are best friends. We lived in Greece for about a year and a half before we got approved for US Visas. We moved to live with my uncle in Jacksonville, Florida.

I attended kindergarten in Jacksonville, FL., it was not a very diverse school, I was the only person with dark hair in my entire class. After two years in Jacksonville, my mother felt that Chicago would be a better place for us to live, so we moved. I attended Jamieson Elementary from second grade until I graduated in 2003. Like Peterson, Jamieson was a diverse school with students of all backgrounds; it was the first time I felt like I fit in. After graduating, I attended Northtown Academy, which was a unique experience. It was the second year the school was open as a charter school and co-ed, prior it was an all girls private school. While we did not have the best sports team, or the most fun school dances, we had some amazing teachers. Mr. Chau, my sophomore and junior year English teacher made the biggest impact on me. He was so knowledgeable about all kinds of subjects and always made the subject matter interesting. 

While in high school I was very involved in student council and was even class president my sophomore year. I excelled in Spanish class and skipped a year and joined the Hispanic Honor Society. By this point in my life, I had decided that I wanted to pursue a career in law. To stay close to my family, I chose to go to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). About two years into school, I began to volunteer at a youth center and fell in love with working with children. I changed my major the following week. While UIC is an amazing school, I felt that National Louis University would be a better fit for my new major. I graduated from National Louis with my Bachelors of Arts in Early Childhood Education and began working as a preschool teacher at a private school. When the pandemic came, I took a nanny position to be around less people.

Last year I was yearning to be back in a classroom environment and was contemplating getting my Masters in Special Education. I reached out to a friend who has worked at Peterson for years, Ms. Yousif. She was raving about the school, its diversity, friendly staff and supportive administration. I knew this is where I wanted to be, and I took the SECA position to see if special education is what I wanted to continue studying. While in this position, I was approached by Ms. Hurley & Ms. Nieves, to be the lead teacher in the new Kindergarten room. I have enjoyed every moment of this school year. I plan on pursuing my Masters in Primary Education and want to teach at Peterson for many years to come. 

Nací en Bagdad, Irak y después de mi primer cumpleaños mis padres huyeron del país para buscar asilo en Estados Unidos. Mis padres y yo terminamos en un campo de refugiados en Turquía, antes de tomar un barco a Atenas, Grecia. Mientras estaba en Atenas, mi madre dio a luz a mi único hermano, Edwin. Mi hermano y yo somos mejores amigos. Vivimos en Grecia durante aproximadamente un año y medio antes de que nos aprobaran las visas estadounidenses. Nos mudamos a vivir con mi tío en Jacksonville, Florida.

Asistí al jardín de infantes en Jacksonville, FL., no era una escuela muy diversa, yo era la única persona con cabello oscuro en toda mi clase. Después de dos años en Jacksonville, mi madre sintió que Chicago sería un mejor lugar para vivir, así que nos mudamos. Asistí a la escuela primaria Jamieson desde segundo grado hasta que me gradué en 2003. Al igual que Peterson, Jamieson era una escuela diversa con estudiantes de todos los orígenes; fue la primera vez que sentí que encajaba. Después de graduarme, asistí a Northtown Academy, lo cual fue una experiencia única. Era el segundo año que la escuela estaba abierta como escuela autónoma y mixta, antes era una escuela privada solo para niñas. Si bien no teníamos el mejor equipo deportivo ni los bailes escolares más divertidos, teníamos algunos maestros increíbles. El Sr. Chau, mi profesor de inglés de segundo y tercer año, fue el que más me impactó. Sabía mucho sobre todo tipo de temas y siempre hacía que el tema fuera interesante.

Mientras estaba en la escuela secundaria estuve muy involucrado en el consejo estudiantil e incluso fui presidente de la clase en mi segundo año. Destaqué en la clase de español, me salté un año y me uní a la Sociedad de Honor Hispana. En ese momento de mi vida, había decidido que quería seguir la carrera de derecho. Para estar cerca de mi familia, elegí ir a la Universidad de Illinois Chicago (UIC). Aproximadamente dos años después de comenzar la escuela, comencé a trabajar como voluntaria en un centro juvenil y me enamoré de trabajar con niños. Cambié de especialidad la semana siguiente. Si bien la UIC es una escuela increíble, sentí que la Universidad Nacional Louis sería más adecuada para mi nueva especialidad. Me gradué de National Louis con mi Licenciatura en Educación Infantil y comencé a trabajar como maestra de preescolar en una escuela privada. Cuando llegó la pandemia, acepté el puesto de niñera para estar con menos gente.

El año pasado anhelaba volver a un ambiente de aula y estaba contemplando obtener mi Maestría en Educación Especial. Me comuniqué con una amiga que ha trabajado en Peterson durante años, la Sra. Yousif. Estaba entusiasmada con la escuela, su diversidad, su personal amable y su administración solidaria. Sabía que aquí es donde quería estar y acepté el puesto de SECA para ver si educación especial era lo que quería seguir estudiando. Mientras ocupaba este puesto, la Sra. Hurley se acercó a mí para que fuera la maestra principal en el nuevo salón de jardín de infantes. He disfrutado cada momento de este año escolar. Planeo realizar mi Maestría en Educación Primaria y quiero enseñar en Peterson durante muchos años más.

February 24, 2024

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York with my sister and two brothers. My siblings are wonderful people, and we are very close!  In New York City, you attend different elementary, middle, and high schools. My elementary school was diverse and reminded me a lot of Peterson. I remember people speaking so many different languages. 

Growing up, I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do for a job. There was a point when I wanted to be a dentist, but then I wanted to be a meteorologist, and then I wanted to be an artist. I also liked working with children, but it took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do as a job. As a kid, I was into art and played soccer. I loved riding my bike and walking in this beautiful big park in Brooklyn called Prospect Park.

I had a lot of teachers who had a big impact on me. One, in particular, is a math teacher I had in high school. I struggled with math, but they helped me find strategies and ways to make sense of the work. The work I dreaded became fun logic puzzles, and I still think of math in that way.

During the pandemic, I decided I wanted to go back to school and become a teacher. After graduating, I started looking at schools that I could work at. I was looking for diverse schools that represented all of the wonderful cultures in big cities like New York and Chicago. Peterson checked that box! I was also charmed by the chickens when I came for my interview. I love my job, but it can be hard sometimes. The hardest part so far has been being a first-year teacher. I am learning and growing every day and becoming better and better at my practice as a teacher. I've been grateful for the support and grace that my colleagues and my students have given me as I have navigated this first year. In terms of growing, I am excited to become better and better as a teacher. Outside of Peterson, I am getting married this summer and very much looking forward to that.

24 de febrero de 2024

Nací y crecí en Brooklyn, Nueva York con mi hermana y mis dos hermanos. ¡Mis hermanos son personas maravillosas y somos muy unidos! En la ciudad de Nueva York, asistes a diferentes escuelas primarias, intermedias y secundarias. Mi escuela primaria era diversa y me recordaba mucho a Peterson. Recuerdo gente hablando tantos idiomas diferentes.

Al crecer, no sabía exactamente qué quería hacer como trabajo. Hubo un momento en el que quise ser dentista, pero luego quise ser meteorólogo y luego quise ser artista. También me gustaba trabajar con niños, pero me llevó mucho tiempo descubrir qué quería hacer como trabajo. Cuando era niño, me gustaba el arte y jugaba fútbol. Me encantaba andar en bicicleta y caminar en este hermoso gran parque en Brooklyn llamado Prospect Park.

Tuve muchos profesores que tuvieron un gran impacto en mí. Uno, en particular, es un profesor de matemáticas que tuve en la escuela secundaria. Tuve dificultades con las matemáticas, pero me ayudaron a encontrar estrategias y formas de darle sentido al trabajo. El trabajo que temía se convirtió en divertidos acertijos de lógica, y todavía pienso en las matemáticas de esa manera.

Durante la pandemia, decidí que quería volver a la escuela y ser maestra. Después de graduarme, comencé a buscar escuelas en las que pudiera trabajar. Buscaba escuelas diversas que representaran todas las maravillosas culturas de las grandes ciudades como Nueva York y Chicago. ¡Peterson marcó esa casilla! También me encantaron las gallinas cuando vine a la entrevista. Amo mi trabajo, pero a veces puede ser difícil. La parte más difícil hasta ahora ha sido ser profesora de primer año. Estoy aprendiendo y creciendo cada día y mejorando cada vez más en mi práctica como docente. He estado agradecido por el apoyo y la gracia que mis colegas y mis estudiantes me han brindado mientras navegaba este primer año. En términos de crecimiento, estoy emocionado de ser cada vez mejor como maestro. Aparte de Peterson, me casaré este verano y tengo muchas ganas de hacerlo.

I spent most of my childhood in Medellin, Colombia, and I loved living on a mountain and I especially loved going to school in a small town. Much like Peterson, my school community in Colombia was very welcoming and inclusive. As students we were in charge of feeding our chickens and serving each other lunch during lunch and recess. This is one of the reasons I love the chicken coop at Peterson! Coming to the U.S as an ELL (English Language Learner) student was definitely impactful to my education. I was lucky enough to have wonderful ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers that had the patience and empathy I needed. After I graduated High School in Waukegan, I attended the University of Illinois at Chicago and got my bachelors in Anthropology and in Gender and Women’s Studies. I was always passionate about social justice topics, so for a few years I worked in an immigration rights law firm as a paralegal. I enjoyed learning about the systemic issues that our immigrant community faced in Chicago.

My journey in education began as a sixth grade teacher in Waukegan. I have since taught and coordinated ELL programs in Waukegan, Zion, and Belmont Cragin. My interest for social emotional learning grew as I coordinated an ELL program in a charter school on the west side of Chicago. In 2017 I went back to school to get my masters in School Counseling. I am very excited to be your new bilingual school counselor and learn about the Peterson Elementary community!

Pasé la mayor parte de mi infancia en Medellín, Colombia, y me encantaba vivir en una montaña y, especialmente, me encantaba ir a la escuela en un pueblo pequeño. Al igual que Peterson, mi comunidad escolar en Colombia fue muy acogedora e inclusiva. Como estudiantes estábamos a cargo de alimentar a nuestras gallinas y de servirnos el almuerzo unos a otros durante el almuerzo y el recreo. ¡Ésta es una de las razones por las que me encanta el gallinero de Peterson! Venir a los EE. UU. como estudiante ELL (estudiante del idioma inglés) definitivamente tuvo un impacto en mi educación. Tuve la suerte de contar con profesores maravillosos de ESL (inglés como segundo idioma) que tenían la paciencia y la empatía que necesitaba. Después de graduarme de la escuela secundaria en Waukegan, asistí a la Universidad de Illinois en Chicago y obtuve mi licenciatura en Antropología y Estudios de Género y Mujeres. Siempre me apasionaron los temas de justicia social, por lo que durante algunos años trabajé en una firma de abogados de derechos de inmigración como asistente legal. Disfruté aprendiendo sobre los problemas sistémicos que enfrentaba nuestra comunidad de inmigrantes en Chicago.

Mi trayectoria en la educación comenzó como maestra de sexto grado en Waukegan. Desde entonces, he enseñado y coordinado programas de ELL en Waukegan, Zion y Belmont Cragin. Mi interés por el aprendizaje socioemocional creció mientras coordinaba un programa de ELL en una escuela autónoma en el lado oeste de Chicago. En 2017 volví a la escuela para obtener mi maestría en Consejería Escolar. ¡Estoy muy emocionada de ser su nueva consejera escolar bilingüe y aprender sobre la comunidad de Peterson Elementary!

The first time I visited Chicago was December of my freshman year in college. I stepped off the train to brisk air and patches of snow on the ground. Growing up in Southern California meant both things—public transit and snow — were very foreign to me. I exited the L station and started walking, unsure if I was headed the right way. I was barely 18, alone in a completely unfamiliar environment and yet had never before felt as at home in a city as I did in that moment. I moved to Chicago the following fall and never looked back.

I first came to Chicago to study theater at DePaul. After being cut from the BFA program, something that happened to half the class by the end of the 2nd year, I finished with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Nick, through work not long after I moved here. In addition to living and parenting together, we’ve now been working together continuously for a quarter century.

Peterson was our top choice when our son was entering kindergarten. The focus on keeping class sizes small as well as having an inclusion model through 8th grade were both very appealing to us. We were on the waitlist and got a call letting us know we had a spot the Friday before school started.

Our experience has been a good one and we feel lucky to be a part of the Peterson community. Over the years we have enjoyed attending events at and around the school. I have volunteered in the classroom, for office tasks, at events and on field trips. I have also presented at parent meetings and eventually ran for the LSC. Outside Peterson, I volunteer at Tuesday’s Child, run Great Lakes Tattoo with Nick and work as an educational advocate. I am thankful that owning our own businesses has given me the flexibility to be involved in so many ways.

Volunteering as a member of the LSC is both rewarding and difficult. I am honored to be a representative of Peterson families and try hard to make meetings and information easily available. The LSC model is unique to Chicago and one that is difficult to understand. I see Peterson as a school that really honors the intent of LSCs; for multiple stakeholders to have a meaningful voice in the shaping of a school.

I find it satisfying to serve our community but also get a lot out of it. One of my favorite things about volunteering is having the chance to meet more people in our community. I always enjoy saying hello and hearing about other families’ experiences. If I am not volunteering, working, or running my kids around to appointments, you can probably find me snuggled with our cats and reading a romance novel.

La primera vez que visité Chicago fue en diciembre de mi primer año en la universidad. Bajé del tren y encontré aire fresco y manchas de nieve en el suelo. Crecer en el sur de California significó que ambas cosas (el transporte público y la nieve) me eran muy ajenas. Salí de la estación L y comencé a caminar, sin estar seguro de si iba en la dirección correcta. Tenía apenas 18 años, estaba sola en un entorno completamente desconocido y, sin embargo, nunca antes me había sentido tan a gusto en una ciudad como en ese momento. Me mudé a Chicago el otoño siguiente y nunca miré atrás.

Llegué por primera vez a Chicago para estudiar teatro en DePaul. Después de ser excluido del programa BFA, algo que le sucedió a la mitad de la clase al final del segundo año, terminé con una licenciatura en comunicaciones. Conocí a mi esposo, Nick, a través del trabajo poco después de mudarme aquí. Además de vivir y ser padres juntos, hemos estado trabajando juntos continuamente durante un cuarto de siglo.

Peterson fue nuestra primera opción cuando nuestro hijo ingresaba al jardín de infantes. Nos atrajo mucho el enfoque en mantener el tamaño de las clases pequeñas y tener un modelo de inclusión hasta el octavo grado. Estábamos en la lista de espera y recibimos una llamada informándonos que teníamos un lugar el viernes antes de que comenzaran las clases.

Nuestra experiencia ha sido buena y nos sentimos afortunados de ser parte de la comunidad Peterson. A lo largo de los años, hemos disfrutado asistiendo a eventos en la escuela y sus alrededores. He sido voluntaria en el aula, para tareas de oficina, en eventos y en excursiones. También me presenté en reuniones de padres y finalmente me postulé para el LSC. Fuera de Peterson, soy voluntaria en Tuesday's Child, dirijo Great Lakes Tattoo con Nick y trabajo como defensora de la educación. Estoy agradecido de que ser propietario de nuestro propio negocio me haya dado la flexibilidad para participar de muchas maneras.

Ser voluntario como miembro del LSC es a la vez gratificante y difícil. Me siento honrado de ser un representante de las familias de Peterson y me esfuerzo para que las reuniones y la información estén fácilmente disponibles. El modelo LSC es exclusivo de Chicago y difícil de entender. Veo a Peterson como una escuela que realmente honra la intención de los LSC; para que múltiples partes interesadas tengan una voz significativa en la configuración de una escuela.

Me resulta satisfactorio servir a nuestra comunidad pero también sacar mucho provecho de ello. Una de mis cosas favoritas del voluntariado es tener la oportunidad de conocer más personas en nuestra comunidad. Siempre disfruto saludando y escuchando las experiencias de otras familias. Si no soy voluntaria, trabajo o llevo a mis hijos a las citas, probablemente me encuentres acurrucada con nuestros gatos y leyendo una novela romántica.

I was born in Chicago, and I'm the daughter of immigrant parents from Greece, sibling to a sister and younger brother, and mother to my two daughters. For the most part, I grew up on the Northside, from Budlong Woods to Hollywood Park, with the exception for three years that we lived in Massachusetts. Growing up in a Greek household where Greek was my first language, I learned many ways to overcome challenges with the language barrier. My siblings and I would help our parents translate conversations, read or fill out paperwork. My childhood has made me a lifelong learner through every choice, adventure, curiosity, fail, or success. I am fortunate to be a part of the Peterson community and am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside this amazing team. One fun fact about me, I’ve taken skydiving lessons, and yes, jumped out of a perfectly good plane.

Nací en Chicago y soy hija de padres inmigrantes de Grecia, hermano de una hermana y un hermano menor, y madre de mis dos hijas. En su mayor parte, crecí en Northside, desde Budlong Woods hasta Hollywood Park, con la excepción de tres años que vivimos en Massachusetts. Al crecer en un hogar griego donde el griego era mi primer idioma, aprendí muchas maneras de superar los desafíos de la barrera del idioma. Mis hermanos y yo ayudábamos a nuestros padres a traducir conversaciones, leer o completar trámites. Mi infancia me ha convertido en un aprendiz permanente a través de cada elección, aventura, curiosidad, fracaso o éxito. Tengo la suerte de ser parte de la comunidad de Peterson y estoy agradecido por la oportunidad de trabajar junto a este increíble equipo. Un dato curioso sobre mí es que tomé lecciones de paracaidismo y, sí, salté de un avión en perfecto estado.

I was born and raised in the Chicago Humboldt Park area with my three older sisters. Where I grew up there were a lot of gangs, drugs, and gun violence. Elementary school was great. I realized by 2nd grade that I wanted to be a teacher. My 2nd and 3rd grade teacher was Mrs. Johnson, she is like no other teacher I've known. She was always patient and kind, and always wanted the best out of you. Her impact encouraged me to want to do this for my own students someday no matter what background they come from.

High School was hard. I felt out of place and had always kept to myself because of all the fights and violence I saw in the halls. It did me well though because I graduated with honors. I didn't love school, but what helped me through it were the sports I joined. Being on the volleyball team and running for cross country gave me a place to feel that I was a part of the school.

I got married when I was young, 19, and I have two little girls, a one year old and a five year old. I continued my education and eventually graduated from North Park University with a B.A in English Creative Writing Arts.

After I graduated I worked at Wonder Montessori school as a preschool teacher, and volunteered in after school programs at my moms school until I got a call from Peterson Elementary. After college things did not always flow that quickly, but I knew that timing is everything. My journey at Peterson has been fantastic. I love the teachers and students. Not only are we a school to provide an education, but we are a family, and that is the best way I can put it. It feels good to come to Peterson and serve my community. I look forward to creating many more memories with the students and staff here at Peterson.

Nací y crecí en el área de Humboldt Park de Chicago con mis tres hermanas mayores. Donde crecí había muchas pandillas, drogas y violencia armada. La escuela primaria fue genial. En segundo grado me di cuenta de que quería ser maestra. Mi maestra de segundo y tercer grado fue la Sra. Johnson, ella no se parece a ninguna otra maestra que haya conocido. Ella siempre fue paciente y amable, y siempre quiso lo mejor de ti. Su impacto me animó a querer hacer esto para mis propios alumnos algún día, sin importar de qué origen provengan.

La escuela secundaria fue difícil. Me sentí fuera de lugar y siempre me había reservado por todas las peleas y violencia que veía en los pasillos. Pero me fue bien porque me gradué con honores. No me encantaba la escuela, pero lo que me ayudó fueron los deportes que practicaba. Estar en el equipo de voleibol y correr a campo traviesa me dio un lugar para sentirme parte de la escuela.

Me casé cuando era joven, 19 años, y tengo dos niñas, una de un año y otra de cinco años. Continué mi educación y finalmente me gradué de la Universidad de North Park con una licenciatura en Artes de Escritura Creativa en Inglés.

Después de graduarme, trabajé en la escuela Wonder Montessori como maestra de preescolar y fui voluntaria en programas extracurriculares en la escuela de mi madre hasta que recibí una llamada de la escuela primaria Peterson. Después de la universidad, las cosas no siempre transcurrieron tan rápido, pero sabía que el tiempo lo es todo. Mi trayectoria en Peterson ha sido fantástica. Amo a los profesores y estudiantes. No sólo somos una escuela para brindar educación, sino que somos una familia, y esa es la mejor manera en que puedo expresarlo. Se siente bien venir a Peterson y servir a mi comunidad. Espero crear muchos más recuerdos con los estudiantes y el personal aquí en Peterson.

I was born and raised here in Chicago. I have always lived on the north side of Chicago, growing up in Lincoln Square and Rogers Park. Unfortunately, my home life was chaotic and I bounced around with my grandmother to ultimately being in foster care for 4 years. I moved around for a while to different foster homes but ultimately found a foster home with an amazing family that I still talk to to this day. They were the ones who truly showed me a family structure and why helping people out in hard times is so impactful. My teenage years led me back to my mother who was not in the right space to take care of me. This then led me to make some poor decisions, resulting in me becoming a teen mother.

Being a single, teen mom with a chaotic home life was just a part of my struggles as my son was diagnosed with Autism at 4. It really gave me a wake up call to decide where I wanted to go in life so that I could be my son’s advocate through this new struggle and his role model. I wanted him to know that anything was possible, no matter the struggle.

Fast forward, and still to this day, I do not know how it all happened so fast, but I went and got my GED and then went to the City Colleges of Chicago to get my associates degree. I wanted to be someone that could help out people like me when I was growing up. Once I received my associates degree, I went to NEIU to pursue my degree in Justice and Social Work. It still is one of the best experiences of my life, having access to so many different opinions and perspectives. I had a hard time finding a job after graduation but secured a part time position at a non-profit organization helping homeless teens access living skills in a transitional living facility. It was an amazing job that left me with great relationships and lessons learned from my clients, but I needed to find a full time job.

This led me to applying to Chicago Public Schools as a Special Education Classroom Assistant. I was hired in 2016 at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy and loved the people I worked with, and loved the meaningful relationships that I got from the students and their families. With the pandemic affecting people in different ways, it made me think about what the next steps might be in my life that could benefit my son. I expressed this concern to my loved ones because I felt that I was good at working with students and wanted to take the leap of going for my master’s and getting my Special Education Degree. Ultimately, I was terrified of the responsibility and the money that it would cost. Thankfully, my friends are amazing and rationalized with me in that money comes and goes but having a job that you love and provides fulfillment is what is important. I took that leap in 2020 and got my Master’s in Special Education from Dominican University by the end 2022.

I student taught under the amazing 5th grade diverse learner teacher, Mrs. Deters, as I knew her from Hawthorne and was so happy that she was able to invite me here to Peterson. Peterson is a rich and diverse community with many students that I feel like I can relate to in one way or another. I am now a 6th grade diverse learner teacher and feel especially blessed to be in such a great community where I feel like I can learn and grow. I feel like I have done my son proud to be able to show him my accomplishments, even through my adversity, just as he was able to do. He is 20 and a proud graduate of Mather High School who is currently getting his associates at City Colleges of Chicago, just like his mom.

Nací y crecí aquí en Chicago. Siempre he vivido en el lado norte de Chicago y crecí en Lincoln Square y Rogers Park. Desafortunadamente, mi vida hogareña era caótica y estuve con mi abuela hasta que finalmente estuve en un hogar de acogida durante 4 años. Me mudé por un tiempo a diferentes hogares de acogida, pero finalmente encontré un hogar de acogida con una familia increíble con la que todavía hablo hasta el día de hoy. Ellos fueron quienes realmente me mostraron la estructura familiar y por qué ayudar a las personas en tiempos difíciles es tan impactante. Mi adolescencia me llevó de regreso a mi madre, quien no estaba en el espacio adecuado para cuidarme. Esto me llevó a tomar algunas malas decisiones, lo que me convirtió en madre adolescente.

Ser una madre adolescente soltera con una vida hogareña caótica fue solo una parte de mis luchas, ya que a mi hijo le diagnosticaron autismo cuando tenía 4 años. Realmente me dio una llamada de atención para decidir hacia dónde quería ir en la vida para poder ser El defensor de mi hijo en esta nueva lucha y su modelo a seguir. Quería que supiera que todo era posible, sin importar la lucha.

Avance rápido, y hasta el día de hoy, no sé cómo sucedió todo tan rápido, pero fui y obtuve mi GED y luego fui a City Colleges of Chicago para obtener mi título de asociado. Quería ser alguien que pudiera ayudar a personas como yo cuando era niño. Una vez que recibí mi título de asociado, fui a NEIU para obtener mi título en Justicia y Trabajo Social. Sigue siendo una de las mejores experiencias de mi vida, tener acceso a tantas opiniones y perspectivas diferentes. Me costó mucho encontrar trabajo después de graduarme, pero conseguí un puesto de medio tiempo en una organización sin fines de lucro que ayuda a adolescentes sin hogar a acceder a habilidades para la vida en un centro de vivienda de transición. Fue un trabajo increíble que me dejó excelentes relaciones y lecciones aprendidas de mis clientes, pero necesitaba encontrar un trabajo de tiempo completo.

Esto me llevó a postularme a las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago como asistente de aula de educación especial. Me contrataron en 2016 en Hawthorne Scholastic Academy y amaba a las personas con las que trabajaba y me encantaban las relaciones significativas que obtuve de los estudiantes y sus familias. Dado que la pandemia afecta a las personas de diferentes maneras, me hizo pensar en cuáles podrían ser los próximos pasos en mi vida que podrían beneficiar a mi hijo. Expresé esta preocupación a mis seres queridos porque sentía que era buena trabajando con estudiantes y quería dar el salto de hacer mi maestría y obtener mi título de Educación Especial. Al final, estaba aterrorizado por la responsabilidad y el dinero que costaría. Afortunadamente, mis amigos son increíbles y racionalizados conmigo en el sentido de que el dinero va y viene, pero lo importante es tener un trabajo que ames y te proporcione satisfacción. Di ese salto en 2020 y obtuve mi Maestría en Educación Especial de la Universidad Dominicana a fines de 2022.

Fui estudiante de enseñanza con la increíble maestra de estudiantes diversos de quinto grado, la Sra. Deters, ya que la conocía de Hawthorne y estaba muy feliz de que pudiera invitarme aquí a Peterson. Peterson es una comunidad rica y diversa con muchos estudiantes con los que siento que puedo identificarme de una manera u otra. Ahora soy una maestra de estudiantes diversos de sexto grado y me siento especialmente bendecida de estar en una comunidad tan grandiosa donde siento que puedo aprender y crecer. Siento que he enorgullecido a mi hijo de poder mostrarle mis logros, incluso a través de mi adversidad, tal como él pudo hacerlo. Tiene 20 años y se enorgullece de graduarse de Mather High School y actualmente tiene asociados en City Colleges of Chicago, al igual que su madre.

I was born and raised in Highland Park, Illinois. I grew up living just a few minutes away from my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins too. My family always seemed to have at least one pet in the house. We started off with two rabbits, worked our way to reptiles (frogs, snakes, a turtle), and finally landed on dogs…three of them! The last unique pet we had was my older brother’s chameleon, named Otto. It was mesmerizing watching him change colors.

I always enjoyed learning and going to school. One of my favorite subjects was math. Outside of the classroom, I played volleyball and water polo throughout high school. In the summers, you could find me lifeguarding at the local pools.

A teacher that had a big impact on me, was my high school Environmental Science teacher. He instilled a great passion for not only sustainable practices, but also an appreciation of nature. We would take walks during class to identify trees and listen to birds. How cool!

I attended college at the University of Illinois, and then graduate school at Rush University. I went into college knowing I wanted to study Speech and Hearing Science. I found the courses very fascinating and was excited to pursue the career. I had originally wanted to work in hospitals with adults, but it wasn’t until my internship at CPS, during graduate school, that I changed my mind. I absolutely loved working with the students and getting to collaborate with so many professionals. I even got to tap into my creative side, planning fun lessons and activities for preschoolers to 8th graders.

This is my second year at Peterson, and I have had such a positive experience working here. I am lucky enough to work with students of all ages, getting to know the different grade level teams. The other clinicians working at Peterson have also been fabulous to work alongside and to collaborate with, but most of all, the students are absolutely incredible. I love learning more about their many different skills and interests. Soccer and Sonic have been very popular this year. One of my favorite moments was watching the literary parade. It was loads of fun seeing the school clap and cheer for each other as we celebrated our favorite books.

As the school year comes to an end, I am most looking forward to meeting the new students I get to work with in the fall. It’s exciting to see how I can best support them to be successful communicators in and out of the classroom. I'm also looking forward to continuing working with my current students, and hearing about their summer adventures.

This summer, I am excited for many bike rides and time spent in my family’s garden growing vegetables. I will also be swimming and running (very slowly) as I train for my first triathlon!

Nací y crecí en Highland Park, Illinois. Crecí viviendo a solo unos minutos de mis abuelos, tías, tíos y primos también. Mi familia siempre parecía tener al menos una mascota en la casa. Comenzamos con dos conejos, nos abrimos camino hacia los reptiles (ranas, serpientes, una tortuga) y finalmente llegamos a los perros... ¡tres de ellos! La última mascota única que tuvimos fue el camaleón de mi hermano mayor, llamado Otto. Fue fascinante verlo cambiar de color.

Siempre me gustó aprender e ir a la escuela. Una de mis materias favoritas era matemáticas. Fuera del salón de clases, jugué voleibol y waterpolo durante toda la escuela secundaria. En los veranos, podrías encontrarme salvavidas en las piscinas locales.

Un maestro que tuvo un gran impacto en mí fue mi maestro de Ciencias Ambientales en la escuela secundaria. Inculcó una gran pasión no solo por las prácticas sostenibles, sino también por la apreciación de la naturaleza. Hacíamos caminatas durante la clase para identificar árboles y escuchar pájaros. ¡Que guay!

Asistí a la universidad en la Universidad de Illinois y luego a la escuela de posgrado en la Universidad Rush. Entré a la universidad sabiendo que quería estudiar Ciencias del Habla y la Audición. Encontré los cursos muy fascinantes y estaba emocionado de seguir la carrera. Originalmente quería trabajar en hospitales con adultos, pero no fue hasta mi pasantía en CPS, durante la escuela de posgrado, que cambié de opinión. Me encantó trabajar con los estudiantes y poder colaborar con tantos profesionales. Incluso pude aprovechar mi lado creativo, planeando lecciones y actividades divertidas para niños de preescolar a octavo grado.

Este es mi segundo año en Peterson y he tenido una experiencia muy positiva trabajando aquí. Tengo la suerte de trabajar con estudiantes de todas las edades y conocer a los diferentes equipos de nivel de grado. Los otros médicos que trabajan en Peterson también han sido fabulosos para trabajar y colaborar, pero sobre todo, los estudiantes son absolutamente increíbles. Me encanta aprender más sobre sus diferentes habilidades e intereses. Soccer y Sonic han sido muy populares este año. Uno de mis momentos favoritos fue ver el desfile literario. Fue muy divertido ver a la escuela aplaudir y animarse unos a otros mientras celebramos nuestros libros favoritos.

A medida que el año escolar llega a su fin, tengo muchas ganas de conocer a los nuevos estudiantes con los que trabajaré en el otoño. Es emocionante ver cómo puedo apoyarlos mejor para que sean comunicadores exitosos dentro y fuera del salón de clases. También espero continuar trabajando con mis estudiantes actuales y escuchar acerca de sus aventuras de verano.

Este verano, estoy emocionada por muchos paseos en bicicleta y el tiempo que pasé en el jardín de mi familia cultivando vegetales. ¡También estaré nadando y corriendo (muy lentamente) mientras entreno para mi primer triatlón!

My name is Ana Cecilia Riaño and I was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. I grew up with my two parents, my father Manuel, my mother Mercedes, and my three siblings Elena, Francisco, and Esperanza. My parents gave us the best life they could with lots of love and values. When I was a child I grew up in a new neighborhood where people just started to construct their houses. My dad helped direct the construction of the houses since he had that knowledge and experience. We developed lovely relationships with our neighbors and became one big family. Our neighborhood was a strong community, and to this day I still keep in touch with all of them. Since our community was newly built, a new elementary school was implemented for all the kids to attend. My experience at Maria Auxiliadora School was my first experience as a young student where I learned values and academics. My siblings and I helped do house chores while my mother worked at home making sweaters for students on the knitting machine. My father worked in construction and he was a dedicated and talented worker. His hard work landed him to become the director for buildings that are landmarks in Bogota.

My parents always forced my siblings and I to study. We were not well-off but we had support to find good schools. The elementary school I attended was called San Pedro Claver, which I graduated from in 1971. Then I went to my high school at Nicolas Esguerra and I graduated in 1978. Afterwards, I was an accounting assistant in a technical college for two years and it was a great opportunity for me because it gave me exposure to the accounting field. I had the opportunity to work with different companies in Colombia. A memorable experience for me was at Coopers & Lybrand Accounting. This company gave me the opportunity to learn how investors from other countries came to Colombia to do research and invested in resources to export globally. One example is “El Cerrejon,” it is a large open-pit coal mine in Northern Colombia. I met different people from many countries, and had the opportunity to work and help account for their companies.

In 1989 my older sister Elena had been living in Chicago for many years and she applied for a resident alien visa for my parents. My mother then came and started her work. Then, after two years she applied for a resident alien, for my sister, Esperanza, and I to come to the United States. My sister and I came in 1992 and then we started to study English as a second language at McCormick Junior College in 1993. I did study for one year and it was not easy because I had to work and study at the same time. My work-life balance schedule was long and I decided to stop for one year. In 1995, I took the GED test, and I applied to study at Northeastern Illinois University that same year. For the next 5 years, I spent most of my time taking night classes, because I had to work during the day. I majored in Liberal Arts and Spanish. By this time I had to take my English competency test and I failed. In 2000-2005 I was working at Sears Roebuck as an Administrative Assistant. It was a good experience for me, but I unfortunately got laid off.  Then I had to work again as a nanny because I needed to help my family. One member of my family got really sick and I had to support them. Time passed and I kept working as a nanny, and three years ago, I decided that I should go back to the university and finish my degree. In 2019, I finished my classes and got my Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Spanish.

When the pandemic started I was looking for a job and my goal was to get something to help my community.  Teaching always called my attention because I had been working with kids of different ages. That is why I started to look for jobs at Chicago Public Schools. Peterson became an opportunity for me, and I received the position to work as a Teacher Assistant. The best part of this job is having the opportunity to work with kids, and helping them grow academically, and as individuals. The hardest part has been starting my experience as an educator, as this is a new profession field for me. I have felt very welcome and grown an affinity with the Peterson community. I look forward to gaining more experiences and continuing to grow professionally as I learn more about being an educator at Peterson.

Mi nombre es Ana Cecilia Riaño y nací y crecí en Bogotá, Colombia. Crecí con mis dos padres, mi padre Manuel, mi madre Mercedes y mis tres hermanos Elena, Francisco y Esperanza. Mis padres nos dieron la mejor vida que pudieron con mucho amor y valores. Cuando era niño, crecí en un nuevo vecindario donde la gente recién comenzaba a construir sus casas. Mi papá ayudó a dirigir la construcción de las casas ya que él tenía ese conocimiento y experiencia. Desarrollamos relaciones encantadoras con nuestros vecinos y nos convertimos en una gran familia. Nuestro vecindario era una comunidad fuerte, y hasta el día de hoy todavía me mantengo en contacto con todos ellos. Dado que nuestra comunidad fue construida recientemente, se implementó una nueva escuela primaria para que asistieran todos los niños. Mi experiencia en el Colegio María Auxiliadora fue mi primera experiencia como joven estudiante donde aprendí valores y académicos. Mis hermanos y yo ayudábamos con las tareas de la casa mientras mi madre trabajaba en casa haciendo suéteres para los estudiantes en la máquina de tejer. Mi padre trabajaba en la construcción y era un trabajador dedicado y talentoso. Su arduo trabajo lo llevó a convertirse en el director de edificios que son hitos en Bogotá.

Mis padres siempre nos obligaron a mis hermanos ya mí a estudiar. No éramos acomodados pero teníamos apoyo para encontrar buenas escuelas. La escuela primaria a la que asistí se llamaba San Pedro Claver, de la cual me gradué en 1971. Luego pasé a mi bachillerato en Nicolás Esguerra y me gradué en 1978. Después, fui auxiliar de contabilidad en un colegio técnico durante dos años y fue fue una gran oportunidad para mí porque me dio exposición al campo de la contabilidad. Tuve la oportunidad de trabajar con diferentes empresas en Colombia. Una experiencia memorable para mí fue en Coopers & Lybrand Accounting. Esta empresa me dio la oportunidad de conocer cómo inversionistas de otros países venían a Colombia a investigar e invertían en recursos para exportar a nivel mundial. Un ejemplo es “El Cerrejón”, es una gran mina de carbón a cielo abierto en el norte de Colombia. Conocí a diferentes personas de muchos países, y tuve la oportunidad de trabajar y ayudar en la contabilidad de sus empresas.

En 1989, mi hermana mayor, Elena, había estado viviendo en Chicago durante muchos años y solicitó una visa de residente extranjero para mis padres. Entonces vino mi madre y empezó su trabajo. Luego, después de dos años, solicitó una residencia extranjera para que mi hermana, Esperanza, y yo viniéramos a los Estados Unidos. Mi hermana y yo vinimos en 1992 y luego comenzamos a estudiar inglés como segundo idioma en McCormick Junior College en 1993. Sí estudié durante un año y no fue fácil porque tenía que trabajar y estudiar al mismo tiempo. Mi horario de equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida era largo y decidí parar por un año. En 1995, tomé el examen GED y solicité para estudiar en la Universidad Northeastern Illinois ese mismo año. Durante los siguientes 5 años, pasé la mayor parte de mi tiempo tomando clases nocturnas, porque tenía que trabajar durante el día. Me especialicé en Artes Liberales y Español. En ese momento tuve que tomar mi examen de competencia en inglés y reprobé. En 2000-2005 estuve trabajando en Sears Roebuck como asistente administrativo. Fue una buena experiencia para mí, pero desafortunadamente me despidieron. Luego tuve que volver a trabajar como niñera porque necesitaba ayudar a mi familia. Un miembro de mi familia se enfermó mucho y tuve que apoyarlo. Pasó el tiempo y seguí trabajando como niñera, y hace tres años decidí que debía volver a la universidad y terminar la carrera. En 2019, terminé mis clases y obtuve mi licenciatura en artes liberales y español.

Cuando comenzó la pandemia estaba buscando trabajo y mi objetivo era conseguir algo para ayudar a mi comunidad. La docencia siempre me llamó la atención porque venía trabajando con niños de diferentes edades. Por eso comencé a buscar trabajo en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago. Peterson se convirtió en una oportunidad para mí y recibí el puesto para trabajar como asistente de maestro. La mejor parte de este trabajo es tener la oportunidad de trabajar con niños y ayudarlos a crecer académicamente y como individuos. Lo más difícil ha sido comenzar mi experiencia como educadora, ya que este es un nuevo campo profesional para mí. Me he sentido muy bienvenido y he desarrollado una afinidad con la comunidad de Peterson. Espero obtener más experiencias y seguir creciendo profesionalmente a medida que aprenda más sobre cómo ser un educador en Peterson.

I was born in Chicago, daughter of two immigrants who did not even speak the same language. My dad, a young Bulgarian man avoiding the army, came to America speaking his native language and some Italian. My mother fled the changes of the Cuban Revolution with her father and first daughter, only knowing Spanish. They left behind my uncle and grandmother. My parents used the Latin base of Italian and Spanish to communicate and eventually learn English together. Soon after me, their 2nd child, we moved into a home in Ravenswood. With my oldest sister from Cuba, we lived there until I attended college. Growing up being lost in Spanish and English idioms was a challenge. I was immersed in English at school, and I responded to my mom in English while she spoke to me in Spanish.

Growing up in that area back then was different than it is today. My high school, Amundsen, was considered a melting pot of cultures. Now we would call this more of a salad, each culture unique in its own way adding color, texture, and depth to the community at large. Because of this, I grew up around a lot of minorities and would have to say attending DePaul was a culture shock for me--most students there were Caucasian.

In high school, I was in the top 10% of my class and involved in sports: basketball, volleyball, and softball. I wanted to either be a teacher or an interior decorator. When I received the Golden Apple Scholar Award, it solidified my path in education. I was fortunate to receive over $50,000 in grants and fellowships while being exposed to award winning teachers. As a daughter of immigrants working hard to live the American Dream, this was a huge help.

Two teachers had a significant impact in my life. One was Mrs. Dalton. She was a spunky teacher in middle school who used music to motivate us and learn about history. She made learning fun just with her personality. The other was my studio art teacher. She pushed me and sought resources like Gallery 37 where I can use my art abilities to earn cash.

I was (and continue to be) the only college graduate in my family. I didn't really know how to look beyond Chicago in my search, so I chose DePaul for my undergraduate studies. I wish I would have been encouraged to cast my net further and try institutions outside of Chicago.

In those days, art positions were being cut and I wanted job security, so I considered what other type of teacher I could be. I thought I wanted to own my own Day Care at one point, but eventually was drawn to middle schoolers. I reflected back on how difficult my first year at DePaul was: I earned a D on my first essay and was invited to meet with the professor to discuss how bad it really was. My writing skills were not up to par. I didn't feel as smart as my classmates when they analyzed and discussed literature either. From that point on, I decided I would strengthen my critical reading and writing skills and see to it that every child I served would not feel as unprepared as I did in college. I was determined to be a middle school literacy teacher to better prepare readers and writers for high school and college. Students would write essays in 6th grade with me! And they did for 15 years of my teaching experience!

Peterson is a school with a range of cultures and in a lot of ways reminds me of my high school (as well as a school I worked at 3 years ago). The students are great--eager to learn, inquisitive, and warm. After 9 years and leading through the pandemic, I took a break from being a school administrator to focus on my health because you can easily work extremely long work days and neglect yourself. After I have supported the Peterson team with literacy instruction and intervention for as many years as they will have me, I may pursue returning to administration or teaching at the university level. Until then, I will enjoy serving the beautiful children here at Peterson and having summers off! I look forward to sharing my passion and skill set with anyone who wants support and to help students with challenges in reading to feel success. The best part has been the warm students and staff who have made me feel welcomed.

When I’m not at work, I am spending time with my loved ones (which includes the best dog in the world, Panthro, also known as Pedro by my Spanish Speaking neighbors), dancing, reading, consuming or producing art, and traveling or planning my next trip.

Nací en Chicago, hija de dos inmigrantes que ni siquiera hablaban el mismo idioma. Mi papá, un joven búlgaro que evitaba el ejército, vino a Estados Unidos hablando su lengua materna y algo de italiano. Mi madre huyó de los cambios de la Revolución Cubana con su padre y su primera hija, solo sabiendo español. Dejaron atrás a mi tío ya mi abuela. Mis padres usaban la base latina del italiano y el español para comunicarse y eventualmente aprender inglés juntos. Poco después de mí, su segundo hijo, nos mudamos a una casa en Ravenswood. Con mi hermana mayor de Cuba, vivimos allí hasta que fui a la universidad. Crecer perdido en los idiomas español e inglés fue un desafío. Estaba inmerso en inglés en la escuela y le respondí a mi mamá en inglés mientras ella me hablaba en español.

Crecer en esa área en ese entonces era diferente de lo que es hoy. Mi escuela secundaria, Amundsen, fue considerada un crisol de culturas. Ahora llamaríamos a esto más una ensalada, cada cultura es única a su manera agregando color, textura y profundidad a la comunidad en general. Debido a esto, crecí rodeado de muchas minorías y debo decir que asistir a DePaul fue un choque cultural para mí: la mayoría de los estudiantes allí eran caucásicos.

En la escuela secundaria, estaba en el 10% superior de mi clase y participaba en deportes: baloncesto, voleibol y sóftbol. Quería ser maestra o decoradora de interiores. Cuando recibí el premio Golden Apple Scholar Award, solidificó mi camino en la educación. Tuve la suerte de recibir más de $ 50,000 en subvenciones y becas mientras estuve expuesto a maestros galardonados. Como hija de inmigrantes que trabajan arduamente para vivir el Sueño Americano, esto fue de gran ayuda.

Dos maestros tuvieron un impacto significativo en mi vida. Uno era la Sra. Dalton. Ella era una maestra valiente en la escuela secundaria que usaba la música para motivarnos y aprender sobre historia. Ella hizo que el aprendizaje fuera divertido solo con su personalidad. El otro era mi profesor de arte de estudio. Ella me empujó y buscó recursos como Gallery 37 donde puedo usar mis habilidades artísticas para ganar dinero.

Fui (y sigo siendo) el único graduado universitario en mi familia. Realmente no sabía cómo mirar más allá de Chicago en mi búsqueda, así que elegí DePaul para mis estudios universitarios. Ojalá me hubieran animado a lanzar mi red más allá y probar instituciones fuera de Chicago.

En esos días, se estaban recortando puestos de arte y quería seguridad laboral, así que consideré qué otro tipo de maestro podría ser. En un momento pensé que quería tener mi propia guardería, pero finalmente me atrajeron los estudiantes de secundaria. Reflexioné sobre lo difícil que fue mi primer año en DePaul: obtuve una D en mi primer ensayo y me invitaron a reunirme con el profesor para hablar sobre lo malo que realmente fue. Mis habilidades de escritura no estaban a la altura. Tampoco me sentía tan inteligente como mis compañeros de clase cuando analizaban y discutían literatura. A partir de ese momento, decidí que fortalecería mis habilidades críticas de lectura y escritura y me aseguraría de que todos los niños a los que atendía no se sintieran tan desprevenidos como yo en la universidad. Estaba decidida a ser maestra de alfabetización en la escuela intermedia para preparar mejor a los lectores y escritores para la escuela secundaria y la universidad. ¡Los estudiantes escribirían ensayos en sexto grado conmigo! ¡Y lo hicieron durante 15 años de mi experiencia docente!

Peterson es una escuela con una variedad de culturas y en muchos sentidos me recuerda a mi escuela secundaria (así como a una escuela en la que trabajé hace 3 años). Los estudiantes son geniales: ansiosos por aprender, curiosos y cálidos. Después de 9 años y liderando la pandemia, me tomé un descanso de ser administrador de la escuela para concentrarme en mi salud porque fácilmente puedes trabajar días extremadamente largos y descuidarte. Después de haber apoyado al equipo de Peterson con instrucción e intervención de lectoescritura durante todos los años que me permitan, puedo intentar regresar a la administración o la enseñanza a nivel universitario. ¡Hasta entonces, disfrutaré sirviendo a los hermosos niños aquí en Peterson y teniendo los veranos libres! Espero poder compartir mi pasión y mi conjunto de habilidades con cualquier persona que desee apoyo y ayudar a los estudiantes con desafíos en la lectura a sentirse exitosos. La mejor parte ha sido la calidez de los estudiantes y el personal que me han hecho sentir bienvenido.

Cuando no estoy en el trabajo, paso tiempo con mis seres queridos (que incluyen al mejor perro del mundo, Panthro, también conocido como Pedro por mis vecinos de habla hispana), bailando, leyendo, consumiendo o produciendo arte y viajando. o planeando mi próximo viaje.

I was born in Texas and raised in a small town in central Mexico in the state of Guanajuato. When I was fifteen I came to Chicago to stay with my aunt and uncle.  It was hard to start a new life away from my family, friends, and culture, but Chicago has given me so many things that I decided to stay and make it my home. My main goal was to learn another language and have better opportunities. I attended World Language High School where I found my teachers being a great support and even a second family. Then I attended Northeastern Illinois University and that is how I got to know a little more about this neighborhood.

Being at Peterson has given me the opportunity to give back to my community the support that was given to me. I love to be the bridge of communications for families and students. What I love the most about Peterson is how supportive and Passionate everyone is here. I'm thankful for having the opportunity to be part of such a diverse and welcoming community.

Nací en Texas y crecí en un pequeño pueblo al centro de México en el estado de Guanajuato. Cuando tenía quince años vine a Chicago para quedarme con mi tía y mi tío. Fue difícil comenzar una nueva vida lejos de mi familia, amigos y cultura, pero Chicago me ha dado tantas cosas buenas que decidí quedarme y convertirlo en mi hogar. Mi objetivo principal era aprender otro idioma y tener mejores oportunidades. Asistí a la Escuela Secundaria World Language donde encontré un gran apoyo en mis maestros los cuales se tornaron a ser parte de mi vida . Luego asistí a la Universidad Northeastern y así fue como conocí un poco más de este barrio.

Estar en Peterson me ha dado la oportunidad de devolverle a mi comunidad el apoyo que recibí al llegar aquí. Me encanta ser el puente de comunicación con familias y estudiantes. Lo que más me gusta de Peterson es lo comprensivos y apasionados que son todos aquí. Estoy agradecido por tener la oportunidad de ser parte de una comunidad tan diversa y acogedora.

I was born in the town of Hoven, South Dakota, a town of 500 people. I am the 10th of 11 children, 7 girls and 4 boys. My oldest sister was a senior in high school when I was born. Christmas was an exciting time, because my older sisters and brothers would come home from college. In 6th grade, my parents passed away about 9 months apart. Having a big family is an important part of my story, because after that I lived with my oldest sister.  She raised me from 7th grade through college and beyond.  We ended up living in a larger town in SD, with my two oldest brothers living less than a mile from us.

Growing up in a small town was fun. Everyone went to the same school, at that time there was an elementary and high school. I was with the same class of 15 kids from kindergarten to 6th grade. In high school I was in cross country, track, band and choir.  I helped with the plays too, mostly as stage crew. I liked to be involved, but not on stage.

The teacher I remember most was my 7th grade social studies teacher. I was living in a city for 7th grade, at a big, diverse school, much different than my small-town school. She really cared for her students and wanted them to do their best.  My brothers and sisters have probably had the biggest impact on me, more than teachers or adults. We all graduated from colleges in South Dakota and many of us went to graduate school.

I went to the University of South Dakota and to grad school at Washington University in St Louis. I made a lot of those big decisions on my own, which was both scary and exciting. I loved my college and grad school experiences. When I was in college, I changed my major at least three times. I had so many classes in such a variety of subjects, I graduated with a degree in Liberal Studies—not really a major at all. In my sophomore year of college, I found out about the field of Physical Therapy.  I spent some time with different therapists and found there was a lot of variety in the field and a lot of opportunities to do different things—and I could work with kids. I have worked at Shriners Children's Hospital for over 20 years as a physical therapist. I get to work one on one with kids (way better for my personality than to be in front of a classroom). I work with kids from the ages of birth to 21. There is a big variety in what I do every day. I love to have a job where I can work with kids from all walks of life, and to see the impact that I have on their ability to move—whether that is by walking, using a walker or with a wheelchair. I love the spark that comes when they figure out a new skill. 

We found Peterson for our kids because we found a house we loved. We didn't have kids at the time and thought we could move to the suburbs when and if we needed to for school. Then we started talking to our neighbors and they all had great things to say about Peterson. We are so glad we stayed. We have been grateful for the opportunities at Peterson to meet so many different people from so many different places. In my family's time at Peterson, we have experienced three principals, have had kids in all grades from K-8, seen teachers come and go and teachers who have stayed.  While not all the people are the same, the spirit of encouragement and pride in the school has stayed the same.

As my kids have grown, I've done a lot of different things at Peterson.  I've been part of the PTA, helped with International Night, Dance-a-thon, magazine sales and the Book Fair and have gone on a number of field trips. Currently I come once a week or so to help with the lunchroom. I like to hear the stories and see the smiles of the kids.  I think it is fun to hear them whisper when they recognize me at the park.  It's important to me to be a part of where my kids spend so much time. I know that there is a need, I have the time and ability, so I do what I can to help.

Right now, I am having fun spending time with my husband Zach and our three kids, helping them navigate middle school and high school. I have a 7th grader, sophomore and junior. We like to travel, play games, go to shows and be outdoors and spend time with family. My daughter is very interested in backpacking, so I have gone on a couple of trips to prepare for this summer when we will go together. My boys like music, so we have a concert or two planned. I am excited to live in a city where I can go to the beach, a concert, a restaurant and camp, all within 30 minutes of my house. I am looking forward to my last years at Peterson and watching my kids launch into their next stages of life.

Nací en el pueblo de Hoven, Dakota del Sur, un pueblo de 500 habitantes. Soy el décimo de 11 hijos, 7 niñas y 4 niños. Mi hermana mayor estaba en el último año de la escuela secundaria cuando nací. La Navidad era una época emocionante, porque mis hermanos y hermanas mayores regresaban de la universidad. En sexto grado, mis padres fallecieron con unos 9 meses de diferencia. Tener una familia numerosa es una parte importante de mi historia, porque después de eso viví con mi hermana mayor. Ella me crió desde el séptimo grado hasta la universidad y más allá. Terminamos viviendo en una ciudad más grande en SD, con mis dos hermanos mayores viviendo a menos de una milla de nosotros.

Crecer en un pueblo pequeño fue divertido. Todos iban a la misma escuela, en ese momento había una escuela primaria y secundaria. Yo estaba con la misma clase de 15 niños desde jardín de infantes hasta sexto grado. En la escuela secundaria estuve en campo traviesa, atletismo, banda y coro. También ayudé con las obras, principalmente como equipo de escena. Me gustaba estar involucrado, pero no en el escenario.

El maestro que más recuerdo fue mi maestro de estudios sociales de séptimo grado. Estaba viviendo en una ciudad para el séptimo grado, en una escuela grande y diversa, muy diferente a la escuela de mi pueblo pequeño. Ella realmente se preocupaba por sus estudiantes y quería que hicieran lo mejor posible. Mis hermanos y hermanas probablemente han tenido el mayor impacto en mí, más que los maestros o los adultos. Todos nos graduamos de universidades en Dakota del Sur y muchos de nosotros fuimos a la escuela de posgrado.

Fui a la Universidad de Dakota del Sur y a la escuela de posgrado en la Universidad de Washington en St. Louis. Tomé muchas de esas grandes decisiones por mi cuenta, lo cual fue tanto aterrador como emocionante. Me encantaron mis experiencias en la universidad y la escuela de posgrado. Cuando estaba en la universidad, cambié de especialidad al menos tres veces. Tuve tantas clases en tal variedad de materias, me gradué con un título en Estudios Liberales, en realidad no una especialización en absoluto. En mi segundo año de universidad, descubrí el campo de la Terapia Física. Pasé un tiempo con diferentes terapeutas y descubrí que había mucha variedad en el campo y muchas oportunidades para hacer cosas diferentes, y podía trabajar con niños. He trabajado en el Hospital de Niños Shriners durante más de 20 años como fisioterapeuta. Puedo trabajar uno a uno con los niños (mucho mejor para mi personalidad que estar frente a un salón de clases). Trabajo con niños desde el nacimiento hasta los 21 años. Hay una gran variedad en lo que hago todos los días. Me encanta tener un trabajo en el que pueda trabajar con niños de todos los ámbitos de la vida y ver el impacto que tengo en su capacidad de moverse, ya sea caminando, usando un andador o en silla de ruedas. Me encanta la chispa que surge cuando descubren una nueva habilidad.

Encontramos Peterson para nuestros hijos porque encontramos una casa que amamos. No teníamos hijos en ese momento y pensamos que podríamos mudarnos a los suburbios cuando lo necesitáramos para ir a la escuela. Luego comenzamos a hablar con nuestros vecinos y todos tenían cosas buenas que decir sobre Peterson. Estamos muy contentos de habernos quedado. Hemos estado agradecidos por las oportunidades en Peterson de conocer a tantas personas diferentes de tantos lugares diferentes. En el tiempo de mi familia en Peterson, hemos tenido tres directores, hemos tenido niños en todos los grados desde K-8, hemos visto maestros ir y venir y maestros que se han quedado. Si bien no todas las personas son iguales, el espíritu de aliento y orgullo en la escuela se ha mantenido igual.

A medida que mis hijos crecieron, hice muchas cosas diferentes en Peterson. He sido parte de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros, he ayudado con la Noche Internacional, el maratón de baile, la venta de revistas y la Feria del Libro y he asistido a varias excursiones. Actualmente vengo una vez a la semana para ayudar con el comedor. Me gusta escuchar las historias y ver las sonrisas de los niños. Creo que es divertido escucharlos susurrar cuando me reconocen en el parque. Es importante para mí ser parte de donde mis hijos pasan tanto tiempo. Sé que hay una necesidad, tengo el tiempo y la capacidad, así que hago lo que puedo para ayudar.

En este momento, me divierto pasando tiempo con mi esposo Zach y nuestros tres hijos, ayudándolos a navegar la escuela intermedia y secundaria. Tengo un estudiante de séptimo grado, segundo y tercer año. Nos gusta viajar, jugar, ir a espectáculos, estar al aire libre y pasar tiempo con la familia. Mi hija está muy interesada en viajar con mochila, así que he hecho un par de viajes para prepararme para este verano en el que iremos juntas. A mis hijos les gusta la música, así que tenemos planeado uno o dos conciertos. Estoy emocionado de vivir en una ciudad donde pueda ir a la playa, un concierto, un restaurante y un campamento, todo a 30 minutos de mi casa. Espero con ansias mis últimos años en Peterson y ver a mis hijos lanzarse a las siguientes etapas de la vida.

I was born and raised on the northside of Chicago, in this very neighborhood. My mother was a teacher for CPS and my father was an engineer, also working for CPS. I have a younger sister and older brother, both of whom I am very close with. Still to this day, my parents live in my childhood home.  I love being able to take my own two little girls to that house, and watch them play and grow the same way I did.  I attended Peterson rival Jamieson Elementary School, which is located just down the street.  I was always very involved in athletics, playing for a wide variety of leagues, and different sports including football, basketball, and baseball.  I played football through high school while attending Lane, and I still play in men’s softball leagues to this day.

My biggest influences in my life were my parents.  They always taught me to be caring and empathetic towards others.  Being raised in such a way, I knew I always wanted to help my community, which is why it was always my hope to become a Chicago Police Officer.  My first degree, I majored in Criminal Justice, and after graduating, I began applying to various departments and organizations.  While going through the hiring processes, I began working for CPS as a security officer.  It was during this time I discovered a new passion for working with students and children, and helping them learn and grow.  I enrolled at National Louis University and got a second degree in Applied Behavior Science, which allowed me to step into the role that I am in today.

For the past several years I had been working in a high school setting as a Dean of Students, however, it was always my wish to return back to working in an elementary school.  I have always found more happiness working with a younger demographic of students, and being here at Peterson has been all that I have hoped for.  The staff here at Peterson has been extremely welcoming, and a pleasure to work alongside.  The student body brings a smile to my face, and allows me to find joy in my job.  I have found the parents to be appreciative, and very engaged in the wellbeing of their children.  Ideally, I would love to spend the rest of my career here at Peterson, giving back to the community that I was raised in.  I look forward to years of watching these young faces grow into bright young teenagers, who will go on to becoming successful contributing adults. 

Nací y crecí en el lado norte de Chicago, en este mismo vecindario. Mi madre era maestra de CPS y mi padre era ingeniero, él también trabajaba para CPS. Tengo una hermana menor y un hermano mayor, con los cuales soy muy cercano. Hasta hoy día, mis padres viven en la casa de mi infancia. Me encanta poder llevar a mis dos hijas pequeñas a esa casa y verlas jugar y crecer de la misma manera que yo. Asistí a la escuela primaria Jamieson, rival de Peterson, que se encuentra al final de la calle. Siempre estuve muy involucrado en el atletismo, jugando para una amplia variedad de ligas y diferentes deportes, como fútbol, ​​​​baloncesto y béisbol. Jugué fútbol en la escuela secundaria mientras asistía a Lane, y todavía juego en las ligas de softbol masculino hasta el día de hoy.

Mis mayores influencias en mi vida han sido mis padres. Siempre me han enseñado a ser cariñoso y empático con los demás. Al ser criado de esta manera supe que siempre quise ayudar a mi comunidad, por lo que siempre tuve la esperanza de convertirme en oficial de policía de Chicago. Mi primer título, me especialicé en Justicia Criminal, y después de graduarme comencé a aplicar a varios departamentos y organizaciones. Mientras realizaba los procesos de contratación, comencé a trabajar para CPS como oficial de seguridad. Fue durante este tiempo que descubrí una nueva pasión por trabajar con estudiantes y niños, y ayudarlos a aprender y crecer. Me inscribí en la Universidad Nacional de Louis y obtuve un segundo título en Ciencias Aplicadas del Comportamiento, lo que me permitió asumir el rol que tengo hoy.

Durante los últimos años había estado trabajando en una escuela secundaria como Decano de Estudiantes, sin embargo, siempre fue mi deseo volver a trabajar en una escuela primaria. Siempre he encontrado más felicidad trabajando con un grupo demográfico de estudiantes más jóvenes, y estar aquí en Peterson ha sido todo lo que esperaba. El personal de Peterson ha sido muy acogedor y ha sido un placer trabajar con él. El cuerpo estudiantil trae una sonrisa a mi rostro y me permite encontrar alegría en mi trabajo. He encontrado que los padres son agradecidos y muy comprometidos con el bienestar de sus hijos. Idealmente, me encantaría pasar el resto de mi carrera aquí en Peterson, retribuyendo a la comunidad en la que me crié. Espero ver a estos rostros jóvenes crecer hasta convertirse en jóvenes adolescentes brillantes, que se convertirán en exitosos. adultos contribuyentes.

My name is Nicolas Cima, but I go by Nick, Nicky, and sometimes Nico. I was born and raised in Mount Prospect, a northwest suburb of Chicago. I am grateful to have been raised by my two loving parents alongside my 3 brothers. Over the years, my family has adopted many dogs who I’d consider family members just as much as my brothers. As for school, I attended public schools in the suburbs. I continued my education at Illinois State University, where I earned a Bachelors of Education in Special Education, and an Italian Studies Minor. 

My Italian-American heritage has shaped my lived experiences. In conversation, my heritage always seems to come up on my own accord, but I must admit that talking about my Italian-American upbringing is one of my favorite activities on any given day! For this reason, I love to learn about cultures outside of my own. Growing up, I learned how my grandparents immigrated to Chicago during a war-torn Italy. I learned about how they would tend to olive fields in rural parts of Italy, and how they’d jar enough tomato sauce for an entire year. My parents grew up in an Italian neighborhood on Harlem and Addison. They moved out to the suburbs later in life to raise my brothers and I. My Italian-speaking nonna lived with us, and some of my fondest memories are rooted in my relationship with her. Family is incredibly important to me. Growing up in a bilingual household has greatly contributed to my teaching practices, as I have learned that many of the students at Peterson speak two languages, too. 

I have always wanted to be a teacher. Growing up, I used to give spelling tests to my little brother and grade them with flair pens. There is something about the way those pens work that has always drawn me to the teaching profession. In all realness, I love to learn. I recognize that learning does not stop when you graduate from school. It is a day to day experience that I am so grateful to facilitate in my career. My many teachers over the years have taught me this. I decided to teach diverse learners based on my years of experience as a camp counselor. I used to spend two weeks each summer at a camp for kids with varying abilities and disabilities. My campers taught me so much about people. I believe everyone has needs. It is my job as a Diverse Learner Specialist to accommodate specific needs. I believe in inclusion, not only in the classroom, but also in my daily interaction. Everyone has a right to feel included and have their voice heard. Everyone always has something to bring to the table, and I believe it is my job to bring the best out in people.

My experience at Peterson began as a student teacher. The first time I walked through Peterson’s doors, I noticed the tall ceilings embellished with flags of different cultures. As I began to build relationships with students, we would often reference these in conversation while walking through the halls. “That’s my flag!” a student would say to me. I am so grateful to be at a school where our student population represents so many cultures, and where students can see their cultural upbringing reflected back at them. On top of this, the supportive community was a significant reason for my interest in teaching at Peterson. When I learned of a position opening, I applied immediately and began the interview process. I cannot imagine myself anywhere else. The people I have met have shaped me in ways I cannot express.

Beyond Peterson, I grew up with opportunities to sing, dance, play sports, play video games, and step outside of my comfort zone. I like to consider myself well-rounded, as I will try anything at least once. I love to hike and to travel. Each weekend, I look forward to spending time with my family, friends, and dogs. 

It is my hope that you have learned a bit about my values, my background, and my experiences. Thank you for taking the time to learn about this member of your community. 

Mi nombre es Nicolás Cima, pero me hago llamar Nick, Nicky y, a veces, Nico. Nací y crecí en Mount Prospect, un suburbio al noroeste de Chicago. Estoy agradecido de haber sido criado por mis dos amados padres junto a mis 3 hermanos. A lo largo de los años, mi familia ha adoptado muchos perros a los que consideraría miembros de la familia tanto como a mis hermanos. En cuanto a la escuela, asistí a escuelas públicas en los suburbios. Continué mi educación en la Universidad Estatal de Illinois, donde obtuve una Licenciatura en Educación Especial y una Especialización en Estudios Italianos.

Mi herencia italoamericana ha dado forma a mis experiencias vividas. En una conversación, mi herencia siempre parece surgir por mi propia voluntad, pero debo admitir que hablar sobre mi educación italoamericana es una de mis actividades favoritas en un día cualquiera. Por esta razón, me encanta aprender sobre culturas fuera de la mía. Al crecer, aprendí cómo mis abuelos emigraron a Chicago durante una Italia devastada por la guerra. Aprendí cómo cuidaban los campos de olivos en las zonas rurales de Italia y cómo envasaban suficiente salsa de tomate para todo un año. Mis padres crecieron en un barrio italiano en Harlem y Addison. Se mudaron a los suburbios más tarde para criar a mis hermanos ya mí. Mi abuela, que hablaba italiano, vivía con nosotros, y algunos de mis mejores recuerdos están enraizados en mi relación con ella. La familia es increíblemente importante para mí. Crecer en un hogar bilingüe ha contribuido en gran medida a mis prácticas docentes, ya que he aprendido que muchos de los estudiantes de Peterson también hablan dos idiomas.

Siempre he querido ser maestra. Al crecer, solía dar pruebas de ortografía a mi hermano pequeño y calificarlas con bolígrafos Flair. Hay algo en la forma en que funcionan esos bolígrafos que siempre me ha atraído a la profesión docente. En realidad, me encanta aprender. Reconozco que el aprendizaje no se detiene cuando te gradúas de la escuela. Es una experiencia del día a día que estoy muy agradecida de facilitar en mi carrera. Mis muchos maestros a lo largo de los años me han enseñado esto. Decidí enseñar a estudiantes diversos en base a mis años de experiencia como consejero de campamento. Solía ​​pasar dos semanas cada verano en un campamento para niños con diferentes capacidades y discapacidades. Mis campistas me enseñaron mucho sobre las personas. Creo que todo el mundo tiene necesidades. Mi trabajo como especialista en aprendizaje diverso es adaptarme a necesidades específicas. Creo en la inclusión, no solo en el salón de clases, sino también en mi interacción diaria. Todos tienen derecho a sentirse incluidos y a que se escuche su voz. Todos siempre tienen algo que aportar, y creo que es mi trabajo sacar lo mejor de las personas.

Mi experiencia en Peterson comenzó como estudiante de magisterio. La primera vez que crucé las puertas de Peterson, noté los techos altos adornados con banderas de diferentes culturas. A medida que comencé a construir relaciones con los estudiantes, a menudo los mencionamos en conversaciones mientras caminábamos por los pasillos. “¡Esa es mi bandera!” me diría un estudiante. Estoy muy agradecida de estar en una escuela donde nuestra población estudiantil representa tantas culturas y donde los estudiantes pueden ver reflejada su educación cultural. Además de esto, el apoyo de la comunidad fue una razón importante de mi interés en enseñar en Peterson. Cuando me enteré de la vacante de un puesto, apliqué de inmediato y comencé el proceso de entrevista. No puedo imaginarme en ningún otro lugar. Las personas que he conocido me han moldeado de maneras que no puedo expresar.

Más allá de Peterson, crecí con oportunidades para cantar, bailar, practicar deportes, jugar videojuegos y salir de mi zona de confort. Me gusta considerarme completo, ya que probaré cualquier cosa al menos una vez. Me encanta caminar y viajar. Cada fin de semana, espero pasar tiempo con mi familia, amigos y perros.

Espero que hayas aprendido un poco sobre mis valores, mis antecedentes y mis experiencias. Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para aprender acerca de este miembro de su comunidad.

I was born and raised in Chicago. I grew up in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood with my mother Rebecca and older brother Paul. My family has a mixture of many different ethnicities such as Mexican, Guatemalan, and Puerto Rican. My father was born in Brazil and my mother is African American and French. I attended Walt Disney Magnet School and practiced cheerleading during football seasons at Kelvyn Park District. As a teenager I moved to live with my father and stepmother in Wheeling Illinois, where I attended Buffalo Grove High School. In high school I pursued writing and wanted to become a writer or a teacher when I grew up.

My biggest influence as to why I want to become an educator is my cousin Michelle. She has been teaching for over 13 years and has taught me how to work through difficult situations and to always be true to myself. I am currently a full time student at Malcolm X College studying for my Associates in Art and majoring in Early Childhood Development. I truly enjoy working with children, especially those with special needs, but overall I love providing all children with a safe and healthy learning environment. Prior to Peterson Elementary I was a preschool teacher assistant in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood. I did that for a year and a half, but I was interested in expanding my horizons so I decided to look into opportunities at Chicago Public Schools.

Since joining Peterson, I have met many interesting people. One of the best things about Peterson is the diverse environment. We acknowledge and appreciate all cultures and celebrate individuality. I am most looking forward to graduating from college and working toward my career goals. I plan on continuing my education and obtaining my teaching license in due time. Outside of Peterson I enjoy crafting, music, visiting new places, and spending time with my 9-year-old Mi'Amor.

Nací y crecí en Chicago. Crecí en el vecindario de Belmont Cragin con mi madre Rebecca y mi hermano mayor Paul. Mi familia tiene una mezcla de muchas etnias diferentes, como mexicana, guatemalteca y puertorriqueña. Mi padre nació en Brasil y mi madre es afroamericana y francesa. Asistí a Walt Disney Magnet School y practiqué porrismo durante las temporadas de fútbol en el distrito de Kelvyn Park. Cuando era adolescente me mudé a vivir con mi padre y mi madrastra en Wheeling Illinois, donde asistí a la escuela secundaria Buffalo Grove. En la escuela secundaria me dediqué a escribir y quería convertirme en escritora o maestra cuando fuera grande.

Mi mayor influencia en cuanto a por qué quiero convertirme en educadora es mi prima Michelle. Ella ha estado enseñando durante más de 13 años y me ha enseñado cómo superar situaciones difíciles y ser siempre fiel a mí mismo. Actualmente soy un estudiante de tiempo completo en Malcolm X College estudiando para mis Asociados en Arte y especializándome en Desarrollo de la Primera Infancia. Realmente disfruto trabajar con niños, especialmente con aquellos con necesidades especiales, pero en general me encanta brindarles a todos los niños un entorno de aprendizaje seguro y saludable. Antes de Peterson Elementary, fui asistente de maestro de preescolar en el vecindario Portage Park de Chicago. Hice eso durante un año y medio, pero estaba interesado en expandir mis horizontes, así que decidí buscar oportunidades en las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago.

Desde que me uní a Peterson, he conocido a muchas personas interesantes. Una de las mejores cosas de Peterson es el entorno diverso. Reconocemos y apreciamos todas las culturas y celebramos la individualidad. Tengo muchas ganas de graduarme de la universidad y trabajar para alcanzar mis metas profesionales. Planeo continuar mi educación y obtener mi licencia de enseñanza a su debido tiempo. Fuera de Peterson, disfruto las manualidades, la música, visitar lugares nuevos y pasar tiempo con Mi'Amor, mi hija de 9 años.

October 2, 2022

I was born and raised in Albany Park, Chicago. My father is Japanese, and my mother is Italian, German, and Irish. The collision of cultures within my own family, the Chicago Public Schools system, and the city itself, gave me a deep appreciation for diversity and community. I still find this important in my practice and personal values. My mom is also a CPS teacher of over 30 years. I’ve always had her as a role model in my life and her support means the world to me. When I was little I dreamed of being an art teacher.

I quickly developed as an artist when I entered my high school years at Whitney Young, combining my early interest in the arts with an increasing accessibility to resources. I began college in Philadelphia as an intended Painting & Drawing major at Tyler School of Art, Temple University. After taking leave and returning as a student years later, I found a new direction in my practice and profession that translated better to art education. I realized that art education would offer me a fulfilling mentorship role in the arts and allow me to work within a community.  

The best part of being a teacher is being able to connect with so many different people and cultures. I’m constantly amazed by student creativity too! 

2 de octubre de 2022 

Nací y crecí en Albany Park, Chicago. Mi padre es japonés y mi madre es italiana, alemana e irlandesa. La colisión de culturas dentro de mi propia familia, el sistema de Escuelas Públicas de Chicago y la ciudad misma me hizo apreciar profundamente la diversidad y la comunidad. Todavía encuentro esto importante en mi práctica y valores personales. Mi mamá también es maestra de CPS por más de 30 años. Siempre la he tenido como un modelo a seguir en mi vida y su apoyo significa mucho para mí. Cuando era pequeña soñaba con ser profesora de arte.

Me desarrollé rápidamente como artista cuando ingresé a mis años de escuela secundaria en Whitney Young, combinando mi interés temprano en las artes con una mayor accesibilidad a los recursos. Comencé la universidad en Filadelfia con la intención de especializarme en Pintura y Dibujo en la Tyler School of Art, Temple University. Después de despedirme y regresar como estudiante años más tarde, encontré una nueva dirección en mi práctica y profesión que se tradujo mejor en la educación artística. Me di cuenta de que la educación artística me ofrecería un rol de tutoría satisfactorio en las artes y me permitiría trabajar dentro de una comunidad.

La mejor parte de ser profesor es poder conectarse con tantas personas y culturas diferentes. ¡También me sorprende constantemente su creatividad!

I was born and raised in Davenport, Iowa. I am the youngest of five and the only girl. Growing up, I loved playing outside until the street lights turned on. I loved playing baseball with all the neighborhood kids, and staying out late playing flashlight tag.

When I was younger I wanted to be a dance teacher. I had so many great teachers in my life that I wanted to be just like them. In particular, my dance teacher had a big impact on me. She showed me how to be a leader, and she was always challenging me.

School was always a challenge for me. I had to work extra hard. I remember practicing spelling words with my parents nightly. Once I got to high school, things started to get easier for me. My AP English teacher changed my life. She was the first teacher to recognize that I learn differently and that I may benefit from additional supports. With these supports I started to thrive! 

My elementary school didn’t have any extracurricular activities, so when I got to high school I was thrilled to try them out. I was on the speech and debate team. I participated in show choir and chamber choir. I was a Vice President of the drama club, and I even had the privilege of serving on the state thespian board. I was also a part of the national honor society, and was a junior rotarian. During all of this, I was also taking dance lessons two nights a week. 

When I graduated high school, I decided to make a switch and pursue a career as an actress. I received my BFA in musical theater and a dance minor from Millikin University. 

After graduation, I took a job where I was able to travel around the United States and four other countries teaching children’s theatre. I would pull into a new town each week and teach a musical to 64 kids with lines, songs, dances, costumes, set, and lights. It was this experience that pointed me back to teaching. 

Once I moved to Chicago, I took my first job with Chicago Public Schools. I worked as a preschool assistant for a school in Rogers Park. After that, I moved to a Kindergarten classroom in Albany Park. It was there that I found myself gravitating toward working with diverse learners. This is when I made my move to Peterson. 

I have loved working at Peterson for the past three years. I feel so grateful every day that I get to be a part of this community. My favorite part of working at Peterson is the sense of community. People are always doing their best to help other people. Whether it’s being quiet in the halls so others can learn, or helping a friend who doesn’t understand a math problem. I like that people are always looking out for each other. I think that’s what makes Peterson special.

This year, I’m looking forward to building more memories with students and my co-teachers. I am also looking forward to spending more time in the Peterson flower garden. I’m also really looking forward to spending time with my family this summer as well as riding roller coasters, going camping, and staying home with my cat, Bernie.

I was born and raised in Chicago on the South, East, and West sides. My mom was born and raised in the projects in Bronzeville, and my dad was born and raised on the west side in North Lawndale, so I grew up with a mixture of both of their backgrounds. I attended five elementary schools throughout the city, and four out of the five were Chicago Public Schools. I even got to attend gifted programs at two of the schools, and at my private school I was able to be challenged in my best subjects. In high school I attended an extremely strict and rigorous charter school that has since then recanted its harsh and culturally insensitive discipline practices. My experience there was pretty disastrous, so for my last semester of high school I transferred to a CPS school, the Multicultural Arts High School part of Little Village Lawndale High School.

I am the youngest of three, but my middle sister Cheney was nonverbal and autistic, so there were times I had to adopt the role of the older sibling despite our two year age difference. We were especially close in high school when I was better able to accommodate her and bond with her. She passed away in late 2018, and I try to continue to do what I do with her mind.

As a child, my free time was spent engaging in video games, watching TV, and playing instruments. I picked up my first instrument at six years old, and I have been playing on and off since. I was never given formal lessons, so I relied on learning by ear and watching instructional videos on YouTube. At 13, I began to take guitar and piano more seriously and learned some of my favorite songs, like “Clocks”, “Take a Bow”, and “Crazy Train”.

I was always in love with my teachers. They all helped me expand my knowledge in ways that were applicable to real life and fun, especially my first grade teacher Mrs. Murdock, my second grade teacher Mrs. Dobson, and all of my middle school teachers. They also embraced my strange quirks that I possessed at times while also bonding with me when I didn’t quite fit in with my peers. In addition to teachers, I also had mentors who guided me through my adolescence at youth groups as well as my high school advisor. I am eternally grateful for their help in guiding me to adulthood and being the adult figures that I needed at the time.

I graduated high school and immediately started college at North Park the following fall. I attended North Park for two years until I took a medical leave. I now attend Northeastern Illinois University and hope to finally graduate by 2023.

I have enjoyed my time here at Peterson, the students are the best part! They always have a joke or a bit of joy to share and it constantly makes my days better. The hardest part has been finding a work/life balance. I work two jobs seven days a week on top of full time school, so life’s demands can get overwhelming, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

I am most looking forward to graduating undergrad. I have been working toward it on and off since 2015, and I am beyond ready to be done and start working toward a full time career. I am not 100% sure of my plans, but I do still want to work in schools. Until then, I will continue to build skills here at Peterson to fully be prepared for whatever the working world throws at me next.

Nací y crecí en Chicago en los lados sur, este y oeste. Mi mamá nació y se crió en los proyectos de Bronzeville, y mi papá nació y se crió en el lado oeste de North Lawndale, así que crecí con una mezcla de ambos antecedentes. Asistí a cinco escuelas primarias en toda la ciudad, y cuatro de las cinco eran Escuelas Públicas de Chicago. Incluso pude asistir a programas para superdotados en dos de las escuelas, y en mi escuela privada pude ser desafiada en mis mejores materias. En la escuela secundaria asistí a una escuela chárter extremadamente estricta y rigurosa que desde entonces se ha retractado de sus prácticas disciplinarias duras y culturalmente insensibles. Mi experiencia allí fue bastante desastrosa, así que durante mi último semestre de la escuela secundaria me transfirieron a una escuela de CPS, la Escuela secundaria de artes multiculturales que forma parte de la Escuela secundaria Little Village Lawndale.

Soy la menor de tres hermanos, pero mi hermana del medio, Cheney, no hablaba y era autista, por lo que hubo ocasiones en las que tuve que adoptar el papel de la hermana mayor a pesar de nuestra diferencia de edad de dos años. Fuimos especialmente cercanas en la escuela secundaria cuando pude acomodarla mejor y vincularme con ella. Falleció a finales de 2018 y trato de seguir haciendo lo que hago con su mente.

De niña, dedicaba mi tiempo libre a jugar videojuegos, ver la televisión y tocar instrumentos. Tome mi primer instrumento a los seis años y desde entonces lo he estado tocando de vez en cuando. Nunca me dieron lecciones formales, así que confiaba en aprender de oído y mirar videos instructivos en YouTube. A los 13, comencé a tomar la guitarra y el piano más en serio y aprendí algunas de mis canciones favoritas, como "Clocks", "Take a Bow" y "Crazy Train".

Siempre estuve enamorada de mis maestros. Todos me ayudaron a expandir mi conocimiento en formas que eran aplicables a la vida real y la diversión, especialmente mi maestra de primer grado, la Sra. Murdock, mi maestra de segundo grado, la Sra. Dobson, y todos mis maestros de secundaria. También aceptaron mis peculiaridades extrañas que poseía a veces y también se vincularon conmigo cuando no encajaba del todo con mis compañeros. Además de maestros, también tuve mentores que me guiaron durante mi adolescencia en grupos de jóvenes, así como mi asesor en la escuela secundaria. Estoy eternamente agradecida por su ayuda para guiarme a la edad adulta y ser las figuras adultas que necesitaba en ese momento.

Me gradué de la escuela secundaria e inmediatamente comencé la universidad en North Park el otoño siguiente. Asistí a North Park durante dos años hasta que tomé una licencia médica. Ahora asisto a la Universidad Northeastern Illinois y espero graduarme finalmente para 2023.

He disfrutado mi tiempo aquí en Peterson, ¡los estudiantes son la mejor parte! Siempre tienen una broma o un poco de alegría para compartir y constantemente hace que mis días sean mejores. La parte más difícil ha sido encontrar un equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida. Tengo dos trabajos los siete días de la semana además de la escuela a tiempo completo, por lo que las demandas de la vida pueden ser abrumadoras, pero los aspectos positivos superan a los negativos.

Tengo muchas ganas de graduarme de pregrado. He estado trabajando para lograrlo de manera intermitente desde 2015, y estoy más que lista para terminar y comenzar a trabajar hacia una carrera de tiempo completo. No estoy 100% segura de mis planes, pero aún quiero trabajar en las escuelas. Hasta entonces, continuaré desarrollando habilidades aquí en Peterson para estar completamente preparada para lo que el mundo laboral me presente a continuación.

I was born and raised in Wilmette and I have four siblings, an older brother and three younger sisters. Growing up in the North Shore was an amazing opportunity, I was very fortunate to have the educational experience that I had; resources were easily available and the classes I took followed the understanding that every person learns in their own unique ways. My schools were always inclusive and advocated for children with different abilities. I can remember that even in kindergarten I was drawn to helping friends who had differing abilities. I loved how my community fostered opportunities for inclusion through the schools and extracurricular activities such as dance, choir, and soccer. It taught me that a community included all members, regardless of a person's differences.

My mom always said that I was born to be a teacher. Growing up with three younger sisters I would often "teach" lessons to them and now I proudly take credit for their achievements. When I wasn’t teaching my siblings, I was dancing. I was a dancer all through school, I started with classic ballet, then in middle school I explored hip-hop, and I started choreographing modern dance in junior high. By the time I was in high school, I was a member of the Northfield Dance Ensemble where I would perform pieces that were choreographed by me and by other dancers in the ensemble. I love dancing, singing, and performing! I was also in choir all through my schoolings and played the lead "Mother Goose" in my first grade school play.

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I first went to college. I started out at University of Missouri but quickly discovered that cornfields and small towns can be very constricting. I then moved into the city and attended Columbia College Chicago thinking that I would take some classes and figure out my degree later. I ended up falling in love with learning about disabilities through a childhood brain development class and started my journey to be a special education teacher. I graduated from Columbia with a BA in Early Childhood Education with a Learning Behavior Specialist Endorsement. I then continued my education at UIC and earned my Masters of Education with endorsements in Behavior Intervention, Curriculum Adaptation, and Transition Specialist. I also received a second masters from UIC in Masters of Education in Instructional Leadership, and completed my Special Education Administrator endorsement last summer at National Louis. You could say that I am a lifelong learner; my parents always said that your education is like a band of gold around your wrist, something no one could ever take from you and even if you don't use it, you have it. 

I first started teaching at Powell Academy which was a CPS school in Chicago's Jackson Park neighborhood. I was a resource teacher there for 4 years and loved my children and the experience. I worked with primary aged children who had pretty intense behavioral needs due to childhood trauma as well as students with autism and other health impairments. While I loved my students and the teachers I worked with, the children I worked with did not have as many opportunities for inclusion as we would have hoped; it was quite a shock for me as I grew up in a community that prided themselves in inclusive practices- it was a reminder of how fortunate I was growing up where I did. After that experience, I discovered that my personal philosophy of education is that diverse learners need opportunities to learn among peers of the same age and in settings that support their individual needs; Least Restrictive Environments is not a "life sentence" it is  something that grows and changes as the child does.  

My grandfather is someone who I always looked up to; he always said that all great things start with an idea and everything else will fall into place- I think about those words frequently. My grandfather also attended Peterson when he was a kid and so when there was a job opening I felt connected to apply! I loved how the resource team at Peterson had a similar philosophy to mine and is dedicated to providing  students at a young age with the resources they need so that they can advocate for themselves in the future. One of the most challenging parts of being a teacher is ensuring that the diverse learners have access to materials and opportunities similar to their general education classmates; I am an advocate first and foremost and I want my students to feel like their needs are valued and equally as important as others- comparing my own educational experience to my teaching experiences definitely impacts this challenge because I grew up very fortunate. Regardless of the hard times, when you see a child master a concept that was so difficult to learn and all of a sudden it  *clicks* it honestly brings me to tears and makes the whole job worth it!

At Peterson I am excited to see how our resource team continues to grow and develop the tools needed to support teachers and students access the diverse needs of special education. Outside of Peterson, I am always looking forward to hearing live music!

I was born and raised in Grayslake, IL, a suburb of Chicago, about 50 miles north of the city. I have two sisters and I am the middle child! Growing up, I loved going to school and doing extracurricular activities to stay busy. I played tennis, was President of my Student Council class, and taught piano lessons from the time I was 14. I went to Grayslake Central High School which was a smaller school, but one which had lots of opportunities to get involved and make lifetime friendships. My entire school career I have worked towards being a teacher, and have always loved the education system. 

From the time I was little, I always looked up to my teachers and valued their caring attitudes and effort they put into their career and classroom environment. When I was a Junior in high school, I took AP US History with a wonderful teacher and now mentor, Ms. Bisevac. She was dynamic, engaging, and everything I wanted to be in a teacher. In that year, I solidified my decision to pursue a career in teaching Social Studies at either the middle or high school level. 

Aside from wonderful teachers throughout my upbringing, my parents and family created a wonderful environment that allowed me to do my best and strive to achieve my dreams.

I went to college at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. When looking for a college, I was focused on a medium sized school that provided a lot of extracurricular activities and ways to get involved. I knew that they had a teaching program that specialized in field experience and lots of opportunities to observe and help in local classrooms and schools.

After college, I taught at Emerson Middle School in Niles, IL as a Long Term Substitute for 9 months of the year. I taught two sections of Language Arts and two sections of US History. I had a wonderful time working with 8th grade students and loved the middle school environment. I had originally wanted a job in upper high school and older students, but my experience last year changed my whole opinion and opened my eyes to the fun and engaging world of Middle School.

Once I moved from my house in Evanston to the city, I knew I wanted to find a job in CPS. Growing up in the suburbs, I was always impressed with how independent and self-sufficient students in the city seemed. In my search I found this opening at Peterson and was intrigued by the amount of diversity in the community and the idea of teaching Civics.

The best thing about being a teacher is watching students grow and improve over the school year. I especially enjoy watching 8th graders go through the HS admissions process and get so excited to continue their education. The hardest part about being a teacher is the preparation and outside work it takes to make a lesson successful and impactful.

I am really looking forward to 8th grade graduation and all the end of the year celebrations that come with this special time, as well as the nice weather and traveling I will get to do during the summer!

18 de marzo de 2022 Peyton Vaughn
Nací y crecí en Grayslake, IL, un suburbio de Chicago, a unas 50 millas al norte de la ciudad. ¡Tengo dos hermanas y yo soy la hija del medio! Al crecer, me encantaba ir a la escuela y hacer actividades extracurriculares para mantenerme ocupada. Jugué tenis, fui presidente de mi clase del Consejo Estudiantil y enseñé lecciones de piano desde que tenía 14 años. Fui a Grayslake Central High School,  una escuela más pequeña, pero que tenía muchas oportunidades para involucrarme y hacer amistades para toda la vida. Toda mi carrera escolar he trabajado para ser maestra y siempre me ha encantado el sistema educativo.

Desde que era pequeña, siempre admiré a mis maestros y valoré sus actitudes solidarias y el esfuerzo que pusieron en su carrera y en el entorno del aula. Cuando estaba en el tercer año de la escuela secundaria, tomé Historia de EE. UU. AP con una maestra maravillosa y ahora mentora, la Sra. Bisevac. Era dinámica y todo lo que yo quería ser en una maestra. En ese año, solidifiqué mi decisión de seguir una carrera en la enseñanza de Estudios Sociales a nivel de escuela intermedia o secundaria.

Aparte de los maravillosos maestros a lo largo de mi educación, mis padres y mi familia crearon un entorno maravilloso que me permitió dar lo mejor de mí y esforzarme por alcanzar mis sueños.

Fui a la universidad en la Universidad de Miami en Oxford, Ohio. Cuando buscaba una universidad, me enfoqué en una escuela de tamaño mediano que ofreciera muchas actividades extracurriculares y maneras de participar. Sabía que tenían un programa de enseñanza que se especializaba en experiencia de campo y muchas oportunidades para observar y ayudar en las aulas y escuelas locales.

Después de la universidad, enseñé en la Escuela Intermedia Emerson en Niles, IL como sustituto a largo plazo durante 9 meses al año. Enseñé dos secciones de Artes del Lenguaje y dos secciones de Historia de los Estados Unidos. Pasé un tiempo maravilloso trabajando con estudiantes de octavo grado y me encantó el ambiente de la escuela intermedia. Originalmente quería un trabajo en la escuela secundaria superior y estudiantes mayores, pero mi experiencia el año pasado cambió mi opinión por completo y me abrió los ojos al mundo divertido y atractivo de la escuela intermedia.

Una vez que me mudé de mi casa en Evanston a la ciudad, supe que quería encontrar un trabajo en CPS. Al crecer en los suburbios, siempre me impresionó lo independientes y autosuficientes que parecían los estudiantes de la ciudad. En mi búsqueda encontré esta vacante en Peterson y me intrigó la cantidad de diversidad en la comunidad y la idea de enseñar Civismo.

Lo mejor de ser maestro es ver a los estudiantes crecer y mejorar durante el año escolar. Disfruto especialmente ver a los estudiantes de 8º grado pasar por el proceso de admisión a la preparatoria y estar tan emocionados de continuar su educación. La parte más difícil de ser maestro es la preparación y el trabajo externo que se necesita para que una lección sea exitosa e impactante.

¡Tengo muchas ganas de que llegue la graduación de 8º grado y de todas las celebraciones de fin de año que vienen con este tiempo especial, así como del buen clima y los viajes que podré hacer durante el verano!

I was born in Greece in the summer of 1964. Growing up in Greece, I faced difficult times as the country sought to come out of its political crisis. Nonetheless, life was also simpler, and we had a sense of community; everyone knew each other and helped one another when times were tough. 

As a child, I enjoyed school very much. The educators were strict with high learning standards and copious assignments daily. I was a bright student with good marks. I liked all subjects, but my favorites were Mathematics and History. I also enjoyed playing soccer, fishing, swimming, and crocheting when I had free time. 

In high school, my teacher expressed a desire to help me get into university. He saw potential in me that I did not recognize in myself at the time. Most students did not go to college at this time. After high school, the expectation was either joining the workforce or getting married. The small percentage of students who went to college had parents who had the influence and means; therefore, I had not dreamed that this was possible. My teacher ensured that I kept my grades up, helped me study for entrance exams, and filled out application paperwork. I would have been the first in my family to attend college, and I was eager to work hard to achieve it.

At the end of high school, I received the letter I was anxiously waiting for; I had been accepted into a college program. All my hard work had paid off, and it was my time to be rewarded. I was so excited I ran home to tell my parents. Unfortunately, I received resistance from my mother. Being the first girl of five children, I was told I needed to stay home and help with my three young siblings. At the time, I was angry but accepted my role in the family. I had dreams of becoming a teacher to show more students that they too had the option to go to college and that someone believed in them.

I lived in Greece for nearly twenty years before migrating to the US. At nineteen, I was introduced to my husband, we wed and left for the United States. I had four children, who are now adults. When my first child was school-aged, I began volunteering at his school. After some time, I was made aware that CPS was hiring for a new local high school that was being built. I applied for a lunchroom attendant position and was hired. I stayed in that position with Northside College Prep for twenty delightful years. During the pandemic school closures, I was moved to Peterson to assist with the meal distribution rollout. I came to love everything and everyone at Peterson. The sense of community is strong here, and everyone genuinely cares about each other. Our students are some of the kindest, most social, and resilient I have come across in my twenty-two years with CPS; they are indeed a joy to serve every day. I am grateful and proud to be a part of the Peterson community. I plan to stay with Peterson until my retirement. 

Nací en Grecia en el verano de 1964. Al crecer en Grecia, enfrenté tiempos difíciles cuando el país buscaba salir de su crisis política. No obstante, la vida también era más sencilla y teníamos un sentido de comunidad; todos se conocían y se ayudaban mutuamente cuando los tiempos eran difíciles.

De niña disfrutaba mucho la escuela. Los educadores eran estrictos con altos estándares de aprendizaje y muchas tareas diarias. Yo fui un estudiante brillante con buenas notas. Me gustaban todas las materias, pero mis favoritas eran Matemáticas e Historia. También me gustaba jugar fútbol, ​​pescar, nadar y tejer cuando tenía tiempo libre.

En la escuela secundaria, mi maestro expresó su deseo de ayudarme a ingresar a la universidad. Vio un potencial en mí que yo no reconocí en ese momento. La mayoría de los estudiantes no iban a la universidad en ese momento. Después de la escuela secundaria, la expectativa era unirse a la fuerza laboral o casarse. El pequeño porcentaje de estudiantes que iban a la universidad tenía padres que tenían la influencia y los medios; por lo tanto, no había soñado que esto fuera posible. Mi maestro se aseguró de que mantuviera mis calificaciones altas, me ayudó a estudiar para los exámenes de ingreso y llenó el papeleo de solicitud. Hubiese sido la primera en mi familia en asistir a la universidad y estaba ansiosa por trabajar duro para lograrlo.

Al terminar el bachillerato, recibí la carta que tanto esperaba; me habían aceptado en un programa universitario. Todo mi arduo trabajo había valido la pena, y era mi momento de ser recompensada. Estaba tan emocionada que corrí a casa para contárselo a mis padres. Desafortunadamente, recibí resistencia de mi madre. Siendo la primera niña de cinco hijos, me dijeron que tenía que quedarme en casa y ayudar con mis tres hermanos pequeños. En ese momento, estaba enojada pero acepté mi papel en la familia. Soñaba con convertirme en maestra para mostrarles a más estudiantes que ellos también tenían la opción de ir a la universidad y que alguien creía en ellos.

Viví en Grecia durante casi veinte años antes de emigrar a los Estados Unidos. A los diecinueve años me presentaron a mi esposo, nos casamos y nos fuimos a los Estados Unidos. Tuve cuatro hijos, que ahora son adultos. Cuando mi primer hijo estaba en edad escolar, comencé a trabajar como voluntaria en su escuela. Después de un tiempo, me enteré de que CPS estaba contratando para una nueva escuela secundaria local que se estaba construyendo. Solicité un puesto de asistente de cafetería y me contrataron. Permanecí en ese puesto en Northside College Prep durante veinte magníficos años. Durante el cierre de las escuelas por la pandemia, me trasladaron a Peterson para ayudar con la implementación de la distribución de comidas. Llegué a amar todo y a todos en Peterson. El sentido de comunidad es fuerte aquí, y todos se preocupan genuinamente por los demás. Nuestros estudiantes son algunos de los más amables, sociables y resistentes que he conocido en mis veintidós años con CPS; de hecho, es un placer servir todos los días. Estoy agradecida y orgullosa de ser parte de la comunidad de Peterson. Planeo quedarme con Peterson hasta mi retiro.

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and grew up with my mom in the suburbs just south of the city. I always enjoyed school through my middle and elementary years because I liked the chance to be social while learning as much as I could. Throughout middle school, I developed some really positive relationships with my teachers who always encouraged me in different ways. My middle school experience was an important part of helping me to excel academically and is ultimately what led me to pursue a career in education; it was also where I found more opportunities to pursue athletics and developed a passion for competitive swimming. High school brought its own challenges as the work began to get harder, but I continued to focus on my love for swimming, which in turn helped me advance through my academics.

After high school, I moved to Erie in Northwestern Pennsylvania to pursue my undergraduate degree at Gannon University while competing on a four-year swimming scholarship. I knew from the moment I started college that I would enter the field of education. I graduated with my bachelor’s in secondary education and secured my teaching license shortly after. I also earned a master’s degree in educational technology from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and completed post-master’s programs for both my administration and technology specialist certifications.

As my career began, I taught high school English and journalism in Pennsylvania for five years. Throughout that time, I developed a passion for educational technology and working with teachers to refine their skills to help meet students’ current needs. During my time in the classroom, I’ve found that the best part of being a teacher is developing relationships with students as you help prepare them for high school and beyond. My main area of focus is creating safe and welcoming learning environments for all students, especially those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community, as I believe it is imperative for students to feel supported and represented each day. In contrast, the hardest part of teaching is the continued scrutiny of schools from both the general public and our elected officials who remain detached from the reality of our country’s current education system.

After my time in Pennsylvania, I relocated and came to Chicago Public Schools in 2018, where I have since taught middle school ELA and science while continuing to work on additional projects like presenting and writing for publication. I then found Peterson through my CPS network and knew that the STEAM Instructional Coach position would be a great fit for me.

I’m excited to learn from the entire school community and connect with the students and families of Peterson. The school’s reputation is that of continuing success, and I’m drawn to the focus of both SEL and STEAM. I think that everyone’s role is essential for creating transformational learning experiences for our students, and I look forward to continuing that purpose here at Peterson.

Nací en Pittsburgh, Pensilvania y crecí con mi madre en los suburbios al sur de la ciudad. Siempre disfruté la escuela durante mis años de secundaria y primaria porque me gustaba la oportunidad de socializar mientras aprendía todo lo que podía. A lo largo de la escuela secundaria, desarrollé algunas relaciones realmente positivas con mis maestros, quienes siempre me alentaron de diferentes maneras. Mi experiencia en la escuela intermedia fue una parte importante para ayudarme a sobresalir académicamente y, en última instancia, es lo que me llevó a seguir una carrera en educación; también fue donde encontré más oportunidades para dedicarme al atletismo y desarrollé una pasión por la natación competitiva. La escuela secundaria trajo sus propios desafíos a medida que el trabajo comenzó a ser más difícil, pero continué enfocándome en mi amor por la natación, lo que a su vez me ayudó a avanzar en mis estudios.

Después de la secundaria, me mudé a Erie en el noroeste de Pensilvania para obtener mi título universitario en la Universidad de Gannon mientras competía con una beca de natación de cuatro años. Supe desde el momento en que comencé la universidad que entraría en el campo de la educación. Me gradué con mi licenciatura en educación secundaria y obtuve mi licencia de enseñanza poco después. También obtuve una maestría en tecnología educativa de la Universidad Clarion de Pensilvania y completé programas de posgrado para mis certificaciones de administración y especialista en tecnología.

Cuando comenzó mi carrera, enseñé inglés y periodismo en la escuela secundaria en Pensilvania durante cinco años. A lo largo de ese tiempo, desarrollé una pasión por la tecnología educativa y por trabajar con maestros para perfeccionar sus habilidades y ayudar a satisfacer las necesidades actuales de los estudiantes. Durante mi tiempo en el salón de clases, descubrí que la mejor parte de ser maestro es desarrollar relaciones con los estudiantes mientras los ayuda a prepararse para la escuela secundaria y más allá. Mi área principal de enfoque es crear entornos de aprendizaje seguros y acogedores para todos los estudiantes, especialmente para aquellos que se identifican con la comunidad LGBTQ+, ya que creo que es imperativo que los estudiantes se sientan apoyados y representados todos los días. Por el contrario, la parte más difícil de la enseñanza es el escrutinio continuo de las escuelas tanto por parte del público en general como de nuestros funcionarios electos, quienes permanecen desconectados de la realidad del sistema educativo actual de nuestro país.

Después de mi tiempo en Pensilvania, me mudé y vine a las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago en 2018, donde desde entonces he enseñado ELA y ciencias en la escuela intermedia mientras continúo trabajando en proyectos adicionales como presentar y escribir para publicación. Luego encontré a Peterson a través de mi red de CPS y supe que el puesto de Entrenador de instrucción de STEAM sería ideal para mí.

Estoy emocionado de aprender de toda la comunidad escolar y conectarme con los estudiantes y las familias de Peterson. La reputación de la escuela es la de un éxito continuo, y me atrae el enfoque tanto de SEL como de STEAM. Creo que el papel de todos es esencial para crear experiencias de aprendizaje transformadoras para nuestros estudiantes, y espero continuar con ese propósito aquí en Peterson.

I was born in Okinawa, Japan. My mother was Japanese and my father was American.They fell in love while my dad was serving in the Marines so I’m considered an Army brat. Along with my sister and brothers, we moved to Chicago when I was four and attended Catholic elementary and high school.

After I attended Wright College, I worked in accounting for the next thirty years. I worked at All-State Arena and got to see every concert I wanted to see. During that time I got married and raised five children with my husband. My husband and I did a great job raising our children and they’ve become my inspiration. My husband passed away a few years ago. We did our best to teach them that life may not be that simple and by working hard you can achieve your goals, and to always believe in yourself. All of them have become very successful in their own lives. My family means more to me than anything and I tried to be involved in all of their activities before they grew up, but now I get to be involved with my grandchildren’s activities, all nine of them!

The company that I worked for got sold and moved out of state, so I decided to take a step back and do something more straightforward. I found the job at Peterson working in the lunchroom and it was the best decision. I love being by the kids, and serving them is a joy! The job also gives me more time with my grandchildren. I hope to work here until I retire in the next five years.

I really look forward to doing all of my favorite hobbies during retirement, listening to music, reading my favorite author John Grisham, watching all Chicago sports, and continuing to just follow my motto to live life to the fullest and never take anything for granted!

Nací en Okinawa, Japón. Mi madre era japonesa y mi padre estadounidense. Se enamoraron mientras mi padre servía en la Infantería de Marina, por lo que se me considera una mimada del Ejército. Junto con mi hermana y mis hermanos, nos mudamos a Chicago cuando yo tenía cuatro años y asistí a una escuela primaria y secundaria católica.

Después de asistir a Wright College, trabajé en contabilidad durante los siguientes treinta años. Trabajé en All-State Arena y pude ver todos los conciertos que quería ver. Durante ese tiempo me casé y crié cinco hijos con mi esposo. Mi esposo y yo hicimos un gran trabajo criando a nuestros hijos y ellos se han convertido en mi inspiración. Mi marido falleció hace unos años. Hicimos todo lo posible para enseñarles a nuestros hijos que la vida puede no ser tan simple y que trabajando duro puedes lograr tus objetivos y creer siempre en ti mismo. Todos ellos se han vuelto muy exitosos en sus propias vidas. Mi familia significa más que nada para mí y traté de participar en todas sus actividades antes de que crecieran, pero ahora puedo participar en las actividades de mis nietos, ¡los nueve!

La empresa para la que trabajaba se vendió y se mudó fuera del estado, así que decidí dar un paso atrás y hacer algo más sencillo. Encontré el trabajo en Peterson trabajando en el comedor y fue la mejor decisión. ¡Me encanta estar con los niños y atenderlos es un placer! El trabajo también me da más tiempo con mis nietos. Espero trabajar aquí hasta que me jubile en los próximos cinco años.

¡Tengo muchas ganas de hacer todos mis pasatiempos favoritos durante la jubilación, escuchar música, leer a mi autor favorito John Grisham, ver todos los deportes de Chicago y seguir mi lema de vivir la vida al máximo y nunca dar nada por sentado!

I was born in Chicago, but my family moved to my mother's native country of Brazil when I was five. My older brother and sister really missed Chicago, but we soon fell in love with the language and culture of our new home. I enjoyed playing with all of the neighborhood kids, especially when we played soccer. My siblings and I attended a small school with only twenty other students who all spoke English. This was very different from the Chicago Public School system that I would attend and work for in the coming years. 

One of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Gustafson, had a kind and energetic personality that always made me want to learn more. She taught me how to read and write, and led an after-school care program for preschoolers. I would often help her with these students. This is when I began to develop an interest in working with younger children. Mrs. Gustafson was the reason I decided to become a teacher. 

 We moved back to Chicago after some time. After high school, I completed my degree in Early Childhood Education at North Park University. After graduating, I was hired to teach kindergarten at Beaubien Elementary. I taught there for the next fourteen years. In 2017, my daughter Luciana was born and it changed my life. Being a mom was beyond anything I had imagined. My husband and I constantly talked about the life we wanted to give her and the importance of education. That's when we both decided to go back to school. Marc enrolled in a program to receive an educational leadership doctorate degree and I pursued a master's degree in teaching to English language learners. Juggling work, school and parenthood was not easy, and I could not have done this without Marc's support. He has been an inspiration to me and I could not be prouder of him as he continues to work on his doctorate.


After completing my degree, I knew that my days of working in a kindergarten class would be coming to an end. I wanted to make a different kind of impact in the school system by supporting bilingual students and their families. That is how I ended up at Peterson as the English Language Program Teacher. I oversee a program with over 300 students. It has been an amazing journey so far! As I get to know the teachers, students and parents I can see that I am in a very special place. I am beyond impressed with the dedicated staff members here at Peterson. They truly go above and beyond their duties to support the students and families. I am looking forward to continuing to work with the teachers and getting to know the students and families at Peterson.

I was born in Chicago, IL., but I was raised in upstate New York in a small town named Utica with my younger sister, Raven. Growing up in Utica was beautiful. The countryside had valleys, waterfalls, and big steep hills to roll down when playing. Utica was full of friendly people who looked out for each other. School was fun and I had very nice teachers who took pride in teaching and helping students learn.

When I was child I wanted to be everything. At first I wanted to be an architect, then a history teacher, and then an accountant. But as a kid I kept changing my mind to whatever I found interesting at the time. Reading was my hobby, especially reading about history, but I just enjoyed doing research on many different things to educate myself.

In the summer of 1998 my mother, my sister, and I moved back to Chicago to be close with family. I spent most of my childhood in Utica, so moving to Chicago was a major change for me. When we arrived in Chicago it was a culture shock. I wasn't used to living in big major cities; I came from a small town with a smaller demographic. Moving to Chicago was an overwhelming experience as a kid. I wasn’t used to the crowds of people living amongst each other. I knew I could handle it though, since my mom always believed in me. She always taught me and my sister to have morals, values, and self respect, and to not let anyone stop you. My mother instilled in me to never give up when times get hard. She always told me to put my tough skin on and keep fighting to get whatever I want in life. She's my inspiration to do better, and to be better. 

I continued to go to elementary school and then attended Roosevelt High School. I was a straight A student and I graduated with honors, which got me a scholarship to college. I went to Robert Morris College at the time, now called Robert Morris University. I was studying accounting, but I ended up changing my major to pre-law or paralegal studies. I did two semesters there and then I transferred to Wilbur Wright College to continue my paralegal studies. Around 2010 I had to put college on hold. My scholarship didn't pay the full tuition so I had to get a job, and chose to commit to the job instead of school. I eventually came to work at Peterson and it has been a wonderful experience. I've learned a lot from people that taught me everything they know. I plan to grow, and learn from the best that Peterson has to offer. Once the pandemic is over I plan to go back to school to continue my studies.

Nací en Chicago, IL., Pero me crié en el norte del estado de Nueva York en un pequeño pueblo llamado Utica con mi hermana menor, Raven. Crecer en Utica fue hermoso. El campo tenía valles, cascadas y grandes colinas empinadas para rodar cuando se juega. Utica estaba llena de gente amable que se cuidaba unos a otros. La escuela fue divertida y tuve maestros muy agradables que se enorgullecían de enseñar y ayudar a los estudiantes a aprender.

Cuando era niño quería ser todo. Al principio quería ser arquitecto, luego profesor de historia y luego contable. Pero cuando era niño seguía cambiando de opinión a lo que me parecía interesante en ese momento. Leer era mi pasatiempo, especialmente leer sobre historia, pero disfruté investigando muchas cosas diferentes para educarme.

En el verano de 1998, mi madre, mi hermana y yo nos mudamos de regreso a Chicago para estar cerca de la familia. Pasé la mayor parte de mi infancia en Utica, por lo que mudarme a Chicago fue un cambio importante para mí. Cuando llegamos a Chicago fue un choque cultural. No estaba acostumbrado a vivir en las grandes ciudades; Vengo de un pueblo pequeño con un grupo demográfico más pequeño. Mudarse a Chicago fue una experiencia abrumadora cuando era niño. No estaba acostumbrado a las multitudes de personas que vivían entre sí. Sin embargo, sabía que podía manejarlo, ya que mi madre siempre creyó en mí. Ella siempre nos enseñó a mí y a mi hermana a tener moral, valores y respeto propio, y a no dejar que nadie te detenga. Mi madre me inculcó que nunca me rindiera cuando los tiempos se pongan difíciles. Ella siempre me dijo que me pusiera la piel dura y que siguiera luchando para conseguir lo que quisiera en la vida. Ella es mi inspiración para hacerlo mejor y para ser mejor.

Seguí yendo a la escuela primaria y luego asistí a la escuela secundaria Roosevelt. Fui un estudiante sobresaliente y me gradué con honores, lo que me permitió obtener una beca para la universidad. Fui a Robert Morris College en ese momento, ahora llamado Robert Morris University. Estaba estudiando contabilidad, pero terminé cambiando mi especialidad a estudios previos a la abogacía o paralegal. Hice dos semestres allí y luego me transferí a Wilbur Wright College para continuar mis estudios de asistente legal. Alrededor de 2010 tuve que suspender la universidad. Mi beca no pagó la matrícula completa, así que tuve que conseguir un trabajo y decidí comprometerme con el trabajo en lugar de la escuela. Finalmente llegué a trabajar en Peterson y ha sido una experiencia maravillosa. Aprendí mucho de personas que me enseñaron todo lo que saben. Planeo crecer y aprender de lo mejor que Peterson tiene para ofrecer. Una vez que termine la pandemia, planeo volver a la escuela para continuar mis estudios.

“I was born in Champaign, IL, but I was raised in Lindstrom, Minnesota with my older brother. Growing up in Lindstrom was very unique, as it's a Swedish town in Central Minnesota. There are only about 4000 people in my town, so I knew a lot of my neighbors. I ended up going to a high school in St. Paul. At our high school, people competed to be our mascot, Ma and Pa Pioneer. My friend and I competed and won, so we were the mascots my senior year of high school. I was also captain of our track and field team (discus and shotput) and participated in snowboarding and frisbee golf. I always wanted to be a teacher since I was a little kid, because I enjoy helping people. 

One teacher that I still keep in contact with was my 12th grade social studies teacher, Mrs. Bartel. She taught us all about WWII and the impact it had on the world, and she was so passionate. She was even able to get a Holocaust survivor to come to our school and talk to us. Having her as my teacher showed me how great teachers can be, and she really pushed me towards a teaching career. 

After high school, I went to St. Cloud State University in Minnesota for my undergraduate degree. I was originally getting my European and Russian history degree with a teaching certificate, but I ended up graduating early and not pursuing my teaching certificate right away. I graduated early so I could do a study abroad program, Semester at Sea. Since I didn't get my teaching certificate right away, I ended up taking a job at a bank, then I ended up moving to Chicago where I worked in a tech company as a trainer and contract manager. I hated the corporate world, so I ended up getting my Masters in Education at Northeastern.

My first teaching experience was in Boston, MA. I taught at a really strict and difficult school where not many teachers had a great relationship with the administration. After that, I was so worried I wasn't cut out for teaching, until I came to CPS. My first CPS school was on the southwest side, but once I saw that Peterson had an opening, I knew I had to try out for it. 

I've always taught Science, but most of my schools didn't really have funding or interest in helping create a strong science curriculum. When I applied for this position at Peterson, I felt the energy in all those who interviewed me, and I knew Peterson would be a great home for me. 

I would say the best part of being a teacher is seeing the growth in my students, both in our relationships as well as our education. The hardest thing about being a teacher is trying to explain to everyone how hard teaching really is.

I'm really looking forward to making my mark on Peterson. I want to be in my 50's, know my student's parents because I taught them when they were young, and really grow and become a part of the community. I'm also looking forward to winning the lottery or becoming Mayor of Chicago. I don't know - life is a roller coaster.”

“Nací en Champaign, IL, pero me crié en Lindstrom, Minnesota con mi hermano mayor. Crecer en Lindstrom fue algo único, ya que es una ciudad sueca en el centro de Minnesota. Solo hay unas 4000 personas en mi ciudad, así que conocía a muchos de mis vecinos. Terminé yendo a una escuela secundaria en St. Paul. En nuestra escuela secundaria, la gente competía para ser nuestra mascota, Ma y Pa Pioneer. Mi amigo y yo competimos y ganamos, así que fuimos las mascotas en mi último año de secundaria. También fui capitán de nuestro equipo de pista y campo (disco y lanzamiento de bala) y participé en snowboard y frisbee golf. Siempre quise ser maestro desde que era pequeño, porque disfruto ayudando a la gente.

Una maestra con la que todavía me mantengo en contacto fue mi maestra de estudios sociales durante mi décimo segundo grado, la Sra. Bartel. Ella nos enseñó todo sobre la Segunda Guerra Mundial y el impacto que tuvo en el mundo, y fue muy apasionada. Incluso pudo conseguir que un sobreviviente del Holocausto viniera a nuestra escuela y hablara con nosotros. Tenerla como mi maestra me mostró lo grandes que pueden ser las maestras, y ella realmente me empujó hacia una carrera docente.

Después de la secundaria, fui a St. Cloud State University en Minnesota para obtener mi título universitario. Originalmente estaba obteniendo mi título de historia europea y rusa con un certificado de enseñanza, pero terminé graduándome antes y no obtuve mi certificado de enseñanza de inmediato. Me gradué temprano para poder hacer un programa de estudios en el extranjero, Semester at Sea. Como no obtuve mi certificado de enseñanza de inmediato, terminé aceptando un trabajo en un banco y luego me mudé a Chicago, donde trabajé en una empresa de tecnología como capacitador y gerente de contratos. Odiaba el mundo empresarial, así que terminé obteniendo mi Maestría en Educación en Northeastern.

Mi primera experiencia docente fue en Boston, MA. Enseñé en una escuela muy estricta y difícil donde no muchos profesores tenían una gran relación con la administración. Después de eso, estaba tan preocupado que no estaba hecho para enseñar, hasta que llegué a CPS. Mi primera escuela de CPS estaba en el lado suroeste, pero una vez que vi que Peterson tenía una vacante, supe que tenía que probarla.

Siempre he enseñado ciencias, pero la mayoría de mis escuelas no tenían fondos ni interés en ayudar a crear un plan de estudios de ciencias sólido. Cuando solicité este puesto en Peterson, sentí la energía en todos los que me entrevistaron y supe que Peterson sería un gran hogar para mí.

Yo diría que la mejor parte de ser maestro es ver el crecimiento de mis alumnos, tanto en nuestras relaciones como en nuestra educación. Lo más difícil de ser maestro es tratar de explicarles a todos lo difícil que es realmente enseñar.

Tengo muchas ganas de dejar mi huella en Peterson. Quiero estar en mis 50, conocer a los padres de mi estudiante porque les enseñé cuando eran jóvenes, y realmente crecer y convertirme en parte de la comunidad. También estoy deseando ganar la lotería o convertirme en alcalde de Chicago. No lo sé, la vida es una montaña rusa ".

“I was born in Michoacan, Mexico, and came to Chicago, IL, with my mother at the age of 5. It was challenging to live in a new country where I did not know the language and culture. As the years went by, I loved going to school even though I struggled academically because of the language barrier and lack of support and resources. It was not until I attended Schurz High School that I finally felt equal to my peers. I took many AP classes, free college courses at Wright College, completed over 400 hours of community service with buildOn, and was the Vice President of the National Honors Society. I always pushed myself because I knew I wanted to go to college to become a Psychologist, but because I am Undocumented, I did not know if it would be possible for me. In my senior year of high school, my stepfather was deported to Mexico, leaving my mother, my two younger sisters, and me alone. While my peers talked about going far away to their dream university, I gave up on the thought of going to college. I was in the process of obtaining my DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) for the first time to begin working to help support my mother and two younger sisters.

If it was not for Arrupe College of Loyola University, I do not think I would be where I am today. I went to Arrupe College to obtain my Associate's degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. I received a full-ride scholarship to obtain my Bachelor's degree at Loyola University Chicago; I majored in Psychology with a minor in Woman and Gender Studies. In 2019, I was accepted to the CPS Teacher Residency Program and obtained my Master's degree in Early Childhood Education from National Louis University.

The CPS Teacher Residency Program placed me at Mary Gage Peterson Elementary to complete my residency year. I learned so much about what it means to be an educator at CPS from Ms. Flores. She is a great mentor, a fantastic educator, and someone I can go to for support. I am back at Peterson Elementary as a first-year 2nd-grade educator, and I am learning so much from the 2nd-grade team. They have been so patient and understanding towards me. It has not been easy being a first-year teacher, but I am thankful and happy to have this experience at Peterson. I never thought I would become an educator, but I truly enjoy it and I hope to continue to make a positive impact on the lives of many children.”

“Nací en Michoacán, México, y vine a Chicago, IL, con mi madre a la edad de 5 años. Fue un desafío vivir en un nuevo país donde no conocía el idioma y la cultura. A medida que pasaban los años, me encantaba ir a la escuela a pesar de que tenía dificultades académicas debido a la barrera del idioma y la falta de apoyo y recursos. No fue hasta que asistí a la Escuela secundaria Schurz que finalmente me sentí igual a mis compañeros. Tomé muchas clases avanzadas, cursos universitarios gratuitos en Wright College, completé más de 400 horas de servicio comunitario con buildOn y fui Vicepresidente de la Sociedad Nacional de Honores. Siempre me esforcé porque sabía que quería ir a la universidad para convertirme en psicóloga, pero como soy indocumentada, no sabía si sería posible para mí. En mi último año de secundaria, mi padrastro fue deportado a México, dejándome a mi madre, a mis dos hermanas menores y a mí solos. Mientras mis compañeros hablaban de irse lejos a la universidad de sus sueños, dejé de pensar en ir a la universidad. Estaba en el proceso de obtener mi DACA (Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia) por primera vez para comenzar a trabajar para ayudar a mantener a mi madre y dos hermanas menores.

I was born in a small village called Klay Poe Klo, which is in Burma (Myanmar), and I’m one of six boys. I grew up during a civil war and it was very difficult to be in school. When I was 8, I got separated from my family and I went to a Thai refugee camp to go to school there. Growing up around war, all I wanted to be was a military general so I could protect civilians who are suffering against the Burmese military dictatorship.

When I was able to go to school, my first school teacher had a big influence on me, Saw Rainbow. He played a big role in my life as a student. There are three things that he taught me that I have carried throughout my life: be a good listener, be respectful and work hard. Another big role model in my life is my mom. She raised 6 kids without any complaints. She works in every season whether it’s hot, cold, or raining in the rice farm fields.

I came to the U.S in February, 2008 through a refugee resettlement. We flew from Bangkok to New York, and then transferred to Chicago. There were many culture shocks. Growing up in a village and a refugee camp is very different from the U.S. When we got to our apartment there were many things that were new to me like a rice cooker, a fridge and clean bathrooms. I never saw those things in my life in Burma. In Burma, we cook with wood, we have no fridge, and we don't have bathrooms like in the U.S. It was a very difficult transition because we had never been on a plane or seen a big city like Chicago. Furthermore, my family was not able to speak English which made it very difficult to get essentials like groceries.

In spite of the difficulties, I was able to go to college and graduated from Northeastern with a Bachelors in Health and Wellness, and I’m the first person to do so in my family!

Peterson has been great so far, and I am grateful to work with loving and kind people. I don’t plan on being here for the long term but I really appreciate how we work together as a team. My long term goals are to either join the military or work for a nonprofit organization in the Chicago area.

8 de octubre de 2021: Eh Kler
Nací en un pequeño pueblo llamado Klay Poe Klo, que está en Birmania (Myanmar), y soy uno de seis niños. Crecí durante una guerra civil y era muy difícil estar en la escuela. Cuando tenía 8 años, me separaron de mi familia y fui a un campo de refugiados tailandeses para ir a la escuela allí. Al crecer en torno a la guerra, todo lo que quería ser era un general militar para poder proteger a los civiles que sufren contra la dictadura militar birmana.

Cuando pude ir a la escuela, mi primera maestra de escuela tuvo una gran influencia en mí, Saw Rainbow. Jugó un papel importante en mi vida como estudiante. Hay tres cosas que me enseñó y que he llevado a cabo a lo largo de mi vida: ser un buen oyente, ser respetuoso y trabajar duro. Otro gran modelo a seguir en mi vida es mi mamá. Crió a 6 niños sin quejas. Trabaja en todas las estaciones, ya sea que haga calor, frío o llueva en los campos de cultivo de arroz.

Vine a los Estados Unidos en febrero de 2008 a través de un reasentamiento de refugiados. Volamos de Bangkok a Nueva York y luego nos trasladamos a Chicago. Hubo muchos choques culturales. Crecer en una aldea y en un campo de refugiados es muy diferente a los Estados Unidos.Cuando llegamos a nuestro apartamento, había muchas cosas que eran nuevas para mí, como una olla arrocera, una nevera y baños limpios. Nunca vi esas cosas en mi vida en Birmania. En Birmania, cocinamos con leña, no tenemos nevera y no tenemos baños como en los Estados Unidos. Fue una transición muy difícil porque nunca habíamos subido a un avión ni habíamos visto una gran ciudad como Chicago. Además, mi familia no podía hablar inglés, lo que hacía que fuera muy difícil conseguir artículos básicos como comestibles.

A pesar de las dificultades, pude ir a la universidad y me gradué de Northeastern con una licenciatura en salud y bienestar, ¡y soy la primera persona en hacerlo en mi familia!

Peterson ha sido excelente hasta ahora y estoy agradecido de trabajar con gente amable y cariñosa. No planeo estar aquí a largo plazo, pero realmente aprecio cómo trabajamos juntos como equipo. Mis metas a largo plazo son unirme al ejército o trabajar para una organización sin fines de lucro en el área de Chicago.

“I was born in Syracuse, NY, but grew up in Evanston, IL. with my older sister where we especially enjoyed the summers swimming in Lake Michigan. Growing up I was very lucky to be able to participate in sports and music activities outside of school. I have played piano from the age of 5, and trumpet from the age of 10. I participated in several ensembles in high school, but I wasn’t sure I would pursue a career involving music.

My sister took a gap year after high school, and
because I was a copycat, I decided to do the same. After a couple of Google searches, I stumbled upon a volunteer program where I could teach music at a school in Cape Town, South Africa. Sure, why not? I taught general music, band and drumline at Hyde Park Primary School for 9 months, and it was an experience like no other. The best part was getting to know each student individually over the course of the year. They were always ready to learn and we shared many laughs together. I remember on my last day in Cape Town, we were having one of our usual jam sessions on “Someone Like You” by Adele, a theme song of sorts for the music students at the time. Little by little, they all stopped playing until I was the only one left. When I finished the song, I looked behind me. They were all looking very reflective; some (including me) were getting sniffly. I think we all realized how close we’d gotten over the course of the year. I have returned to teach at the same school two summers since then and hope to visit again soon.

I didn’t know it before flying 24 hours to a place I barely knew about, but by the end of that year, I knew I wanted to teach music. I attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota and got a degree in Music Education. I student taught here at Peterson, and was very lucky to have Erik Juhl as my mentor. He not only challenged me to grow and learn from every lesson, but also helped increase my confidence in my abilities as an educator. I’m excited to be working as a cadre substitute here because I’ve continued to build relationships with students and staff. Throughout this whirlwind of a school year, being at Peterson every day has been a source of security and comfort for me. Next year, I hope to find a position teaching music in a CPS school.”

“Nací en Syracuse, NY, pero crecí en Evanston, IL. con mi hermana mayor, donde disfrutamos especialmente los veranos nadando en el lago Michigan. Al crecer tuve mucha suerte de poder participar en actividades deportivas y musicales fuera de la escuela. Toqué el piano desde los 5 años y la trompeta desde los 10. Participé en varios conjuntos en la escuela secundaria, pero no estaba segura de seguir una carrera relacionada con la música.

Mi hermana tomó un año sabático después de la escuela secundaria y, como yo era una imitadora, decidí hacer lo mismo. Después de un par de búsquedas en Google, me topé con un programa de voluntariado en el que podía enseñar música en una escuela en Ciudad del Cabo, Sudáfrica. ¿Seguro, Por qué no? Enseñé música en general, banda y línea de batería en la escuela primaria Hyde Park durante 9 meses, y fue una experiencia como ninguna otra. La mejor parte fue conocer a cada estudiante individualmente a lo largo del año. Siempre estaban dispuestos a aprender y compartimos muchas risas juntos. Recuerdo que en mi último día en Ciudad del Cabo, estábamos teniendo una de nuestras habituales sesiones de improvisación en “Someone Like You” de Adele, una especie de tema musical para los estudiantes de música en ese momento. Poco a poco, todos dejaron de jugar hasta que yo fui la única que quedó. Cuando terminé la canción, miré hacia atrás. Todos parecían muy reflexivos; algunos (incluyéndome a mí) estaban olfateando. Creo que todos nos dimos cuenta de lo cerca que nos habíamos acercado a lo largo del año. He vuelto a enseñar en la misma escuela dos veranos desde entonces y espero volver pronto.

No lo sabía antes de volar 24 horas a un lugar que apenas conocía, pero al final de ese año, sabía que quería enseñar música. Asistí a St. Olaf College en Minnesota y obtuve un título en Educación Musical. Yo estudiante en mi programa de educacion, enseñé aquí en Peterson y tuve mucha suerte de tener a Erik Juhl como mi mentor. No solo me desafió a crecer y aprender de cada lección, sino que también me ayudó a aumentar mi confianza en mis habilidades como educador. Estoy emocionada de trabajar como sustituta aquí porque he continuado construyendo relaciones con los estudiantes y el personal. A lo largo de este torbellino de año escolar, estar en Peterson todos los días ha sido una fuente de seguridad y consuelo para mí. El año que viene, espero encontrar un puesto como profesora de música en una escuela de CPS ”.

“I was born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina with my two brothers. Growing up I had a beautiful childhood, although we didn't have much, we had happiness. The war started in 1993 and everything changed.

My husband lost his leg when he stepped on a bomb. To get treatment and to avoid the war, we stayed in Abu Dhabi for two years while he recovered. We then had to go back to Bosnia to get paperwork in order so we could move to the United States.

We finally moved to Chicago in 1996, but it was a
hard transition because we didn't speak English and
we had two young children. It was tough but
somehow we made it. I don't have much family
here, but when I came to Peterson ten years ago it
became my home. Everyone welcomed me with
open arms when I started and treated me like
family. They respect and appreciate the hard work that I
put into this school and that is what makes me strive to do
even better. I look at Peterson staff and students as my
family, so honestly there is nothing hard about it because I work hard from my heart; it isn't just a job for me.

After having lost a lot of family and friends in the war, I really look forward to my two weeks of vacation to go back to my hometown to see my mom and brothers.”

“Nací y crecí en Bosnia y Herzegovina con mis dos hermanos. Al crecer tuve una infancia hermosa, aunque no tuvimos mucho, tuvimos felicidad. La guerra empezó en 1993 y todo cambió.

“I was born and raised in Bosnia and Herzegovina with my two brothers. Growing up I had a beautiful childhood, although we didn't have much, we had happiness. The war started in 1993 and everything changed.

My husband lost his leg when he stepped on a bomb. To get treatment and to avoid the war, we stayed in Abu Dhabi for two years while he recovered. We then had to go back to Bosnia to get paperwork in order so we could move to the United States.

We finally moved to Chicago in 1996, but it was a hard transition because we didn't speak English and we had two young children. It was tough but somehow we made it. I don't have much family here, but when I came to Peterson ten years ago it became my home. Everyone welcomed me with open arms when I started and treated me like family. They respect and appreciate the hard work that I put into this school and that is what makes me strive to do even better. I look at Peterson staff and students as my family, so honestly there is nothing hard about it because I work hard from my heart; it isn't just a job for me.

After having lost a lot of family and friends in the war, I really look forward to my two weeks of vacation to go back to my hometown to see my mom and brothers.”

¡Hola familias de Peterson!
Esta semana, nos gustaría que conociera a Ramiza Zulovic, una de los conserjes de Peterson.

“Nací y crecí en Bosnia y Herzegovina con mis dos hermanos. Al crecer tuve una infancia hermosa, aunque no tuvimos mucho, tuvimos felicidad. La guerra empezó en 1993 y todo cambió.

“I was born and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma. There's nothing quite as good as the smell of prairie grass and healthy soil after a light rain. I grew up the middle child of five. I have to say I am blessed; I had a pretty nice childhood.

I've always been curious about everything around me. As a child, I'd bring insects and little critters back to the house and try to keep them in the rudimentary terrariums. When I wasn't being an

amateur biologist/mad scientist, I was either playing video games, reading, practicing sports, or watching horror movies and trying to scare my siblings. This was more or less the routine through high school and my first stint at college. I love everything about horror. I've been absorbing horror novels and movies and video games rather voraciously since I was a toddler.

I love learning. I did well all through school and consistently excelled in both grades and extracurriculars. I especially have fond memories of tennis and cross country. I am a pretty solid tennis player and was the team captain for three years. While I wasn't very fast, I still loved

cross country and have been running distance ever since. Academically, I had an AP English teacher, Doc Freeman, that pushed me hard, but also had a great

sense of humor. Even my college courses in English weren't as tough as Doc's classes. But I thrived and learned how to use the tools of an effective writer. Doc would have us submit to national speech and essay contests. I won several of these competitions and it boosted my confidence immensely.

I received a scholarship to attend college at Texas Christian University (TCU), which was a bit of a culture shock in seeing the financial disparities between students. I also had a rough time keeping up with classwork and lost my scholarship, but I did love the film courses I took, and it motivated me to move to Los Angeles after two years at TCU. Friends from TCU also went to LA and we started making movies. I spent three years there writing scripts, working on TV sets, and making indie horror flicks, but with that I also became a starving artist. Once COVID happened, I decided it was time to go home to Oklahoma.

I found myself taking copywriting courses and thinking about moving to Chicago. Chicago has always fascinated and mystified me a bit, probably because I'd only seen it in movies until I got here last August. I'm glad I came. I've been working as a freelance copywriter and plan on making a business out of that skill.

Peterson has been a great opportunity for me to get to know more locals and really feel at home in the city. It's all still a little new and scary to me, but I'm happy to be here. Both of my parents are educators and I've always liked school myself. I saw this job as a chance to be a good influence on kids who are going through some very odd times right now, as we all are. I heard about the opportunity from Ms. Brandon who has been a great friend. I'm most excited about building more relationships with my students and also getting to know the rest of the staff better.”

¡Hola familias de Peterson!

Esta semana, nos gustaría que conocieras a Rufus Lindsey. Es uno de los miembros más nuevos de nuestro personal. Ayuda a Peterson en muchas capacidades, incluido el apoyo con la llegada y la salida, trabajando con los estudiantes en grupos pequeños y con el almuerzo y el recreo.

“Nací y crecí en Lawton, Oklahoma. No hay nada mas bueno que el olor de la hierba de la pradera y la tierra sana después de una lluvia ligera. Crecí como el hijo del medio de cinco hijos. Debo decir que soy bendecido; Tuve una infancia muy bonita.

Siempre he sentido curiosidad por todo lo que me rodea. Cuando era niño, traía insectos y pequeñas criaturas a la casa y trataba de mantenerlos en los terrarios rudimentarios. Cuando no era un biólogo aficionado/científico loco, jugaba videojuegos, leía, practicaba deportes o miraba películas de terror y trataba de asustar a mis hermanos. Esta fue más o menos la rutina durante la escuela secundaria y mi primera estancia en la universidad. Amo todo lo relacionado con el horror. He estado absorbiendo novelas de terror, películas y videojuegos con bastante voracidad desde que era un niño pequeño.

Me encanta aprender. Me fue bien durante toda la escuela y sobresalí constantemente tanto en los grados como en las actividades extracurriculares. Especialmente tengo buenos recuerdos del tenis y el campo a través. Soy un tenista bastante sólido y fui capitán del equipo durante tres años. Si bien no era muy rápido, todavía amaba el campo a través y he estado corriendo distancias desde entonces. Académicamente, tuve un profesor de inglés avanzado, Doc Freeman, que me presionó mucho, pero también tenía un gran sentido del humor. Incluso, mis cursos universitarios en inglés no fueron tan difíciles como las clases de Doc. Pero prosperé y aprendí a utilizar las herramientas de un escritor eficaz. Doc nos empujaba a que participaran en concursos nacionales de oratoria y redacción. Gané varias de estas competiciones y aumentó enormemente mi confianza.

Recibí una beca para asistir a la universidad en Texas Christian University (TCU), lo cual fue un choque cultural al ver las disparidades financieras entre los estudiantes. También tuve dificultades para mantenerme al día con el trabajo de clases y perdí mi beca, pero me encantaron los cursos de cine que tomé y eso me motivó a mudarme a Los Ángeles después de dos años en TCU. Los amigos de TCU también fueron a Los Ángeles y comenzamos a hacer películas. Pasé tres años allí escribiendo guiones, trabajando en televisión y haciendo películas de terror independientes, pero con eso también me convertí en un artista hambriento. Una vez que vino COVID, decidí que era hora de volver a casa en Oklahoma.

Me encontré tomando cursos de redacción publicitaria y pensando en mudarme a Chicago. Chicago siempre me ha fascinado y desconcertado un poco, probablemente porque solo lo había visto en películas hasta que llegué aquí en agosto pasado. Me alegro de haber venido. He estado trabajando como redactor publicitario independiente y planeo hacer un negocio con esa habilidad.

Peterson ha sido una gran oportunidad para mí de conocer a más lugareños y sentirme como en casa en la ciudad. Todo es todavía un poco nuevo y aterrador para mí, pero estoy feliz de estar aquí. Mis dos padres son educadores y siempre me ha gustado la escuela. Vi este trabajo como una oportunidad para ser una buena influencia para los niños que están pasando por momentos muy extraños en este momento, como todos nosotros. Escuché sobre la oportunidad de la Sra. Brandon, quien ha sido una gran amiga. Lo que más me entusiasma es establecer más relaciones con mis estudiantes y también conocer mejor al resto del personal ".

“I was born in Rogers Park and moved to the suburb of Mt. Prospect when I was 3 years old. I I moved back to the city in 2019, but I do consider myself a suburbanite at heart. It’s
definitely been an adjustment living in the city. I have one sister that is 4 years younger than
me, who also happens to be my roommate. Growing up in the suburbs, I attended St.

Raymond school in Mt. Prospect and St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. I tried out almost every sport as a kid but the only ones that stuck were soccer and ballet. I played soccer for about 10 years and did ballet for 12 years.

When looking into colleges, I knew I wanted to attend a school that would be close enough
to commute to. With my parent’s full support, I was the first in my family to pursue a college
degree. I graduated with a Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies and minor in Child
Advocacy Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. I was very indecisive with my major and
decided to go with Interdisciplinary Studies. I knew I wanted to work with children but was
intimidated by being in a classroom. However, my minor required that I complete hours in a
child serving institution. I had no idea where to even begin looking for a placement so I reached out to a professor and she recommended Peterson Elementary. I was placed in Mrs. Rivas's first grade class, and I really enjoyed it! So when I was told about an opening at Peterson, I knew this was my chance to see how I felt about being in a classroom setting long term. I am now in my second school year at Peterson. I plan on going to grad school soon, I hope to start in 2022!”

“Nací en Rogers Park y me mudé al suburbio de Mt. Prospect cuando tenía 3 años. Regresé a la ciudad en 2019, pero me considero una suburbana de corazón. Definitivamente ha sido un ajuste vivir en la ciudad. Tengo una hermana que es 4 años menor que yo, que también es mi compañera de cuarto. Al crecer en los suburbios, asistí a la escuela St. Raymond en Mt. Prospect y St. Viator High

School en Arlington Heights. Probé casi todos los deportes cuando era niña, pero los únicos que se mantuvieron fueron el fútbol y el ballet. Jugué al fútbol durante unos 10 años e hice ballet durante 12 años.

Al buscar universidades, supe que quería asistir a una escuela que estuviera lo suficientemente cerca para viajar diariamente. Con el apoyo total de mis padres, fui la primera en mi familia en obtener un título universitario. Me gradué con una licenciatura en estudios interdisciplinarios y una especialización en estudios de defensa infantil de la Universidad Northeastern de Illinois. Estaba muy indecisa con mi especialidad y decidí ir con Estudios Interdisciplinarios. Sabía que quería trabajar con niños, pero me intimidaba estar en una aula. Mi especialización menor requeria que complete horas en una institución que atiende a niños. No tenía ni idea de dónde empezar a buscar una ubicación, así que me comuniqué con una profesora y me recomendó la escuela Peterson. ¡Me colocaron en la clase de primer grado de la Sra. Rivas y realmente lo disfruté! Entonces, cuando me dijeron sobre una vacante en Peterson, supe que esta era mi oportunidad de ver cómo me sentía al estar en un salón de clases. Ahora estoy en mi segundo año escolar en Peterson. Planeo ir a la escuela de posgrado pronto, ¡espero comenzar en 2022!”

"I am a Chicago native through and through, starting with my West side father and Southside mother. I grew up in the Roseland/West Pullman neighborhood and in the past 12 years I've lived on every side of the city, making me a self-titled "Full-Blooded Chicagoan."

As a kid I was mostly with my mother as an only child, but had a unique dual perspective due to being a middle child of 9 on my father's side. I grew up wanting to be a pro football player at some point. My father naturally had us in sports at young ages, but I always took to more social and creative activities though.

I went to Whistler Elementary, where I took to computers and music. I even once entered a high school robotics competition in 8th grade where I won the award for "Most Innovative Robot". By high school, I was completely invested in the performing arts. I was co-captain of the Slam Poetry team, president of Hip Hop Congress, section leader in Choir and captain of our Mock Trial team. All of these passions have been maintained in some form or another throughout my adult life!

Senior year I decided to turn down a scholarship for DePaul’s Computer Science program for last-minute entry to Illinois State University’s School of Theatre. Just an example of the short-lived “go big or go home” nature I had leaving high school. Well, I went home shortly after, only doing a year of school. I came home to take care of my ill mother, and began to work only in fields I was passionate about. Every job I have ever had is in food, tech, or the arts. My career as a teaching artist began when I started coaching the poetry team at my old high school. I also taught under Young Chicago Authors, an organization that was a major influence to me for many years before. This organization saved my life as a teenager, and gave me an opportunity to teach at schools I couldn’t afford to go to as an adult.

Having recently started at Peterson, I’m learning more and more that Peterson is exactly as advertised. I have always been told that Peterson has great kids, and that I have skills that can be beneficial to them and Peterson as a whole. I haven’t seen anything different than that! I’m looking forward to making a positive impact on Peterson children!"

¡Hola familias de Peterson!

Esta semana nos gustaría presentarle al Sr. Justin Wright. El Sr. Wright es uno de los miembros más nuevos de nuestro personal y apoya en muchas capacidades, incluso con instrucción, ayuda en la oficina y con supervisión de estudiantes.

"Soy nativo de Chicago de principio a fin, comenzando con mi padre del lado oeste y mi madre del lado sur. Crecí en Roseland / West Pullman y en los últimos 12 años he vivido en todos los lados de la ciudad, lo que me convierte en un autoproclamado "Chicagoan de pura sangre".

Cuando niño, estaba principalmente con mi madre como hijo único, pero tenía una perspectiva dual única debido a que era un hijo del medio de 9 hijos por parte de mi padre. Crecí queriendo ser un jugador de fútbol profesional en algún momento, mi padre naturalmente nos tenía en los deportes a una edad temprana, pero siempre me dediqué a actividades más sociales y creativas.

Fui a la Escuela Whistler, donde me dediqué a las computadoras y a la música. Incluso una vez participé en una competencia de robótica de la escuela secundaria en el octavo grado donde gané el premio al "Robot más innovador". En la escuela secundaria, estaba completamente involucrado en las artes escénicas. Fui co-capitán del equipo de Slam Poetry, presidente del Congreso de Hip Hop, líder de sección en coro y capitán de nuestro equipo de Mock Trial. ¡Todas estas pasiones se han mantenido de una forma u otra a lo largo de mi vida adulta!

En el último año decidí rechazar una beca para el programa de Ciencias de Computación de DePaul para la entrada de último minuto a la Escuela de Teatro de la Universidad Estatal de Illinois. Solo un ejemplo de la naturaleza efímera de "ir a lo grande o volver a casa" que tuve al terminar la escuela secundaria. Bueno, me fui a casa poco después, solo estudié un año. Regresé a casa para cuidar a mi madre enferma y comencé a trabajar solo en los campos que me apasionaban. Todos los trabajos que he tenido están relacionados con la alimentación, la tecnología o las artes. Mi carrera como artista docente comenzó aquí cuando comencé a entrenar al equipo de poesía en mi antigua escuela secundaria. También enseñé con Young Chicago Authors, una organización que fue una gran influencia para mí durante años. Esta organización me salvó la vida cuando era adolescente y me dio la oportunidad de enseñar en muchas escuelas.

 Habiendo comenzado recientemente en Peterson, estoy aprendiendo cada vez más que Peterson es exactamente como se anuncia. Siempre me han dicho que Peterson tiene niños excelentes y que tengo habilidades que pueden ser beneficiosas para ellos y para Peterson en general. ¡No he visto nada diferente a eso! ¡Espero tener un impacto positivo en estos niños! "

“I was born and raised in the beautiful city of Chicago. Although I am from the city, I prefer backpacking in the wilderness, portaging through trails, and sleeping under the stars.

After attending high school at Von Steuben, I went to Truman and Wright College before transferring to Western Illinois University (WIU). Before transferring to WIU, I worked for the Chicago Park District as a swimming instructor. Throughout the process, I experienced working with individuals of all ages, cultures, and abilities to help them achieve their goals.

While attending WIU, I majored in Recreation, Park and Tourism Administration with two minors in Therapeutic Recreation and Outdoor Leadership. I volunteered and facilitated special recreation and wilderness therapy programs. At WIU I was part of the ECOEE program (Environmental Conservation Outdoor Education Expedition); I lived in a tent as I traveled from Canada to Mexico. ECOEE was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the best thing I’ve done so far. I was in the wilderness for 4 months! I canoeed down the Missinaibi River, climbed in Joshua Tree National Park, sea kayaked in Baja California, and much more. I pushed myself in ways I couldn’t imagine.

Backingpacking is a unique experience and it’s definitely hard to let go of our everyday routines and conveniences. When you are in the wilderness, all you have is what fits in your pack and the people who join you. During my expedition, I learned so much about myself, including things I need to improve on and who I truly am. I believe that wilderness is therapy and it heals the soul.

My dream job would be working with youth at risk. I imagine programs that could support youth by taking them into the wilderness to work on their challenges in life. It would be awesome to have programs like this in Chicago. Unfortunately, the only type of wilderness we have here is Starved Rock and forest preserves.

Besides spending time with my cat Chomper, I honestly can’t say where I will be in the future. Hopefully living the minimalist van life, traveling, and working with youth.”

¡Hola familias de Peterson!Esta semana nos gustaría presentarles a la Srta. Jocelyn Blanco. La Srta. Blanco es una de los miembros más nuevos de nuestro personal y apoya en muchas capacidades, incluso con instrucción, ayuda en la oficina y con la supervisión de estudiantes.

“Nací y crecí en la hermosa ciudad de Chicago. Aunque soy de la ciudad, prefiero andar como mochilera en la naturaleza, caminar por senderos y dormir bajo las estrellas.

Después de asistir a la escuela secundaria Von Steuben, fui a los colegios Truman y Wright antes de transferirme a la universidad Western Illinois (WIU). Antes de transferirme a WIU, trabajé para el distrito de parques de Chicago como instructora de natación. A lo largo del proceso, experimenté trabajar con personas de todas las edades, culturas y habilidades y les ayudé a alcanzar sus metas.

Mientras asistía a WIU, me especialicé en Administración de Recreación, Parques y Turismo con dos áreas de concentración en Recreación Terapéutica y Liderazgo al Aire Libre. Me ofrecí como voluntario y facilité programas especiales de recreación y terapia en la naturaleza. En WIU formé parte del programa ECOEE (Expedición de educación al aire libre para la conservación del medio ambiente); Viví en una tienda de campaña y también viajé de Canadá a México. ECOEE fue lo más difícil que he hecho en mi vida, pero también lo mejor que he hecho hasta ahora. ¡Estuve en el desierto durante 4 meses! Navegue en canoa por el río Missinaibi, escalé en el Parque Nacional Joshua Tree, navegué en kayak de mar en Baja California y mucho más. Me esforcé en formas que no podía imaginar.

Habiendo visto lo que mochilear ha hecho a la gente, definitivamente es difícil dejar de lado nuestras rutinas y comodidades diarias. Cuando estás ahí fuera, todo lo que tienes es lo que empacaste en tu mochila y las personas que se unen a ti. Durante mi expedición aprendí mucho sobre mí misma, incluidas las cosas que necesito mejorar y quién soy realmente. El desierto es terapia, cura el alma.

El trabajo de mis sueños sería trabajar con jóvenes en riesgo. Llevándolos al desierto para trabajar en sus desafíos en la vida. Sería maravilloso tener programas como este en Chicago. Desafortunadamente, el único tipo de naturaleza salvaje que tenemos aquí es Starved Rock y reservas forestales.

“I was born in Mumbai, India.  I have an older and younger  brother who still live in India with their families. India has vastly diverse cultures in one country, so my school friends came from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Growing up, I loved dancing and would participate in school dance and drama activities. This gave me an opportunity to learn dances from various parts of India.

I was lucky to have great teachers throughout my school years. The one that I remember most fondly is Ms. Firoz, my 10th grade teacher. She was very approachable, and I felt like I could tell her anything. I still remember one thing she said often, “Nothing can replace hard work.” I carry those words with me even today.

I went to SNDT Women’s University. I wanted to study dietetics and food service management. SNDT was the only university in Mumbai that offered me the opportunity to study what interested me the most. I went there with the goal of receiving a Master’s in Dietetics and Nutrition, and I did exactly that.  After college, I worked as a dietician in Mumbai at the Hinduja Hospital. After working for almost 5 years, I got married and emigrated to the US with my husband in 1998.

When my son was in prekindergarten, his class would bring in mystery readers every week to read to the students. When it was my turn to be the mystery reader, I loved to see the joy and happiness on my son’s and the other children’s faces. Reading to that class inspired me to teach young kids. This experience is now guiding me as a teacher. The moment of joy I felt when I volunteered to read for my son and later my daughter's class, is what I feel every day in the classroom at Peterson.

After volunteering at my son’s school, I took a job as a SECA at Hitch Elementary School, which isn’t too far from Peterson!  I worked at Hitch Elementary for 13 years.  I then applied and got accepted into the CPS Teacher Residency Program to obtain my teaching endorsement. 

When I first found out that I would be teaching virtually, I was slightly disappointed.  I was looking forward to interacting with Peterson students in person in order to get to know them better. But, I have been able to form great relationships with students and families. At the beginning of virtual teaching, I also found using technology very daunting. However, I’m happy to say that I now feel confident in leading and guiding our virtual classroom. Credit for that goes to my mentor teacher and our entire Pre-K team.

Hearing the students and parents’ appreciation, even for virtual learning, reminds me of why I wanted to be a teacher. The excitement on the students’ faces to learn each and every day has inspired me to continue on this path.

I am most looking forward to meeting and getting to know the students of Peterson Elementary in-person. Teaching them and providing them the skills necessary to become future leaders is really important to me. Most importantly, I can’t wait to see the Pre-K students dancing in the morning to the welcome song!”

“Nací en Mumbai, India. Tengo un hermano mayor y un hermano menor que todavía viven en India con sus familias. India tiene culturas muy diversas en un país, por lo que mis amigos de la escuela provenían de diferentes culturas y orígenes étnicos. Al crecer, me encantaba bailar y participaba en las actividades de danza y teatro de la escuela. Esto me dio la oportunidad de aprender bailes de varias partes de la India.

Tuve la suerte de tener grandes profesores durante mis años escolares. La que recuerdo con más cariño es la Sra. Firoz, mi maestra de décimo grado. Ella fue muy accesible y sentí que podía decirle cualquier cosa. Todavía recuerdo una cosa que decía a menudo: "Nada puede reemplazar el trabajo duro". Llevo esas palabras conmigo incluso hoy.

Fui a la Universidad de Mujeres SNDT. Quería estudiar dietética y gestión de servicios alimentarios. SNDT era la única universidad de Mumbai que me ofreció la oportunidad de estudiar lo que más me interesaba. Fui allí con el objetivo de obtener una Maestría en Dietética y Nutrición, e hice exactamente eso. Después de la universidad, trabajé como dietista en Mumbai en el Hospital Hinduja. Después de trabajar durante casi 5 años, me casé y emigré a Estados Unidos con mi esposo en 1998.

Cuando mi hijo estaba en pre-kindergarten, su clase traía lectores misteriosos cada semana para leerles a los estudiantes. Cuando fue mi turno de ser el lector misterioso, me encantó ver la alegría y la felicidad en los rostros de mi hijo y de los demás niños. Leer en esa clase me inspiró a enseñar a niños pequeños. Esta experiencia ahora me está guiando como maestra. El momento de alegría que sentí cuando me ofrecí para leer para mi hijo y luego para la clase de mi hija, es lo que siento todos los días en el aula de Peterson.

Después de trabajar como voluntaria en la escuela de mi hijo, acepté un trabajo como SECA en la escuela primaria Hitch, que no está muy lejos de Peterson. Trabajé en Hitch Elementary durante 13 años. Luego apliqué y fui aceptada en el Programa de Residencia de Maestros de CPS para obtener mi respaldo como maestra.

Cuando descubrí por primera vez que estaría enseñando virtualmente, me sentí un poco decepcionada. Tenía muchas ganas de interactuar con estudiantes de Peterson en persona para poder conocerlos mejor. Pero he podido formar excelentes relaciones con estudiantes y familias. Al comienzo de la enseñanza virtual, también encontré el uso de la tecnología muy abrumador. Sin embargo, me complace decir que ahora me siento seguro para dirigir y guiar nuestro aula virtual. El crédito por eso es para mi maestra mentora y todo nuestro equipo de Pre-K.

Escuchar el aprecio de los estudiantes y los padres, incluso por el aprendizaje virtual, me recuerda por qué quería ser maestra. La emoción en los rostros de los estudiantes por aprender todos los días me ha inspirado a continuar en este camino.

Tengo muchas ganas de conocer a los estudiantes de Peterson Elementary en persona. Enseñarles y proporcionarles las habilidades necesarias para convertirse en futuros líderes es muy importante para mí. ¡Lo más importante es que no puedo esperar a ver a los estudiantes de Pre-K bailando por la mañana con la canción de bienvenida! "

“I have lived in Chicago my whole life in a neighborhood called Dunning near Portage Park. I have an older sister with whom I am-extremely close. She’s pretty much my best friend.

I went to Bridge Elementary, and it was there where I met a teacher who had a big impact on me. Her

name was Mrs. McGuire, and she was one of my
5th grade teachers. I remember she always made
school fun for her students. There was never a dull moment in her class. I woke up every morning excited to go to school because of her. She had so much passion when it came to teaching, and as a student you could feel it. I always felt safe asking her for help when it was needed. I then attended Lane Technical High School. I met kids from all backgrounds going to Lane. I learned so much there and really loved all my experiences.

I started college at Wilbur Wright Community College. My dream was to become a juvenile probation officer. I received a degree in Justice Studies and a minor in Child Advocacy. I ended up doing an internship at Cook County Juvenile Probation Department. I absolutely loved it. I felt like you made such an impact on kids' lives and could make such a difference. I decided to go into teaching after learning about the CPS residency program. It is an unbelievable program that will eventually put me in a position to make a huge impact in kids' lives.

Teaching has been really fun so far. I have absolutely loved it being in the classroom with students. Teaching preschoolers has been such a great experience. They are at such a fun age and just ready to learn. Not to mention, they’re so cute! I have been really blessed with some amazing mentors that have taught me so much since starting at Peterson.

I was born in India and lived there until I was 12 years old. My family moved to the US so that my siblings and I could have a better future. I attended Peterson Elementary when we moved here and because of the language barrier, I struggled a lot in the beginning. Luckily, I had an awesome ESL teacher and because of my experience at Peterson, I adjusted well in high school. After high school, I attended Northeastern for a year before moving to the UK. After meeting my husband, we moved back here because I always considered Chicago to be my home. 

I love that Peterson is so diverse and I want my son to understand people of different backgrounds while learning tolerance and understanding. I love to volunteer at Peterson because it gives me an opportunity to give back to the community and to also empower the parents to participate in their kid’s education and their well-being. Being involved and attending parent meetings helps you meet more families, keeps you informed about what’s going on, and helps you develop relationships with teachers and administrators.

I was born and raised in Chicago to first generation Ecuadorian parents who loved big family gatherings. I have 3 amazing siblings, 2 older brothers and a younger sister. We lost our mother to breast cancer when she was 60, so we keep a close eye on our 84 year old father who thinks he’s 40.

My mom was an educator, influencing me in her work with 1st graders, but also in her determination to go back to school at the age of 51 to follow her passion for a teaching degree, while working full time and raising 4 kids.

Growing up I wanted to be a teacher and I would regularly torture my sister to be my loyal student. Then she got double promoted in 6th grade and wouldn’t comply, which I prefer to see as a success story.

I attended St. Josaphat, a small Catholic grammar school, that had only 12 kids in the graduating class. I have fond memories of exciting school events and close friendships as well as a few scary memories involving strict, angry nuns. School counselors at Madonna High School encouraged me to get a business degree in college. I graduated from DePaul University with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and began working at UPS in sales. Over the next 16 years, I moved around within the company to other departments working on technology training, managing administrative staff, customer service, and circled back to sales because I enjoyed having the exposure to working with a variety of businesses, learning about their supply chain and meeting the people who ran them. I got my MBA while at UPS, met my amazing husband in 2001 through a mutual friend, we married in 2004, and in 2010, I left work to raise our long awaited daughter Sofia.

I was first introduced to Peterson while Sofi attended North Park preschool and was drawn to the families we knew from North Park that went there. Since Peterson is not our neighborhood school, we tried, unsuccessfully, to lottery in. After the second week of Kindergarten at another school, Peterson offered a spot and we made the switch. Seeing the smile on Sofi’s face after the first day with Ms. Flores is one of my favorite memories.

The amount of talent from Peterson parents I’ve seen over the years and how they generously contribute those talents to the school is impressive. We are lucky to be part of such a great community of teachers, administrators and parents. I am currently serving as PTA president and have enjoyed being involved in the PTA for the last 4+ years and being part of the wonderful community outreach events and activities the PTA hosts. I am looking forward to getting back to hosting in person events and helping to make memories that our kids will remember fondly when they’re older.

These days, playing teacher with our 3 year old during a pandemic has been a priority, but I hope someday to follow in my mother’s footsteps and make it official.

I was born in Bloomington, IL and grew up there with my younger brothers. I lived there practically my whole life due to going to college 10 minutes away in Normal, IL at Illinois State University.

I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember. I had so many amazing teachers in elementary school that I connected with, and I was always excited about the idea of being just like them when I grew up. My second grade teacher especially had such a way of connecting to all of her students to make sure that they felt important. In addition, I have about 13 younger cousins that I had always enjoyed spending time with at family gatherings.

Very early on it was clear that I was going to choose a career path involving kids in some way. However it wasn't until high school that I made the decision to be a Special Education Teacher. Every summer while I was in high school, I would work as a counselor at a summer camp in Bloomington. One summer, there was a young boy there with special needs. He struggled to make friends with the other kids at the camp, and struggled to complete some of the activities that the rest of the kids were enjoying. His mom was worried about him making friends, but wanted to push him to try something new. Many of the other camp counselors did not know how to help him, so I spent most of my time with him. I had so much fun assisting him with swimming, crafts, and playing games with the other kids in his camp. I could tell that by the time his mom came to pick him up, he had grown so much and was genuinely happy about his time at camp. That was when I realized my passion for helping children with special needs. Throughout my teaching experiences at ISU, I was able to meet so many amazing children just like that young boy that helped to confirm my career path.

I heard about an opportunity at Peterson back in February before pandemic hit. I was luckily able to get in an interview at the school for a maternity leave position. Once pandemic happened and that position was no longer available, Yalil had called me and asked if I would be open to a full time position as the 5th grade Diverse Learner teacher starting in the Fall. I am so glad I made the decision to join the Peterson family as I have met so many incredible people. My favorite parts have to be my amazing 5th grade team, and all of my incredible students. I have had so much fun getting to know my kiddos as we navigate remote learning. I love the little moments during engagement activities in which their personalities shine through and we get to know them a little better. Which brings me to the most difficult part of joining Peterson. Remote learning has been a challenge for us all and it has been difficult learning how to navigate the ins and outs of teaching through a computer on top of making sure I am an effective educator. But my team has gone above and beyond to help my 1st year of teaching go smoothly and I could not have done it without them.

I am looking forward to experiencing all that the city has to offer when the pandemic is over. Since I moved here in the middle of a pandemic, I have not lived here with everything opened up. I am looking forward to trying out all of the amazing restaurants in the city, and for street festivals to begin (after the pandemic of course).

After the Second World War, my parents moved from Southern Ohio to West Texas. I was born in San Angelo and, when I was 2, moved to Midland in the heart of the developing Permian Basin oil industry. I lived in Midland until I left for Austin College in Sherman, Texas (north of Dallas near the Texas-Oklahoma border), where I earned a B.A. with majors in history, political science, religion, and philosophy in preparation for the ministry in the Presbyterian Church.

After a year at Yale Divinity School I realized I was more interested in being a teacher than I was in theology. This realization was one of the primary reasons (the other being the unexpected birth of my older son) I returned to Texas and entered the graduate school of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin.

I taught for a couple of years after receiving my doctorate degree but, in light of the few tenure track positions in university philosophy departments in the mid 1970s, I reluctantly returned to school in Austin at the graduate school of business to retrain as an accountant.

At the age of 31 I joined the tax department in the Houston office of Ernst & Young - an unusual hire for one of the Big 8 public accounting firms. I worked my way up to the partner level - working on a wide variety of clients in the financial services, health care, and manufacturing sectors, many of which were large, publicly traded corporations with global operations - and almost certainly the only partner who had once taught a course in Marxist political philosophy. I taught extensively in the firm's tax education program and helped write the firm's training materials in corporate taxation.

After 13 years in public accounting I was ready for a new adventure and went to work for Belden Inc., a manufacturing firm making wire and cable and other automation products for the computer, entertainment, and industrials sectors. For the next 17 years I worked at Belden, for most of the time as the Treasurer and Chief Tax Officer but with short term assignments in all the other senior financial leadership positions including the Chief Financial Officer. I taught in the company's training programs and wrote the training materials in financial analysis.

In February 2011 I retired and moved to Chicago to be near my two sons and their families. My three grandchildren who live here in Chicago attend Peterson. In retirement I have returned to my liberal arts background, reading 2-3 books a week across all fields, and I volunteer at Peterson and Raven Theater as a way of giving back to the community and of feeling useful.

Volunteering at the school has mostly been as the treasurer for Friends of Peterson, and for the last 5 years I have served as the volunteer general manager of Raven Theatre.

I acted in three plays in high school - enough to convince me I didn’t want to be an actor, but I still enjoy theater. We learn a lot about the world by listening to the stories that other people tell us about their experiences. Theater allows us not only to hear but also to see such stories. In doing so we broaden and deepen our understanding of the world and of the wonderful diversity of human experience of that world.

I was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, but my dad's job brought us to North Carolina when I was five, so I was raised near Charlotte for most of my life. I loved growing up in North Carolina because I was only a few hours from both the beach and the mountains. It made for a lot of fun day trips.

I always wanted to be a veterinarian growing up. I LOVE animals (sometimes to a fault)! I've picked up a number of rescue dogs and cats in my life. I quickly realized that while I loved animals, I wasn't a fan of the science classes needed to become a vet.

For the most part, I enjoyed school. I particularly liked the social aspect! I played tennis and soccer, but my favorite part was socializing with my teammates. My 9th Grade English teacher was amazing. I loved how much she cared about her students and all that she taught us about life. I still have a few assignments saved that I did for her. She actually influenced me to become an English teacher.

After attending North Carolina State, I taught in the high school setting for three years and absolutely loved it! I was an English teacher and also taught a Life Skills class, where the focus was on SEL and college readiness. After teaching this course, I decided I really wanted to go back to graduate school to become a school counselor so that I could focus on SEL. It was the best decision that I ever made, and I love being a school counselor! My favorite part about being a school counselor is working with kids! I love that every day looks and feels different, collaborating with stakeholders/staff, and the sense of community and collaboration that comes with the job.

Before Peterson, I served as a middle and high school counselor in Charlotte, North Carolina. I met my husband during this time, who moved to Chicago for his job. When we got engaged, I made the move to Chicago in 2019! During my first year in Chicago, I worked at an elementary school on the far south side of Chicago. When I saw there was a counseling opening at Peterson, I was eager to apply after learning about all the amazing opportunities the school had to offer for students and staff, and I’m so glad I did! It feels like home already.

I love being active! I love skiing, running, and traveling. I am also a big foodie, so I love trying all different types of food and restaurants. I'm looking forward to the day that I can travel again (without pandemic worries), and I'm also looking forward to going skiing sometime this winter in Michigan!

I was born in El Salvador in a Town called Usulutan. My family immigrated to the United States in 1980 when I was 2 years old, fleeing Civil war. My parents later filed and received U.S. Residency, and I became a U.S. Citizen during my freshman year at Roosevelt High School.

I originally wanted to be a Diverse Learner Teacher. I wanted to help children realize that there was nothing in this world they could not accomplish. After working at a school I realized that I wanted to be a psychologist. I wanted to help these same children overcome the emotional and physical trauma that they are sometimes forced to encounter due to their different abilities.

I hoped to continue reaching my dream of becoming a psychologist by pursuing my master's degree. I currently have a B. A. in Psychology and I'm a State Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Counselor, but due to my daughter's health, I decided to work at my family's dental lab. I could work from the office and from home, allowing me to take my daughter Margo with me to work, and to her many doctor appointments.

During my free time I love reading and cooking. I just started baking and decorating cakes with Margo. In the future I look forward to accomplishing my goals and being able to help as many children and families as I can.

I was in an ESL class when I first started school because Spanish was my first language. I had a hard time adjusting and understanding what my teachers wanted me to do. My teacher, Mrs. Class, worked with me every day to help me break my language barriers. As a parent, I joined the Bilingual Advisory Council (BAC) because I wanted to give back to a program that helped me achieve many of the accomplishments I have today. I am a prime example of what a child can accomplish when they are provided with the support they need to succeed.

Having parents involved in BAC allows parents to know what programs are available for children at our school. It offers workshops and activities that can help parents advocate for their students to ensure that students receive all the help they need so they can also break the language barrier. As parents, it's our job to make sure that our children receive the best education, and it's our job to advocate for our kids since they may not know how to advocate for themselves. Please don't hesitate to join! We meet once a month and have interpreters. If you are unsure of what you can add to the group, you have your life experience to offer, and you have that desire to make a difference in our children's lives.

My family and I lived in Rogers Park until I was about four years old, which is when we moved to Skokie. As long as I can remember, I always wanted to be a teacher and I loved to play school as a child with my sisters. When I was ten my younger sister was born and she had some speech delays and anxiety issues. When I was in eight grade, she started early intervention at the Molloy Education Center so they could support her needs and I learned that you could volunteer there over the summers.

I started volunteering that summer and I was amazed at all of the individuals helping the very high needs population at the school. It was so motivating to see the progress of the students as the summer progressed. I saw a child who couldn't walk up a step begin to climb stairs, and non-verbal students saying words by the end of summer. These were accomplishments that most people take for granted in their daily life. I found it fascinating and amazing to see the impact each individual staff member was having on every child and young adult.

I continued to volunteer during my summers throughout high school. My high school also had an early childhood career program. I began taking child development classes, and during my junior and senior year I got to work in the preschool. I observed and planned lessons for half my day, and we would also play with the kids and take them on field trips. It was a great experience!

I went to the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and got my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education, with a minor in Sociology, and my Learning Behavior Specialist endorsement. I went on to continue here to get my Masters in Special Education. UIC has a great College of Education where they emphasize urban education and advocate to put their students in schools with high needs. I student taught a first grade class, where it was normal for the six year old children to experience daily lockdowns due to violence in the neighborhood. It was hard to see the social and mental impact it had on the children, but I also saw how resilient and determined these young kids were. The teachers at the school were amazing individuals and my mentor teacher had me be her co-teacher from the start.

After college, I taught middle school resource at Shields Elementary for three years. It was a great neighborhood school where all of the teachers had to work together to help students succeed. I then worked at Hawthorne, a magnet school, for the past nine years with a great team and co-teachers, but I really missed the neighborhood school environment and felt it was time to move on.

My husband worked at Peterson already and we recently bought a house in the neighborhood. Once I moved into the neighborhood and saw the close community and all the kids and parents that would say hi as we were on neighborhood walks, it brought back the feeling of working at a neighborhood school. Also, now that we have a son, Peterson will be his future school and it’ll be great to be able to take him to his first day of school and attend all of his events.

Working at Peterson has been great, even with the current virtual environment, it still feels like such a close knit community. I’ve really enjoyed working with my team and collaborating with them. I love getting to know the kids and I can’t wait to someday meet them all in person! It will also be great to attend International Night or Unity Through the Arts and Science, I’ve heard such great things!

“I grew up with my two sisters in Niles, Michigan, which is right over the border from Indiana. I wanted to be an ER doctor or an orthopedic surgeon. Luckily, my mom was a college professor and taught a lot of anatomy and physiology courses. She sometimes would tutor students at our house which meant we always had a skeleton in our house to help with tutoring. It definitely paid off to have her expertise readily available while I was taking AP Biology in high school.

I came to Chicago to go to Loyola University for pre-med. When I started at Loyola I thought I was going to go straight to medical school, but I changed my mind and my degree to pre-med nursing.

I ended up falling in love with nursing. The patient care is what really helped me decide. Doctors go in and out of rooms to see patients but nurses get to give continuity of care and can establish a relationship with a patient.

I was initially working at a surgical rehab facility helping patients work on the skills they need to be able to go home after surgery, but I wasn’t able to enjoy my summers like previous years when I worked at a summer camp. I wanted to find a way to make that work again in my schedule, so I decided to do school nursing, starting with a substitute nursing position.

I eventually got hired by CPS in 2012 and I have been at Peterson for the past three years. I currently have four schools and two-hundred and seventy children on my caseload between the four schools. I am allocated to schools based on their needs, how many children they have with IEP’s, and 504’s. I support at Peterson 2 days a week.

I have my professional educator license, and I hope CPS will start having us teach health education classes where we’ll be able to teach about prevention in addition to direct nursing service and chronic conditions training for staff. At Peterson, I work with students on my caseload in a more proactive model where I can help them avoid having a serious medical event. Alternatively, working in a hospital usually means you’re trying to help someone who is experiencing a serious medical event.

I’m looking forward to finishing my Masters in Science and Nursing in December and I’m also very excited to go Maine this summer. My husband is a teacher so it’s fantastic that we get to have our summers together!

“I grew up on the South side of Chicago, the youngest of eight children. I went to St. Walter
Elementary School, then to Mother McAuley High School. I attended the Illinois Institute of Technology for college where I received a BA in Industrial Management.

Right out of college, I managed buildings at the University of Chicago for several years. I then worked in building management for CPS for a couple years. Eventually, I did construction management for CPS on their Capital Improvement Projects Program. I am pretty sure I previously worked in some capacity at Peterson. It was all a lot of fun since every day was different, I enjoyed the projects and I didn’t work in an office.

I then started a family with my husband and quit the construction job. After a couple years, my husband started his own company, and I worked there for the last fifteen years doing administrative work from home. We have four kids and live in the Old Irving Park neighborhood.

Working from home provided me with time to volunteer at my children’s school. I worked a couple days a week with all grades supporting with math and reading centers. I think every teacher wishes they had someone they could have for an extra 30 minutes during the day, and it was fulfilling for me. Although volunteering was fulfilling, I was ready to start working again.

This position at Peterson has been a great fit! I really like working with the little ones, and I feel my background and experience has been helpful. The teachers helped me jump right in with support and guidance, so it only took a couple of days to be fully comfortable in the classroom. I also am working with 5th grade which I love! It is such a different dynamic than the little ones, I really look forward to seeing them in the afternoon. Working in a school allows me to have the same schedule as my children. The job, the people and the atmosphere at the school have all been very positive.

“I grew up outside of Edwardsville, IL, a smaller town in Southern Illinois, surrounded by my older sister Karin, my mother and father Mary and Jerry, and countless animals, including cats, dogs, horses, and for a shorter time when I was young, chickens, cows, and even an unruly goat and spiteful rooster! To this day, I love cats, dogs, and horses, but I am still not so sure about goats and roosters.

From a young age, I was taught by mother and father that education was both a privilege and a right, and I was also taught that I was responsible for taking my education seriously as well as ensuring that everyone had access to a quality education. At different times in my childhood, the Edwardsville School District would put referendums on the ballot to secure additional funds for education. To this day, I remember my mother taking my sister and me to walk door to door to pass out literature about the referendums and talk to people about them. Sometimes people were receptive, and sometimes doors were slammed in our faces. My mother never failed, though, to make sure that my sister and I were doing our part for public education.

I went to Boston College and majored in English. I had a concentration in Spanish, and a minor in Faith, Peace, and Justice. I never planned on a career in education; I was always planning to go to law school after college. However, after I graduated, I went to Belize City, Belize, where I worked as a counselor at an all-girls’ high school. It was considered a “last-chance” school for girls. While my experience in Belize was very enlightening and humbling on many levels, it made me realize that I wanted to work with kids and families as an educator.

After Belize, I came back to the United States and attended The George Washington University Graduate School of Education. I received my Masters in Education as well as certifications in English as a Second Language and Special Education, and I then taught for a number of years in D.C. Public Schools. I worked with 7th graders, 9th graders, and 11th graders, and I loved it. The 7th and 9th graders had a special energy, and there was never a dull day! I moved back to IL, to Chicago, in 2009, and I taught for a year before becoming a resident principal and then the Assistant Principal and Principal at Peterson Elementary School.

With the exception of one semester where I was acting principal at Von Steuben High School, I have been at Peterson Elementary for 9 years. I absolutely love Peterson. It is such a unique and truly wonderful place! The kids, the families, the community, and the educators make me happy every day, and I am continually inspired by our collective vision of giving rise to college graduates, community leaders, and cultural ambassadors; I know that with ongoing and wholehearted support from all adults, all Peterson kids will achieve the vision!

“I was born and raised in Chicago. I have one son, two daughters, two dogs and a wonderful husband. When I was in high school at Lane Tech, my dad owned a neighborhood family shop. Unfortunately, it burned down, and they lost everything. My parents couldn’t afford to live in Chicago anymore, so they moved back to Puerto Rico. However, I stayed in Chicago. Soon after, I went to cosmetology school and graduated. When I was twenty-two, I moved with my parents and went to nursing school in Puerto Rico. We then had to return to Chicago after my dad got sick. So, I didn’t get to finish nursing school.

After returning to Chicago, I worked in banking, and I took phlebotomy and typing courses when I could. I then got married and had my son. We then moved to Wisconsin for my husband’s job, and I had my daughter a couple of years later. After an unforeseen family event, my children and I moved back to Chicago to have a fresh start.

I have worked several different jobs to make enough money to survive, and I’ve definitely become a jack of all trades, master of none! I learned a lot helping parents at my children’s school who couldn’t speak English. I translated for them, so that they could advocate for their children if they needed an IEP or needed to be referred to other places. I also worked as a case manager for Workforce Chicago. The case manager position gave me the opportunity to help victims of domestic violence find services and jobs. My son has also taught me a lot. He has struggled his whole life with PTSD and ODD. I have learned a lot from helping him overcome obstacles.

I was helping my daughter apply to college, when she went to Northeastern University to talk to counselors. One of the counselor suggested that I also attend to get my bachelors. My daughter was really excited with the idea of graduating together. I took a child advocacy course that Ms. Korda taught. She told me about an opening at Peterson and suggested that I’d be a great advocate for children and should apply. I volunteered at Literacy Night, and I fell in love with the diversity and community. Here I am today!

Everything I’ve learned from my experiences and from working with my children has given me the empathy to understand and support all students at Peterson. I work hard every day to help students understand how special they are!

“I grew up in Libertyville which is a northern suburb of Chicago. I have 2 brothers; one is older than me, and one is younger than me.

Way back in preschool, I told my class that I was going to be a ballerina or a teacher one day. Even though I am not a ballerina, I’ve been involved with all styles of dance for over 20 years now. From traveling companies in grade school and high school, to competitive teams in college, dance has largely shaped who I am today. It taught me how to confidently carry and express myself, humbly receive feedback, and continuously strive to improve my art.

While the ballerina part did not exactly work out, I am proud to say that the teacher part did indeed happen! I’ve always loved learning and working with kids. Ironically, however, I declared my major as Pre-Med when I first started college. Science is not one of my strengths, hospitals are not my favorite places, and doctor-related tasks do not sit well with my stomach. It’s difficult to know what you should do when you first start college when you’re still discovering who you are. Despite my constantly changing majors, deep down I always felt the call to teach. Eventually, I came back full circle and pursued that calling.

During my education program, I learned about the Learning Behavior Endorsement, and I was very excited to pursue this as an integral part of my elementary teacher education. It’s important to me to meet the needs of all learners in the classroom. It is so important to keep students at the center of my instructional decisions and tailor lessons in ways that they learn best.

I’ve been living in the city of Chicago for over a year and a half. Last school year I taught 5th grade in a northern suburb but felt disconnected because I was investing in one place then coming home to another. I desired more continuity between the community where I worked and the community where I lived. Fortunately, I was able to bridge those two areas with the opportunity to teach at Peterson.

So far my time at Peterson has been awesome! It really is a privilege to work with the students, families, faculty, and staff here. While there is definitely a learning curve that comes with a new school, a new grade level, and a new position, I’ve felt supported all the while. I’m incredibly thankful to be part of our Peterson family where we partner with the community in a shared commitment to student success.”

“I grew up in California, living up and down the coast with my parents and three siblings. We moved about every six months, and it made me very flexible to adjusting to life changes. I moved to Chicago for the first time when I was fifteen, and I lived with my aunt in Bronzeville. I went back to California, and then came back to Illinois for my senior year in high school. Our family then moved to the Chicago area, and I graduated from Homewood-Flossmoor High School.

Around the time I was in middle school, I decided I wanted to be a middle school English teacher. The curriculum I experienced was very music and poetry based. Having experienced so many different schools, teaching seemed like the coolest job! I got my degree in English from Augustana College, and I thought about being a professor or going into library science. But, I decided to do some volunteer work first.

I spent my junior year of college teaching in Ghana, so when I graduated I already had some experience in education. To get more experience, I joined City Year, an Americorps volunteer program, and I worked in a school on the South side of Chicago. It was very immersive, but it paid very little and we worked twelve hours a day. Since I loved working kids, I decided to get my masters in Special Education at DePaul University.

After graduating, I worked at an art school. Then, I found Peterson. When I came in for the interview, there were so many teachers in the room who were so happy to be there! It was incredibly inviting to meet people who have fun with their work. I’ve been at Peterson for a month, and I’m really enjoying it. I was nervous about working with kindergarteners, but it’s a lot of fun! They’re such individuals, and their enthusiasm for life is contagious. The hardest part is getting used to the tiny chairs and working with people who are shorter than me, which is a first for me.

I really enjoy the diversity of the student body and staff at Peterson. It’s reminiscent of what I grew up with. Peterson is special in how it embraces the diversity, and I’m really excited to experience my first International Night.

I fill my free time painting surreal, textured portraits and doing graphic design. I’m part of an artist collective, and I’m looking forward to my show in March!

“I grew up in Troy, Michigan, with my older sister. I went to undergraduate school at Michigan State University. Upon entering college, I did not yet know what I wanted to major in. I ended up
choosing Business Management as my major my sophomore year, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with that degree.

After I received my undergraduate degree, I got a job at Target as a manager and quickly found out that was not what I wanted to do as a long term career. After a year, I decided that I wanted to go back to school and do something that was more meaningful to me.

When searching for a new career, a friend mentioned something about a career in speech-language pathology. After doing some research, I came to figure out that there are many different career opportunities in a variety of settings for speech- language pathologists. I had also received speech therapy as a child in school to help me with the S and Z sounds. I remembered how much fun I had in speech therapy and hoped that one day I could create a fun environment for students while making a positive impact in their lives.

I went to graduate school in New York City and it was a great experience, especially since I was passionate about what I was going back to school for. After I received my graduate degree, I moved to Chicago to be with my husband. I got hired and began working for CPS right out of school. I have worked at Peterson since beginning my career at CPS almost eight years ago. What I enjoy most about working at Peterson is that I get to work with such amazing students, teachers, and parents in an environment that fosters such a positive climate and culture.

What a lot of people might not know about speech therapy is that it encompasses so much more than just helping students produce sounds correctly. I also work with students who may need help in other areas such as stuttering, expressive and receptive language, social language, and auditory processing. One of my favorite things about working with students is seeing their communication skills develop and grow.

“I was born in Italy, about thirty minutes northeast of Venice. But, I grew up in both Italy and Germany since my parents owned restaurants and gelaterias in Germany. I would stay in Germany with my parents during the summer and in Italy with my grandparents during the winter. This meant I traveled a lot as a child, but I really missed my parents when I was not with them.

In Italy, I went to high school to learn foreign languages. Then I decided not to take on the family business. I continued to learn languages, specifically for business, and to study European trade laws. I was hired by a German cosmetics company that had a branch in Italy which allowed my travel a lot. I then met my future husband who worked at the U.S. Air Force base near my hometown. After a few years, I moved the United States with my husband. We now have 2 handsome boys, a 13 and an 8 year-old.

It was hard to move to Chicago, especially since I didn’t get to see my parents and friends anymore. Getting a job was also difficult, but I eventually got a position in sales and later went on to run an amateur radio company here in Chicago before it moved out of state. At that point, I started volunteering at my children’s school. I was on the BAC and PAC, and now I’m the PTA president.

I found out I love working directly with children after supporting classroom teachers. I enjoy seeing children finally be able to read and understand a book, especially when English is not their first language. Because of this experience, I decided I wanted to be a paraprofessional and came to Peterson. Peterson has a very positive and welcoming vibe, which is very uplifting.

When I have free time, I’m involved in my church and my community. When time allows, I’m also a personal shopper and a professional organizer! This summer, I’m really looking forward to visiting my parents back in Italy. I haven’t seen them for two years, and I really miss them.

I was born in Chicago, and I went to Peterson until I was eight. My family then decided we should move back to Greece; my parents really missed their home.

We lived in the countryside of Greece, and it was just a different lifestyle. It was always sunny, and we never drove anywhere since everything was in walking distance. I would walk two miles a day just for fun!

I got married while in Greece, and when I got pregnant, the economy in Greece started to falter. My husband and I then decided that since I was an American citizen, we should try to start a new life in the United States. We thought it was going to be an easy transition since we already had family in Chicago, but it was harder than we expected. However, we’ve been in Chicago for the last five and half years, and I don’t think we’ll move back to Greece.

While working at Jamieson, I learned that a manager position opened up at Peterson. I applied, and I got the position! Peterson’s cafeteria staff works very hard to prepare meals for five different lunch periods. Since we don’t have a cook who can make the food throughout the day, we have to cook all the food at once to ensure that everything is ready on time for all of our students. It also means that we have to forecast how much food we’ll need on a daily basis, and this can get tricky some times.

We’ve quickly learned that children don’t reliably choose the same meal they chose the last time they had the same options! Nonetheless, we always try our best.

I am a full time manager and mom, but on my free time, I really like doing traditional Greek dancing. We won’t be making a trip anywhere this summer, but we hope to see Alaska next year. My son really wants to see the whales!

I grew up in Bridgman, MI, where on a clear day you can see Chicago straight across the lake. When I was eight, my parents and two older brothers, moved to Georgia for my mom's promotion. Being eight years old, I really thought we were moving to Georgia the country, which I was excited about, but it was still a fun surprise to show up in Atlanta.

I majored in Community Studies and worked at homeless shelters with women and veterans. I taught classes that helped these individuals get their GED’s and financial assistance. One day, the daycare worker at the facility was out and they had me fill in. I realized that day that I wanted to work with kids!

I was qualified to teach Preschool in Georgia and taught for two years in Atlanta. I thought about going back to school to teach elementary, but the student loans were too much.

One of the summers I had off, I decided to visit my brother in Chicago and fell in love with the city. I came back next summer in the hopes of finding a job, and I got an offer to be a sub at a preschool. I worked at a couple more schools until I finally got a job in at Peterson!

I really like the sense of community Peterson has, and I especially like learning from Ms. Lowrance and Ms. Skaggs. I really appreciate how helpful and friendly everyone is. I’ve been places where everyone keeps to themselves, but Peterson is a team!

I’m not sure I still want to teach because I’ve been thinking of becoming an Applied Behavior Analysis Therapist and working with children with autism. I’ve previously helped a child with autism, and I enjoyed all of the challenges and rewards it brought.

Right now I’m really looking forward to watching my students grow academically and socially, even more so than they’ve already grown.

“I was born and raised in Lebanon, and I’m the second oldest of five children. I went to all girl Catholic schools for elementary and high school. In Lebanon, school was considered the primary function of every student, and no one was allowed to work while attending school. This forces students to fully focus on studying and completing the academic year.

My father left for Chicago when I was in elementary school to find a better life for us, but I stayed in Lebanon to attend college. I went to college to study history, but I was only able to finish two years before the rest of our family had to leave Lebanon to come to the United States. My dream was to be a history teacher.

Lebanon was a beautiful country. Due to the Lebanese Civil War, it was unsafe to continue to live there. Our family left our home, and we lived at a school in Beirut for the next three months due to the fighting in our home city of Zahlé. We then moved to Chicago, and I have been living here since then. Some of my cousins were already here, and that made the transition easier for me and my family.

I met my husband here in Chicago, and we now have three daughters. All of my daughters came to Peterson Elementary School. I loved Peterson when I first came here, and I have loved it ever since. All the teachers are very nice and understanding. They helped me a lot since I didn’t speak English very well when I first came here.

I first volunteered at Peterson School and joined the PTA when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten. I continued to volunteer in the classroom and on field trips whenever I could. I volunteered because I wanted to know how my children were doing in the classroom, and I wanted to learn too. I wanted to know what my daughters were learning so that I could also teach them at home.

I then got a job working as a teacher’s aide at Peterson for three years, but the budget was cut so they had to let me go. Luckily another position opened up, and I’ve been working at Peterson for ten years straight!

I love working in kindergarten and preschool, and I enjoy helping children in need. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the children and teachers at Peterson for years to come.”

“I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and I lived there until I was nine. My family and I then went on a missionary trip to Cameroon for a year, which I loved! My parents were

teaching while I was a student at an international school. I was really unhappy when I learned we had to come back home.

We then came to Chicago because my dad went to seminary at North Park University. We moved three blocks away from Peterson which is where I attended elementary school. A lot of teachers I had as a Peterson student are still here, like Ms. Bell and Mr. Brady. I cannot believe they are now my colleagues!

At Peterson I played many sports. Ms. MacWilliams was my track and cross country coach, and Ms. Skaggs was my volleyball coach. I then went to Von Steuben where I played soccer and volleyball.

Growing up my goal was to be a dentist. I loved going to the dentist! Then I thought I wanted to be a nurse. By the time I went to college at North Park University, I had decided to be a math major. But, I switched majors a few times after that. I started with biology, then went to nursing, and followed with pre- med. In the end, I decided on biology and education. I knew I didn’t want to be a professor, and I knew I loved working with kids. I had previously coached volleyball and had been a camp counselor, both of which I really enjoyed.

Last year, North Park had schools come to meet the graduating students, and I saw Ms. Bell there! Luckily Peterson wanted a science teacher, and it worked out perfectly! I got hired at Peterson the day before I graduated.

I love teaching at Peterson. I love the kids, and I love science. The biggest transition hasn’t really been working with kids. It has been being in the work force and building new relationships with my colleagues, which is really just the transition into being an adult.

It’s been a lot of fun so far, and I have plans for the future. One of the most fun things I’ve done so far is create an aquascape in our classroom, which is a fish tank where all of the plants and fish are alive. In the future, I want to start an ultimate frisbee program. I played ultimate frisbee in college, and I really want to have a co-ed team at Peterson!”

“I grew up in Antioch, Illinois with a passion for acting. Growing up, I would make stuff up and would act it out. This eventually led me to write and to perform my own shows and to do school and community theater.

One of the best teachers I ever had was my theater teacher. He pushed me to my limits while helping me to reflect. He was a very inspirational person, and he would do anything to help me succeed.

I went to Western Illinois University and got my bachelors degree in theater. In 2001, I moved to Chicago with a group of my friends who also wanted to do theater. We created our own theater company, but I didn’t stay in it long because I really wanted to focus more on comedy. I wanted to become rich and famous doing comedy, but after doing that for about fourteen years, I decided I wanted a more stable job.

I then transitioned from comedy to teaching. I’m a big science advocate, and I enjoy explaining scientific topics to people and answering their questions. It worked out that I got to teach high school astronomy and geology. My first teaching experience was the most nerve wracking experience I’ve had in my entire life, and I have become a lot more humble from it.

I love teaching! Every day and class is different. I applied to teach STEM at Peterson this past summer. When I walked into the building for the first time, I fell in love with the place. Teaching elementary is a lot different from high school. I remember doing a presentation on planets that I thought was really exciting only to turn around and see that I lost everyone. I found the material very interesting, but I was talking way beyond their knowledge base. The fun and the challenge of teaching is breaking the subject down to where students will understand it.

I’m looking forward to helping out with the musical! My four year old daughter is already excited to come and see Beauty and the Beast!

I still do comedy today. I really like the challenge of getting in front people you don’t know, to get them all to shout out loud laughing. Also, when I get people to laugh, I help them forget about the stresses of life. It’s very rewarding to be able to that.”

“I grew up in Caledonia, MI, a suburb of Grand Rapids. My mom adopted my sister, Alexa, and I from China. She also had friends who adopted children around the same time I was adopted. It turns out we all came from the same orphanage! We all ended up growing up together and joke that we know each other longer than our own families!

I knew I wanted to be a teacher at an early age. We had a playroom in our basement, and I always wanted to play teacher. I loved all my teachers. My mom also had a big influence on me. She was a speech pathologist, and she worked in schools my whole life. It was always my favorite day when I got to go to school with her. Sometimes I’d have snow days in my school district, but her district wouldn’t. She would bring me along, and I’d sit on the floor and play while she saw students.

I really thought I wanted to be a general education teacher, but my mom suggested I do early childhood since I really like little kids. After doing my student teaching and experiencing a diverse learner early childhood class, I knew being an early childhood diverse learner teacher was exactly what I wanted to do.

I graduated last December and worked at an early childhood classroom with diverse learners. I then came to Peterson where I am working in a blended classroom, a classroom that combines general education students and diverse learners. It has been a fun change to be in this style of classroom!

It has also being great to move to Chicago. I moved to this city because I wanted to move to a bigger and more diverse area than where I grew up. Chicago is only three and a half hours from where I grew up, so I can still drive home. It’s been a great transition because I also got to move in with my best friend from home!

Working at Peterson has been completely different. I have a lot of support from Ms. Marion and Ms. Patel who have so much knowledge and experience. Everyone has been so nice at Peterson, and I look forward to getting to know more of my colleagues.”

“I grew up in Allentown, PA., which is about an hour outside of Philadelphia. When I was in kindergarten, I really loved pigs and thought it would be a great idea to be a farmer. This was before I knew what a farmer actually did. I really loved school growing up, and I’m still best friends with my elementary school friends.

After high school, I went to DePaul University to study Public Policy, but I then transferred after my sophomore year to the University of Pittsburgh to major in Urban Studies, which is about the sociology of a city. I loved Pittsburgh, but I knew that I wanted to return to Chicago after graduating.

After college I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I did know that I wanted to work in a nonprofit organization. I first worked at Chicago Run, implementing running and fitness programs in schools. I really enjoyed this role because I got to explore a lot of neighborhood schools all over the city. I saw that each school has its own community within the school, but I only got to be there once a week. I started to realize how much I would like to work within a school to be a part of the positive change that happens each day.

I then worked at Big Brothers Big Sisters, coordinating some of their mentorship programs within schools and community centers. While there, I worked with a lot of students who had experienced trauma, but I could only do so much in my role. I realized then that in a school there is more room to make an impact. My work experiences inspired me to go back to school to get my master of Social Work so I could become a school social worker.

I began graduate school at UIC. I was lucky to intern as a school social work intern for CPS and was able to work in both high schools and elementary schools. I thought that I would eventually want to work in high schools, but it turns out I really enjoyed the elementary school environment. There’s a lot more social skill building and showing students how to be a nice team players, which allows me to have more fun with the kids.

Since there hasn’t been a full time social worker at Peterson before, I’m excited to become a more integral piece of the school and to help provide more support and services to students. I look forward to finding new ways to get involved and helping students be their best selves in school and outside of school.

I really love Peterson; everyone has been very welcoming and helpful. I’m really looking forward to getting to know more families. On top of that, I can’t wait to experience my first International Night!

When I’m not at Peterson, I really love to go for runs or read. I’ve finished three marathons and I’m about to finish my 42nd book of the year out my 50 book goal!”

“During most of my childhood, I grew up in several different parts of Michigan, from Flint and Ann Arbor. I then lived in a suburb of Detroit for middle school and high school.

When I was really little, I was definitely going to be a marine biologist. My mom bought me a marine biology anatomy coloring book which was intended for adults, and I loved it!

After high school, I went to the University of Michigan. I took a lot of history and classics classes and fell in love with medieval history. After graduating, I decided to enroll in a PhD program at the University of Notre Dame where I focused on the medieval history of Italy. While there, I also served as a teaching assistant, and I eventually got a position to teach my own class for a full term. I taught Dante’s Inferno, and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had!

Near the end of my graduate education, I realized that I really enjoyed the teaching I was doing more than the research. So, I left the graduate program to pursue teaching.

I joined Teach for America and thought I’d teach in high school, but I was placed in a Chicago middle school. Even though I knew it was going to be challenging, the first year was tougher than I expected! For the first time in my life, I had to think about how I made sense of a text and see how I could help a child to do the same. Luckily, I also thought teaching would be fun, and it turned out to be more fun than I expected!

After my first year of teaching, I did a master's program which helped me catch up to other teachers. Then, I got a reading specialist certificate. I finally felt like I was a getting a clearer picture of what it meant to be a teacher. I realized that middle school teachers don’t receive much training on how students learn to read in the primary grades. I had originally assumed that because a student can pronounce all of the words, they can understand the text. That’s not necessarily the case. Once I realized this, I knew I needed to help students learn and use strategies to make sense of the words that they were saying--this process of making meaning IS reading.

One of the things that really impressed me about Peterson was the school’s commitment to the social and emotional development of students. I also love that we have children from all over the place, and I love getting to work with them in the Literacy Lab!”

“I was born in Mexico, and my family moved to the United States when I was five years old. My parents came to the United States to achieve a better future for our family.

When I was 12, my grandma in Mexico got sick, and we went back to care for her. I really didn’t want to leave my friends, my home, and my school; things were so different in Mexico. My family comes from a very small town with no paved streets, where you have to walk somewhere to get your water, and everyone does laundry by hand. However, I am grateful we did go back as I got to spend time with my grandparents, and I connected to my roots.

School in Mexico is also different. Elementary goes up to sixth grade, and then there’s three years of high school. The transitions were tough, and it created many gaps in my education that I still fill in, especially in history. Mexico was a place my parents would talk about with much love and pride, but for me it was another world. I haven’t been back much, and it’s been fifteen years since my last visit. My brother and his family still live there, and we keep in touch as I still care very much about them.

When we came back to Chicago, I was a freshman at Clemente High School. However, I later dropped out my when I was seventeen. I didn’t go back to school until much later in my life. My motivation for going back to school was to make a bigger impact on my community, and working with schools gives me that opportunity.

I graduated from nursing school three years ago, and I knew I wanted to able to build a rapport with people beyond an emergency room or hospital visit. Prior to CPS, I did Hemodialysis at UIC, worked as a CNA at Casa Central for the Adult Day Care, and conducted blood drives for LifeSource.

My position allows me to teach preventative care so that children can avoid health problems when they get older. I also get to work with students’ families, which allows me to be a resource not just to the students but to the school community as a whole. The most difficult part of being in schools is the case load. I have four schools that I work with, and I am not able to spend as much time with each individual student as I’d like. But this motivates me even more to build trust with the children I work with so that I can have a greater impact on their lives!”

“I grew up in Highwood, IL with my two younger sisters. There were a few things I wanted to be growing up. I first wanted to be a garbage man; my dad was a trash collector early in life, and he always talked positively of it. Then, I wanted to be a game designer. When I was in 5th grade I got to play the clarinet, and it clicked for me. I had previously tried the piano and guitar, and I didn’t like them. Something about the clarinet just made sense to me.

My parents were my biggest supporters. Instead of pushing me toward a more traditional career path, they saw how much I enjoyed music and pushed me to be a rock musician. Playing in rock bands in high school was great! I also played for the orchestra, wind band, jazz band, and marching band in high school. My high school band director was a huge inspiration to me with the amount of knowledge and passion he taught with. It showed me that I could make a living doing what I loved. A monumental moment for me was when he offered to have the band play a piece of music I wrote. I went home that night and wrote my first composition! He kept his promise, and the school band rehearsed it for a couple days. The respect he gave me to express myself through music meant a lot to me.

In college, I decided to double major in music education and music composition. I played in several ensembles and also composed music for concerts every semester. I have composed a small library of twenty to thirty pieces for various groups. I like to share the process of creating music with students, so that they can understand that classical music is very much a living artform.

My first job in education was working in Northbrook with diverse learners. I then went to Greely Elementary for about seven years. We grew the band from ten to about sixty at its largest. Last year, I decided that it was time to move on from Greeley. After talking to music teachers around CPS, I realized how coveted the Peterson Band position was. Rarely do you find a school and community that say they support the arts and actually put the time and resources into it. Having band programmed during the day is rare; it’s seen as extracurricular in most schools.

I love being here! I feel very supported and welcomed, and everyone truly cares. Peterson is very community driven, and parents play a big part in it. I hope to continue Peterson’s tradition of excellence.”

Fourteen years ago, I came to the United States from Pakistan after I got married to my husband who is a U.S. citizen. I don’t really miss it because I actually grew up in Dubai, which is where I was born. Growing up in Dubai was fun, it’s where my childhood memories and friends were. This made it hard to move to Pakistan.

I was really into sports in elementary school. I especially liked Throw Ball, which is very similar to volleyball. In high school, I was more into my studies. Initially, I wanted to be a doctor. Later in high school and then college, I decided to follow in my mother’s footsteps and become a teacher. She taught Arabic in an elementary school.

I got my masters in English literature, and I became a high school literacy teacher in Pakistan. I did that for four years while waiting for my U.S. immigration application to get processed. Teaching is very different in Pakistan compared to the U.S. In Pakistan, they just want the kids to study and learn the prescribed content. In the U.S. children are taught to think outside the box and use more critical thinking skills.

I’ve taken many steps to get to know the U.S. education system. I started by first volunteering at my son’s school when he was in pre-school. I was a very active volunteer, and got to see how teachers manage classrooms. I then started subbing at the schools in the area, and I really loved subbing at Peterson. I love how the administration gives so much respect and importance to subs. Everything is very organized at Peterson, there are always sub-plans which some schools don’t make available.

I subbed for about four years which gave me a lot of experience and opportunity to work with diverse students. I got a position at Peterson this year, and it’s been great! Working at Peterson, I have even more support than I did as a sub; this means a lot to me. The Peterson Support Team is very supportive as well as appreciative of all the hard work of teachers and staff.

My goal as a Peterson educator is to support my students to reach their goals. We’re getting their bit by bit, and the new sensory room has been helping a lot. It’s very rare to find it in schools, and it’s a huge achievement. I always wanted to be a part of the Peterson family, and I’m hoping to transfer my kids to Peterson next year.

“I was born and raised in Chicago, in the Lincoln Square neighborhood. My mom and dad are both from Macedonia, and we only spoke Macedonian at home. I didn’t speak English when I started school at Budlong Elementary, and probably didn’t become fluent until 1st grade. I then went to Lane Tech High School, but after a few weeks of being there, I realized it wasn’t a place I wanted to be. It didn’t have the diversity that Budlong had, and it was just really big. I transferred to Amundsen, and it was the right choice for me.

I went to college at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In my first semester, I took a chemistry class and psychology class. I loved my psychology class, but failed my chemistry class. I subsequently then changed my major to psychology. My senior year, I did an internship at Tuesday’s Child and it confirmed that I wanted to work with kids. After graduating, I saved up for a year to go to graduate school at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

After finishing graduate school, I started working at Swedish Covenant Hospital as a crisis worker in the emergency department. While working there, I fell in love with doing short term therapy. After about two years at the hospital, I wanted to work with children. I went back to school at Northeastern Illinois University and got my school counseling endorsement. It was a two year program including an internship I completed at Peterson which then led to being hired here.

My favorite part about being at Peterson is that everyone in this building is like a huge family. Everyone looks out not just for themselves, but other staffmembers and especially for the children. Walking in the hallway always provides moments of someone smiling or saying hi to you. It’s an awesome feeling to be part of this amazing family.”

“I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I moved to Chicago thirteen years ago to go to North Park University. It was hard moving to the city at first, as I grew up where hunting and fishing were the norm. However, I got used to it quickly and haven’t missed it at all.

I was really into animals growing up and thought about being a zoo keeper, but in high school I planned on teaching Industrial Technology, which includes machining and wood working. That was the plan until I got my hands on a camera and starting delving into the photo and video world. I then pivoted my career and became a photographer and videographer.

I mostly worked doing photography and videography for the automotive sector as well as photography for corporate annual reports. It was engaging work, but it wasn’t fulfilling at the end of the day. About two years ago I decided it wasn’t for me anymore, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do going forward.

The catalyst for my career change came from working through a lot of issues with my kids at their school. Seeing the way the staff worked with them and with us as the parents was a real motivation. I could see the difference those individuals were making in our lives, and I wanted to do that for other parents and other kids who are struggling.

An opportunity then opened up at Peterson. The position to help in the classroom seemed like a good way to slide into the educator career path and see if it’s what I really want to do. Currently, I’m thinking about going back to school to be a teacher or a school psychologist.

The experience here has been really good, especially seeing the care that’s given to students. It has been much more rewarding than the work I was doing and it’s been great working in 207. Ms. Platt and Ms. Ortigara have been great to work with, and everyone has been so welcoming here. I am probably the only one at Peterson that is bummed out that the school year is about to end.”

“I was born and grew up in Baghdad, Iraq, with my five siblings. In Iraq, I would go to school for four hours; it was a half day school. Then, we would spend the afternoon with our family as well as take a nap. When we woke up, my mom would dress me up, and we would go out onto the streets. We’d play and go shopping to get candy for me. On Thursdays, we would visit our families since we were off on Fridays. We had a really big family, more than fifty uncles!

Saddam was the ruler, but I’m not aware of anyone in my family or my neighborhood ever getting hurt. We lived a happy peaceful life. My dad is Sunni and my mom Sheie; this was never problem for us. Sometimes people use their differences as an excuse to hurt other people.

I remember when the war started. We stayed until my dad received a note telling us to leave, and if we didn’t, one of my siblings would be killed. We literally just got into the car and left; we left everything behind. We moved from city to city, living in Syria and eventually making it to Chicago.

I love Iraq and I wish I could go back, especially because the rest of my family is there. I also really miss Eid in Iraq. Everyone celebrates, and we go from house to house celebrating in the neighborhood!

I came to Peterson in sixth grade without being able to speak English, and I had to adapt to a new culture. Being at Peterson made the transition easier, and it helped me grow.

After graduating, I went to Mather and then to Northeastern, where I graduated with a degree in biology. My hope was to go to medical school, but there is so much schooling related to that. Now, I’m looking into clinical science laboratories. Until then, I’ll be working at Peterson.

It’s great to see so many people that still work here form when I was a student here. Peterson is more diverse now. There weren’t a lot people who spoke Arabic then, so it was really hard for me. Now, I can find a friend for a new student right away who speaks their language who can help them navigate the new culture.”

“I was born in raised in Brooklyn. I’m an only child, but I have a lot of cousins that are basically my brothers and sisters.

My grandfather came here on a ship from Naples, and opened up a pizzeria in an area of New York where fellow Italians were immigrating to. It was a very close knit community, and everyone knew who I was when I walked around the neighborhood.

I used to live on top of my grandfather’s pizzeria, and there was a door that went straight into the pizzeria where I’d hang out. I worked there starting at the age of ten; I’d sit behind the counter all day and make, “cawfee”. I continued working there all the way through college.

My grandfather is such a hard worker, and I definitely grew up wanting to be that kind of person. He’s 89 years old and he’s finally stopped working!

My mom worked in a school as a secretary. Growing up, I felt like I wanted to be like my mom and work in school too. So, I decided to become a teacher. Once I finished getting my masters degree, I went and got my first teaching job in Long Island City. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t get to be with my students all day like I do at Peterson. It didn’t feel like I had a home like I do in room 211.

Last year, my husband got a job in Chicago, and it was very last minute. We found out in June and moved here in July. The hardest part has been not being around my friends and family, but I enjoy that they visit all of the time. It’s only an hour and half flight.

I like Chicago better than New York. It’s quieter, cleaner, and a lot less dramatic than New York. I went home for the holidays, and when we went out to eat it definitely felt like New York. By that I mean obnoxious. In terms of pizza though, there are good slices of pizza you can get here, but Chicago’s deep dish pizza is terrible, it’s not pizza!

I learn so much working with Mrs. Martens! From her years of experience, she’s taught me so much, and especially with technology since she’s so good with it!”

“I grew up in Skokie, IL, with my older sister. My dad was a news editor and cameraman for NBC for forty years, and my mom taught fourth grade in Skokie for over twenty years. My dad's job afforded me a lot of cool opportunities like meeting Michael Jordan and Nelson Mandela!

I loved my education growing up. I was very fortunate because of the diverse culture I grew up with, but it wasn’t until college that I realized that. I remember going into my friend’s homes and experiencing different traditions and foods. Now, I often equate my experience in the Skokie school district to Peterson.

I always knew I wanted to work with kids. I took a psychology class in high school, and it peaked my interest. I had always been fascinated by human behavior, and I wanted to help others. I majored in psychology at North Park University and went to Minnesota to work as a career counselor with welfare recipients and youth with disabilities. My husband and I then came back to Chicago to both attend graduate school.

I ran a teen parenting program and then a child care center for the children of those teen parents as well as my own kids. My jobs have always centered around my children, and I’ve always tried to find jobs that work with what my kids’ needs are. I currently manage the operations for a nanny agency which lets me work remotely. It gives me the opportunity as a parent to be in the school, which I know is not possible for a lot of parents, and I'm grateful for the opportunity.

Having attended North Park University, I knew the great reputation of Peterson from being in the area, and my husband’s mom had also attended Peterson. We then decided to move into the area, so we could send our kids here. I started as a volunteer at Peterson in 2012 when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten. Then, I would volunteer in her class once a week. Volunteering has allowed me to get to know the staff as well as the kids. It has also deepened my understanding of the school culture. I think people might be afraid to ask if they can help, but a lot of what I do for the teachers I do at home, whether it’s small or big. I grew up in a family of educators, and my husband is an educator; I have a deep respect for teachers and the importance of what they do.

Currently, I’m on the board of Friends of Peterson, I am the secretary of the PTA, and I am also the room parent for two of my kids’ classrooms. I really feel that in any community you get out what you put in, and I truly think Peterson cares about all children at this school [as both a community and as individuals]. I get to see it in all the conversations I have with the students, teachers, parents, and administrators. Peterson also cares about students’ social and emotional needs, which is really important to me.

Summer is coming up, and we’re really lucky that my husband is a CPS teacher. So, we get to spend our summers together as a family in the Northwoods of Wisconsin at our cabin!”

“I grew up in Chicago Ridge with my little brother. My grandpa had a piano store where my dad also worked. I loved helping my dad with the various projects he had, especially restoration projects. My dad often tuned pianos. He would even tune pianos for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra! I have memories of hanging out in the auditorium while my dad worked. My family’s business has been around for over 50 years. My family taught me the value of working hard. Despite my family's love for the piano, I was more interested in visual arts.

Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian, but then I really got into art. I went to school at DePaul University, and I studied archaeology and art. After graduating, I spent a summer on an archaeological dig in Sicily and saw someone restoring a mosaic tile floor. The work they were doing inspired me to work in the field of art restoration and conservation. After pursuing my masters in Historic Preservation at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I worked on restoring paintings, a globe from WWII, and some books from the Holocaust that are now in the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Despite the importance of the work and loving what I did, it paid minimum wage, and it wasn’t financially viable.

I knew I didn’t want to work in a cubicle, and I really wanted to do something that helped people. I then decided to be a Diverse Learner Teacher because I appreciate that everyone is different, and I've always loved learning and being in school.

I went to Northeastern University for my teaching degree. Weeks after graduating, I met a group of people from Peterson that had come into the restaurant I worked at. I started talking to them, and everyone was so nice that I had a gut feeling I was going to work with these people at some point. My gut was right. I interviewed at Peterson, got the job, and I really did get to work with those kind and collaborative people!

It’s really wonderful how diverse Peterson is and how we celebrate that. I was just in Milwaukee, and I was so proud to see a H ate H as no H ome H ere sign! It’s the epitome of who we are as a community, and it’s refreshing to know you’re amongst good people. I love co-teaching with Ms. Platt and working with the Peterson team! Going back to my love for animals, I’m really excited that all summer I’ll get to hang out with foster dogs since I just became a dog foster mom!”

“I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and I lived there until I graduated college. My mom’s side of the family lived in Chicago, so we came up here a lot when I was kid. I really liked big cities, especially places like Chicago that had a lot of culture and diversity.

For college, I went to Webster University. I really liked their liberal arts program, and since I write and play music, I thought I would go to school for audio production. I soon discovered that I didn’t have the patience for it. One of my professors was also the Public Relations professor and suggested I do promotions. I then got my degree in Public Relations which allowed me to work in the music industry. For my college internship I got to work for Sony BMG in music promotion. I then worked for a couple more music promotors and radio stations during and after college, and it was a great experience! I wish I could have continued, but the music industry tanked, and I had to get a new job.

I ended up doing marketing at Wells Fargo, which paid better, but I didn’t love it like the music industry. Lucky for me, my friend was going to go teach in South Korea and took me along with her. I ended up teaching English to kindergarteners, and I loved it! Seeing how quickly children were able to learn another language inspired me to go back to school for teaching. I come from a family of teachers, all the way to my great grandmother. My dad kept telling me to become a teacher, but I resisted. I didn’t like school growing up, mostly due to having an undiagnosed learning disability up until sixth grade.

I initially went to Dominican University for ESL and ended not being able to pay for my education. I got a great opportunity when I got into the New York Teaching Fellows. I moved to New York, got my masters in education, I and taught in Brooklyn for two years. I did get home sick though, I and came back to Chicago. I came back too late in the year to get a position in CPS, so I took a job at a charter school. I loved the kids and the teachers, but it felt very corporate and I wasn’t completely happy. It was hard to start over at Peterson, but so many people are wonderful here. I have very supportive colleagues and administrators, and everyone is open to collaboration. I also really love the diverse cultures of the staff and students.

Right now, I don’t get to play music as much as I’d like to, but I did release an album last year. I’m really looking forward to touring the West coast this summer!”

“I grew up in Western Springs, IL. Growing up, every few weeks I had a new dream or a new interest to pursue. I wanted to be an astronaut for a long time as well as an actress, and an ambassador. I In high school, I loved chemistry and took a lot of
chemistry classes. I attended The College of William & Mary, and completed degrees in French and Economics.

After college, I worked for a wealth manager for about year analyzing client assets. It was fun, but I really wanted to use my French. I then worked for a travel agency called Abercrombie & Kent. During this time, I also worked for Hilary Clinton’s political campaign. When that didn’t work out the way I had hoped, I decided that I wanted to help the people that were going to be disaffected by the new administration.

I had always done volunteer work. I volunteered at a Saturday program working with kids on the West side, and it was great! I decided to continue working with kids, and I found City Year through AmeriCorps. It turned out to be the single greatest year of my life. My kids were incredible, and I wanted to do everything I could to help them be successful. I was able to raise $8000 for the school through grants and fundraisers just so that my students could get basic needs met. I started a morning read aloud program, a gardening club, and I helped get the school repainted. Over the summer, I started looking for work in Chicago Public Schools, and I was lucky enough to find Peterson!

Working at Peterson has been a dream. It’s the most perfect school I have ever set foot in. It’s diverse, and our students have so many different stories. They’re smart, emotionally intelligent, and they’re just really wonderful kids!

I’m going to school for social work at Loyola right now. I may return for other degrees that can help me best serve my students.”

“I am originally from the West Rogers Park neighborhood, over by Mather, which is where I went to high school. I played a lot of baseball, and I even played on a traveling team that would play against other teams in the city. In high school, I joined the wrestling team.

I always wanted to help people. I decided that I would go to college for criminal justice. While I was in college, I realized that there was a stigma towards minorities and that some people thought that minorities couldn’t be successful. I wanted to be the person to prove those individuals wrong. Higher education was my answer, but two years into college, the 9/11 attack occurred. I left college and joined the Army. Enlisting in the Army was my way of showing my dedication, as well as my family’s dedication, to this country. My mom immigrated to the United States from Mexico, and being on the front lines in the Army was the best way I could show that my family deserved to be here.

After I got out of the Army, I used the GI Bill to go to the University of North Texas since I was already stationed there. The military helped me become a more focused and driven student. I got a bachelor’s degree in applied arts, in science, and in rehab studies. I also obtained a master’s degree in secondary education. At that point, I thought about becoming a teacher and working with students with disabilities.

I then became a social studies teacher; I loved working with kids. After a couple of years, I decided to seek different opportunities. However, I still wanted to work with kids, and if it was not through teaching, I at least wanted to make sure that children’s school experience was safe and enjoyable. After moving back to Chicago from Texas, I began looking for new opportunities working with students. I heard about a security position available at Peterson, and I heard great things about this school, including how diverse it is. I felt I would be a great fit.

I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone so that they can feel comfortable coming to me for any help. So, if you see me at Peterson, say hi! You can call me Mr. Menez or Mr. M. On a side note, my first name, Gremlin, is a nickname that I got in the Army. I liked it so much that I legally changed my name to it!”

“I was born in Virginia, but I grew up in Bethesda, Maryland. My grandfather was a diplomat at the Pakistani embassy, and my father, who was a teenager at the time, came from Pakistan with them. My mom came from Pakistan after they got married.

Because I grew up in the Washington, DC area, I was really lucky to go to school with a really diverse population since many of the other students were children of diplomats. I was surrounded by a variety of languages, and I wanted my children to also have that cultural experience.

I went to Boston University where I got my marketing degree. From that, I worked for my dad for a short period, but I then got into early childhood education. I was a director of a non-profit childcare center for preschoolers and school-age children.

In an interesting story, my aunt's hobby is match making, and that is how I met my husband. There’s even an interview on NPR's Weekend Edition about our story! My husband is from Chicago, which is why I moved here twelve years ago. Once in Chicago, I started teaching preschool. I took a hiatus when I had my children, but I’m back now at Unity Preschool in Evanston, and I really enjoy it. I think it’s really important work since we’re planting seeds for curious and authentic human beings. It's a privilege to witness and be a part of all the growth that happens during this time.

We came to Peterson site unseen. We had heard really great things about Peterson, especially regarding the social and emotional aspects as well as the curriculum. We knew we made the right decision when Ms. Patel helped my crying son transition into his first days of school; I can’t say I love her enough.

My kids have been here since kindergarten and we’re hardcore “Golub-ites!"

My first time really volunteering was in Mr. Golub’s class. Mr. Golub was awesome, and I asked if it would be okay if I came in and helped in class. He said, “Sure!”, which then led to me volunteering every Friday in the classroom. That’s really how I started my involvement in Peterson. I then attended some PTA meetings and met people that gave me the opportunity to be involved. From there it becomes easier to find opportunities.

What I really love about Peterson is how comfortable the kids are here. It really is their second home, and even though they may complain about being at school, they really do love it. Peterson lets the children be themselves; they know they’re okay here!

“I grew up in Arlington Heights where I went to St. Peters Lutheran School and then to Hersey High School. My mom and my sister are special education teachers, and I definitely did not want to do the same thing as the rest of my family. From my years of watching HGTV, I decided that I wanted to be an interior designer.

I got into Illinois State University for interior design and right before starting there, I thought back about what my high school math teacher told our class. He told us a story about how he used to be a traveling businessman until he found out he had cancer. He asked himself what impact did he have on the world. He survived cancer and decided to become a teacher. I started thinking what impact would I have on the world.

Right before going off to college, my now mother-in-law told me I’d be a really good teacher. I did take child development classes and taught in the preschool at my high school. I really enjoyed being around kids. Before I even started college, I changed my major to early childhood with an endorsement in special education.

Once I started doing clinicals, I knew I had made the right choice. I always loved working with little kids. They still have that wonderment about the world, and anything can spark a learning moment at that age. I want to be there to start that spark and keep it going.

Right out of college I worked with two-year olds at a daycare. I then worked at Patton Elementary in Arlington Heights as an ESL teaching assistant, and I met someone there that knew Mr. Golub. She forwarded my resume to him and that’s how my career at Peterson started.

I’ve been very lucky to learn from Sharon and Jayshree. With their guidance, my classroom management has grown tremendously. I’ve also learned that it’s all about building relationships with families and the kids. It makes a huge impact.

I didn’t grow up with a lot of diversity. Coming to Peterson, I became fully immersed in all the cultures here and one my favorite things we do every year is home visits with the pre-school families. I am welcomed into their homes, and they share their home cooked meals with me! I hope that my daughter will get to experience the same diversity that I’ve experienced. I love being with my daughter and watching her grow up. I now understand why the parents are so emotional when they leave their child with us.”

“I grew in the Irving Park neighborhood with my brother and sister where we went to Grover Cleveland Elementary School. Throughout middle school and high school, I really wanted to be a writer. Then, in my junior year of high school at Lane Tech, I started doing tutoring after school at the Neighborhood Boys and Girls Club for my service hours.

Tutoring took me in the direction to become a teacher, and I tutored for the rest of high school. Then, I became a reading tutor in college at Western Illinois University. This is when I decided to study elementary education.

I was placed at Peterson for student teaching with Sandy Saucedo, who was the same mentor teacher my sister student taught with! After graduating, I came back to Peterson to cover a maternity leave teaching fourth grade math. The following year, I started as a sub at Peterson, and I then worked at other schools in the area. In January 2016, a fourth grade reading teaching position opened up, and I got it. I have been loving it ever since then!

Teaching at Peterson has been a great experience. I get to teach my favorite grade and favorite subject, and I get to share my passion for reading with the kids. The first book we do together, The T ales of a Fourth Grade N othing, is so fun, and it’s how we get our kids excited for the year since they can easily relate to it. It’s great to see kids who hadn’t had much interest in reading go and pick up another book in the series once we are finished.

I’ve come to realize that being a teacher never ends. If we’re not teaching, we’re planning or we’re learning how to be better teachers. Luckily, I have a great team in fourth grade to work with. Mr. Jedrzejczak and I started teaching at the same time, and it’s been a great co-teaching experience!”

“I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and I grew up there with my brother and sister. My parents were missionaries, and I lived there off and on until my sophomore year of high school.

As a child, I probably went to nine different schools. One of them was an international elementary school, a school like Peterson with students from all over the world. Actually, during one my family’s leaves from the Congo, I was enrolled at Peterson Elementary where I completed seventh grade and graduated from eighth grade.

Growing up, I had an amazing experience. It allowed me to develop the world view I now have, which is that people are more similar than they are different around the world. I love to be in Chicago because of the diversity, and I feel more comfortable in a diverse setting. It was also nice that while traveling back and forth to the Congo, we would stop in Paris or Rome on the way.

I then went to North Park University for elementary education, and I completed my masters is in reading, writing, and literacy at UIC. I then taught kindergarten and first grade in Catholic schools and in Lincolnwood for the next fourteen years before I took a long break to focus on starting my family.

I’ve always loved the creative part of teaching, and you can do that a lot in kindergarten and first grade. Being at home with my family is actually how I got into teaching art. I started doing art classes for preschoolers out of my home, which I still do today, and it’s a great complement to teaching at Peterson now.

I really just love being a part of the community. I’ve had my kids at Peterson for thirteen years now, and my husband, James, has been teaching at Von Steuben for twenty-six years. I volunteered when we had Parent Coffee and Tea as well as chaperoned for field trips. Also, when my daughter was in first grade, I would come into her class and teach art. Generally I help whenever I can.”

“I mostly grew up in the Chicagoland area with my seven siblings. However, when I was in high school, my family moved to Costa Rica for a year. My parents were missionaries, and the opportunity came to go to Costa Rica; the whole family was really excited about it. It was very enriching to experience another culture and learn to speak Spanish. Then, we moved to Mexico City for the rest of my high school years. I came back to Chicago to go to North Park University for college.

When I was in high school, I really thought I wanted to be a high school English teacher. Once I got to college though, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. In the spring of my freshman year I took an art class, and I loved it. I did art on my own but this was my first formal art class. Once I started, my professor suggested I become a fine arts major. I had always been interested in teaching, so I decided to do arts education. It really meant I could teach something that I’m passionate about.

I completed my student teaching at a middle school and at a high school, which is where I thought I wanted to be. I then took few years off and became a parent and foster parent to children that I then adopted.

A couple years ago, my husband and I realized that we now had four kids in school, and it was time for me to go to work for the first time. My first year of teaching was very challenging and very eye opening. I learned a lot about classroom management which is very helpful now that I am in my second year of teaching. I can now focus on the curriculum and teaching. I absolutely love teaching art! I’m working to be the best teacher I can be in this field and on learning from a variety of places and people.

I’m really excited to be here at Peterson. I’ve lived in the neighborhood for years, and it’s been a dream to work here. I’ve heard a lot about it for years, and I have a lot of friends that have kids that go here. I think it’s important to be a part of the neighborhood you’re in, and I really love the diversity that Peterson offers.

I do a lot of painting and ink drawing on my own. My family and I love to go hiking. Any chance we have, we try to go hiking at the Smoky Mountains. My favorite place to hike in the state is Matthiessen State Park which is ten minutes past Starved Rock.”

“I was born in South Haven, MI, and then moved to Jackson, TN, when I was in fourth grade. I lived there until I went to college. I already knew what I wanted to do when I was in high school, and that was to become a clinical psychologist. I wanted to learn more about how negative events affect child development.

I moved to Chicago to go to go to Northeastern Illinois University to work with a team of psychologists there that were already doing similar work. The move was made easier since my sister was already in Chicago working as a clinical social worker. I am now at the University of Illinois Chicago where I’m finishing my PhD in Clinical Child and Pediatric Psychology and working at on a project that looks at how different risk factors affect development, specifically childhood trauma.

Peterson is our neighborhood school, and my fourth grade daughter has been attending since kindergarten. Since my daughter was in kindergarten, I have been chaperoning school field trips and attending parent meetings. It is important to me to be involved because it sends the message to her that school is important and that what she does there really matters.

Being involved and attending parent meetings helps you meet more families and keeps you in the know about what’s going on. As a PAC officer and parent volunteer, I have also developed better relationships and communication with the teachers and administrators.

I started volunteering for International Night, and I have been on the committee for the last two years because I saw ways that I could help with the planning for this event. International Night is probably my favorite event because Peterson is so diverse, and people from multiple cultures attend this school. This event is a great way for people to learn about individual differences since it can be difficult to talk about diversity and culture, while also being fun and a way to start a conversation.

In July, we’re leaving Chicago because I am doing my residency in Dallas. I’m joining the Department of Psychological and Social Services for the Dallas School District. I’ll be working with a team of psychologists who go into schools to make sure the teachers and staff are trauma informed. I will also be doing individual and group therapy for kids and work with families in a health clinic.

“I grew up in the city in Jefferson Park. I went to St. Cornelius Elementary and then Regina Catholic High School.

My mom is from Scotland, and my dad is from Ireland. My dad’s family immigrated to Canada when he was twelve before moving to the U.S. My mom reluctantly moved here when she was seventeen when her mom sent her to live with her sister's family.

I remember really liking my teachers when I was growing up. At a garage sale, my mom picked up a teachers edition spelling book, and I would use it to teach my cousins when we played. By the time I went to college, Western Illinois, my thinking was more influenced by financial prospects, and there wasn’t much money in teaching. I decided to major in business marketing, but near the end of college, I started realizing that most marketing jobs were in sales. Right after graduating, I enrolled at Northeastern University to get my master’s degree to teach students with learning disabilities. I completed observations at a high school, and I definitely thought high school would be for me. I then got placed to student-teach in a third and fourth grade class, and it completely changed my mind.

My first job out of school was at Prussing Elementary in a resource class. My first year teaching was overwhelming, and I didn’t have many resources. I would go to the local library every day and pick out books to use in my class. I slowly learned that I could actually ask for supplies. My second school was Dever Elementary. My principal, Dr. Millar, was the one who truly empowered me as a teacher and gave me the confidence to work with challenging students.

I have been at Peterson since 2008, and the focus on inclusion is what has differentiated it from other schools. Inclusion provides a great environment for students, but it also allows for co-teaching in the classroom which greatly helps both teachers grow their craft.

Having grown up in a neighborhood where many people had a similar background as me, Irish Catholic, I assumed most of the world was Catholic. Then, a college professor awakened me to the realities of the world. Being at Peterson has helped me learn more about Islam and has provided me with great relationships with students and parents that have taught me so much about other cultures and faiths, and I am very grateful for it!

“I was born in Romania, and my family moved to Chicago when I was ten. It was a really difficult move since we were leaving behind friends and family.

I didn’t know any English when I got here. People would talk to me and at me all day long, and I would just say, “Yes” to what they said to me. Depending on their reaction, I would sometimes switch my answer to “No”.

I attended Prussing Elementary School where Mr. Elmasri’s mom was one of my teachers! There, I also found a very understanding math teacher. In Romania, schools were very strict and not doing your homework was unacceptable. At Prussing, the few times I forgot to do a math homework assignment, my teacher would just sit me in the hallway and help me. Because of the help I received from the teachers at Prussing, by the end of the school year I was a much better English speaker.

I went to Taft High School where I was chief editor for the newspaper and yearbook for a couple years. Then, I went to DePaul University to get my education degree. I have been wanting to become a teacher ever since I was in kindergarten! I though my teacher was so cool. At home, I would instruct my siblings and pull out notebooks and school supplies so I could teach them and pretend that we were at school.

I started working at Peterson in 2012. My role has changed from year to year which has been great! Moving positions has allowed me work with different teams and grade levels. Every thing that I’ve learned from Peterson educators has made me a better teacher. Right now, I am an ESL teacher, and I love what I do. Seeing the growth and progress my students have made is amazing!

I really love to travel, and I've had the opportunity to visit so many different cities and countries. I have also traveled on mission trips to Mexico and Peru. On my most recent trip, I went to Africa to volunteer at a school, and I was able to use what I’ve learned at Peterson to provide a great learning experience for kids. Another great thing that happened in Africa is that I met my fiancé. I’m getting married in a few weeks and it’s really exciting! I am looking forward to starting a new adventure!”

“I was born and raised in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood. My sister and I were the only kids on the block which meant we had a lot of people looking out for us. It was a great upbringing.

My mom did a great job protecting us and providing very diverse experiences. She made sure we got to see the world outside of Chicago with a lot of traveling to different states; we even went to the 2012 Presidential Inauguration. We would go on road trips, and my mom would teach us about what we were seeing along the way. She would also remind us where we came from and how grateful we need to be for what we have.

Elementary school was okay for me. I needed a lot of help, and the teachers went out of their way to look after me. They made sure I had different outlets to express myself, especially through art and dance. I did a lot of after school activities as well. My favorite activity was theater. However, after some stage fright moments I realized I preferred to be behind the scenes. This led me to journalism. I continued with journalism in high school, and we got to go behind the scenes at local news stations. From this experience, I found out I really love directing. Aside from focusing on journalism, I also went to Saturday school to take additional classes like Chinese and pre-calculus as well as a DJ class which was a lot of fun!

I went to college at Grand Valley in Michigan with the goal of becoming a heart surgeon. It was a culture shock for me being one of the few black students in the pre-medicine program, which I quickly decided wasn’t for me. I decided to major in sociology with an emphasis in statistics. I planned to work for the government but wasn’t really sure what that would be. I got a job working at Indiana Trails camp and worked there for five years. Then, I realized I wanted to work with people and having been raised in a family full of teachers, it quickly became obvious that was what I wanted to do.

I love being a paraprofessional at Peterson. I wish more Chicago students had the opportunity to go to a school as good as Peterson. The staff really does care about the children and looks out for them. It feels great to be a part this community. Being a paraprofessional is great practice for becoming a teacher. I plan to go to back to school to get my teaching degree! Outside of Peterson, I love to paint, be with family, and play some video games on the side of course.”

“I grew up with my older sister in Munster, Indiana. Teaching was always in the back of my mind, especially since my mom was a teacher. I was also really interested politics. In high school, I was on the debate and constitutional teams. I became an Eagle Scout and did a lot of volunteer projects such as helping at nursing homes. All of these interests motivated me to work to earn three Congressional Awards and corresponding medals. Indiana Senator Richard Lugar presented me a silver medal and that’s how I was able to apply to be a Senate Page for him.

Being a Senate Page for Lugar was my first job. I went to Washington, D.C. for the summer and worked on the Senate floor for the senators. While there, I fell down the stairs and broke my foot. I ended having to use crutches which became an issue when we were evacuated from the Capitol. All the senators were in the Chamber ready to take a vote and a plane entered the no-fly zone around the Capitol causing an evacuation. Since I couldn’t move very well, two people picked me up and carried me down the stairs of the Capitol. Senator Jack Reed of Rhodes Island grabbed a water of bottle for me and walked with me, keeping me calm. 2005 was a fascinating time to work in the Senate. The Chamber was full of many famous people at that point including Ted Kennedy, John McCain, Barrack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. It was great to get to know the senators first hand and see history happen before my eyes!

During college, I returned to the Capitol where I got an internship working for Senator Bayh of Indiana. Working as an intern in D.C. was like any other office job; I answered phones and e-mails, and I felt that that wasn’t for me.

After college, it was difficult finding jobs since the economy was in a recession. It gave me the opportunity to pursue teaching, which I always wanted to do. I thought I would teach high school history and applied to the Chicago Teaching Fellows. However, I only qualified as a Special Education applicant. I then found out my godmother was a case manager, so I went and worked with her, and I absolutely loved it! I ended up getting the fellowship and attended National LouisUniversity to become certified. I got my first teaching job at the same school as Mr. Elmasri, where I taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grade Resource.

I always loved teaching fourth grade. Once I found out there was an opening in fourth grade at Peterson, I jumped at the opportunity. Peterson has an amazing community and I'm honored to be a part of it!

I’m really looking forward to Spring. I’m a gardener and love getting outside and growing flowers and vegetables. The vegetables taste so much better when you grow them yourself!
”

“I grew up in both Lake Villa and Chicago. I went to school in Lake Villa, and I spent my summers in Chicago with my grandparents who still live in the same home where my mom grew up. We’re definitely a close family because my mom now lives with my grandma. My sister and I live four doors down, and we eat dinner with my mom and grandma once a week.

I always wanted to be a teacher, but it took awhile to get there. I worked really hard in high school and went to Western Illinois for my undergrad in elementary education. I had a tough time in my first two years and then decided to come home for a semester to figure things out. I then thought I wanted to go into event planning. I went back to school and changed my major to communications with a minor in marketing and management, and I did an internship at Western during the summer.

I then moved back to Chicago and worked for a couple years at a restaurant. Afterwards, I started working in an office and realized that it wasn't what I wanted to do. I looked into graduate programs for teaching and went to National-Louis for a daytime accelerated program, which meant I could still work at night. I finished in two years and started teaching shortly after that. I’m glad I found my career the way I did because I don’t think I was ready to make a decision about my career when I was eighteen. I was far more prepared in my life when I went to get my masters.

After college, I worked at a charter school in the Austin community for three years. It was good a learning experience. I then went to Sherman Elementary in Englewood where I also learned as I completed the New Leaders for New Schools’ Emerging Leaders program and taught second and third graders.

I decided I needed to move on, and I came to Peterson. At Peterson, people are happy to come to work! Here, I’ve had a lot of leadership roles that have helped me grow as an educator. I also really enjoyed co-teaching with Ms. Barnes. Our administration and the parental support are fantastic and make a huge difference. Teachers at other schools don’t believe me when I tell them that my principal got us substitutes for two days so our team could do planning. Our time is valued, and Ms. Kane wants us to do what’s best for kids.

I’m really looking forward to ending physical therapy in April, which I’ve been doing since June after my knee needed medical attention. I am also looking forward to going to Belize, especially after being in this frozen tundra!”

“I was born in Amman, Jordan, the middle child of three. I played a lot of sports growing up, but soccer was the sport I really pursued. I was on the Jordanian National Soccer Team, and we traveled a lot. We went to Dubai and Lebanon a few times.

I moved to Chicago in 2008 to be with my future husband, George, whom I met in Jordan. I came to the United States with a fiancé VISA, and I became a citizen in about four years. The move was hard at first but I was busy with school and work. Fortunately, I was able to go back home every summer to visit my family.

After I got married, I went to Oakton Community College. There, I played soccer for a semester, but it was too much traveling, and I had to focus on school. While at Oakton, I almost became a dental hygienist, but my husband convinced me to teach. That was the right decision! Growing up, I always liked to play teacher and tutored my brother in English, but I never thought about being a teacher. After Oakton, I went to Northeastern Illinois University where I then finished my bachelor’s degree in education. Since I love biology and math, I got my minor in math and science.

Peterson is my first and only job as a teacher. I love the people here; everyone is so supportive! I’m very lucky to have worked at different grade levels. I initially worked in sixth grade, and it was a great experience with a great team. Additionally, Mr. Reynolds was a great math coach, and I still go to him for advice. I was at first sad to move from sixth grade, but I discovered with that came a very welcoming and supportive team in fourth grade. They did everything they could to help me transition, and then Ms. Zodo joined and completed our team!

Now, I have a son who is a kindergartener at Peterson, and I just had my second son in October! It’s very comforting to have my son here at Peterson since I know everyone here. The hard part is getting anything done in the morning since he is very inquisitive about everything and likes to ask questions. He also won’t let me take him to his class until 8:35, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to prep in the morning!

“I grew up in Butler, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburg. I was involved in dance a lot growing up which gave me the opportunity to travel around the country. My plan was to be a professional dancer. Throughout high school, I trained in classical ballet, and when I went to college I transitioned to doing contemporary dance.

I completed my undergraduate degree at Utah University where I double majored in dance and biology with the idea that I could do physical therapy once my dancing career was done. I decided not to get my biology degree, but instead pursued a degree in Art History and Performance Studies. Changing to Art History was the first time I really enjoyed being in school. After graduation, my goal was to seek employment in a museum.

I went back home to Butler after finishing college, and I started looking for a job. However, it was 2010, and jobs were hard to come by, especially in museums. I ended up getting a job teaching for Head Start. This is when I realized that I liked teaching. I found that I was really passionate about social justice education and creating equitable education experiences for all kids. After five years, I decided to enroll in the University of Chicago’s urban education program to focus on social justice.

Peterson is my second school in Chicago. I loved my kids at my previous school who celebrated a common heritage, but one of the beautiful things about Peterson is the diversity. When we came together at the beginning of the year to talk about who we are, there were so many different experiences shared, and I really valued this.

I stand by my desire to be a social justice teacher, and I talk to my kids about being advocates for what they want. Being a teacher is my way of being an advocate for what I believe. I really look forward to seeing where my kids are at the end of the year. We talk a lot about social justice in the classroom, and I’m excited to see that their empathy and their desire to help others continues to grow.

“I was born in Alaska along with my brother and sister. My dad was in the Air Force, and he was stationed in Alaska until I was about five. After that, we moved to New Hampshire because of my dad’s job. I loved growing up in New Hampshire; it’s definitely always going to be home to me. In fact, my parents still live there.

I grew up knowing I was going to be a teacher—I always played school at home. My mom was a school aide, and she’d bring home leftover worksheets. I’d love to grade them! When I got older, I would teach preschoolers at a Christian summer camp, and in high school, Amy Almer’s sister would let me help out in her classroom during my open period.

I came to Chicago to go to North Park University for my teaching degree, and it was a huge change for me. We had lived in the wooded part of New Hampshire where there were dirt roads that didn’t get plowed when the snow fell. Chicago was very overwhelming for me, to the point that I would spend most of my time on campus, and if I did leave, I’d make sure I was near a blue emergency call box at all times!

After a semester, I went home to Keene State College and continued my education. After graduating, I went to Florida for a while, and it turned out to be the wrong choice for me. I then moved in with my friend in Chicago who lived near Peterson. I went to a job fair and saw that Peterson had a stand. Fortunately, I got hired for Rachel Bramley’s maternity leave. I bounced around on maternity leaves for my first year, and then they opened a first grade position. I have been teaching primary ever since. Carrie Martens was a huge part of my success in primary. She was always willing to help me figure things out and was a mentor in those early years.

I married my husband, Joey, whom I met at Peterson. We now have two daughters, a five-month old and a kindergartener who attends Peterson. The reason I’m so willing to send my child to Peterson is that I know that my colleagues want to teach kids and continue to push them to be the best person they can be. I didn’t get to grow up with diversity around me, and I love that Peterson provides that for my daughter. “

“I grew up in Lincolnwood with my two brothers and Tom. Tom was my brother’s friend, but we basically adopted him, and he lived with us since he was fourteen.

My dad worked very hard to put food on the table and send us to good schools. He was a real estate broker and a tavern owner, and he taught my brothers and me a very strong work ethic. He taught me that nobody is better than anyone else and that you have to work hard if you want to make it in life.

My mother passed away when I was in kindergarten, and that is one of the reasons I became a teacher. I remember my kindergarten teacher scooping me up in her arms and putting me in her lap when my school announced that my mother had died. In second grade, I was having a hard time adjusting to my mother’s death. My teacher helped me through it by walking me back and forth through the hallways, telling me that everything was going to be okay, and that I could cry as much as I wanted to. The actions of these amazing teachers inspired me and made me want to give back to children.

I attended Niles West High School which had a daycare center and offered child development classes. After taking a child development class, I was inspired even more to become a teacher.

After graduating college from National Louis, I went to London for a year. My brother was the limo driver for the music conductor Sir Georg Solti, and I was an American exchange student in the school where his kids went. It was an amazing experience! After returning home, I got my master’s at Northeastern.

After ten years of teaching private schools, I had heard of an opening at Peterson. CPS wanted to open up a pre-school, and I was the person to do it. I have been at Peterson for 22 years! The mainstay of Peterson has been the wonderful community feeling. There are so many people that really care here. There has always been strong people at the top that truly care and want everyone to succeed and go to the highest level.

Ms. Patel is my right arm. We’ve learned so much from each other. I’ve always thought of her as my co-teacher, and seeing what she does for kids and parents is very inspiring. Our dream is that I’ll take her to Greece and Ireland, and she’ll take me to India. Having Ms. Marion in the room has made us a fine tuned machine, and I can't imagine being without her!”

“I was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and I am the youngest of four. Our family moved to New Hampshire when I was six years old because my dad changed careers. He became a counselor who helped people with disabilities transition back into the workforce. My mom ran a daycare in our home; I couldn’t wait to get home from school each day to play with the kids.

Growing up, I wanted to be an engineer or a nurse, but then my sister, who is ten years older than me, moved back to New Hampshire after college to teach at the same elementary school I had attended. I started helping her out which is when I realized that I really enjoyed working with kids and wanted to be a teacher.

My mom is from Chicago, and she met my dad at North Park University. Because of this tie to Chicago, we would come and visit every year. I followed in my dad’s footsteps and attended North Park University as well. I obtained my teaching degree along with a major in Spanish. I was able live abroad in Morelia, Mexico, while I studied Spanish. It was one of the best experiences of my life!

After college, I worked in an office at North Park, and I got word that Peterson had a teacher on a leave of absence. I was recommended for the position, and I landed my first teaching job as a second grade teacher. I hadn’t worked with primary grades before, and I’m so grateful that Wendy Chung supported me through it. Eventually I started teaching fourth and then fifth grade, and I have enjoyed it ever since. I love the team I teach with. I feel supported, and I think we make a dynamic team.

I met my husband Erik here in Chicago, and he always loved helping out at Peterson. He’d help any way he could, from coaching basketball to making gingerbread houses for the kids to decorate. It eventually led to him getting his teaching degree and teaching at another CPS school.

I love camping, specifically at different national parks. I’ve been to Acadia National Park many times with my husband and six year old son, Oskar. This summer we’re traveling west and going to the Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Mt. Rushmore, and Badlands. Besides camping, we love seeing anything historical!”

“I grew up in the Austin neighborhood; I am the oldest of nine. I went to St. Angela Catholic Elementary School, and the most I remember is that we had really small class sizes. I joined choir and really enjoyed it, especially when we did caroling downtown.

I went to Providence Saint Mill for high school but transferred after freshman year due to the tuition being too high. I then transferred to Austin High School, and I met great friends there—even a cousin I didn’t know about.

Providence was a more limiting experience whereas at Austin, I was exposed to new and different ideas. For example, you couldn’t even step on the lawn at Providence without getting in trouble. At Austin, there were a lot of experiences such as being introduced to a whole new group of rappers. Ultimately, I did well in high school, and I got inducted into the National Honors Society.

My first choice for college was Howard University, and I got in, but they didn’t provide enough financial aid. My next choice was Monmouth College, and I got in with a scholarship! Monmouth was a small liberal arts college so we all knew each other. At that time, I really loved science and started out as a biology major. By the end of freshman year, I decided I needed to choose something that was a better fit and something that I loved. I graduated with a major in English and a minor in history.

After college, I stayed home to help my sister advance to the next grade. Then, I joined City Year for a year, and I worked with seventh and eighth graders in an English classroom at Dulles Elementary. It was a very humbling experience realizing how much these kids were going through. This is when I realized I wanted to be a child psychologist.

I applied to the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and I started going during my first year at Peterson. Now, two years later, I graduated with my Masters in Child & Adolescence Psychology. My end goal is to get my Ph.D in Clinical Psychology. I’m already thinking about writing my dissertation on adolescent aggression in the black community.

I absolutely love the Peterson community. It’s so open and warm and welcoming. When it is my time to leave Peterson, I’ll be really sad. I’m really excited for the summer since I did get engaged last April, and we’re getting married in June!”

“My younger brother and I grew up in Chicago until we moved to Evanston when I was in fifth grade. My dad was a buildingsuperintendent for a realty company, so we had to live in the building where he worked. This transition happened in the middle of the school year, but it wasn’t too bad since the kids at my new school seemed to really enjoy that my name was Rizo. They thought I was named after the character from Greece. But I explained I was actually named after my grandfather.

My mother immigrated here when she was seven, going from Rome to Staten Island, and then finally to Chicago. My mother came over as an asylum seeker from communism. My dad then came to the states to marry my mom.

Growing up, I didn’t envision myself being teacher. I was definitely thinking about playing professional sports like basketball and soccer. I do remember always helping my brother and cousins with their homework.

I went to Evanston Township High School where I took an economics class my senior year. Chip Brady was the teacher and he had the ability to make all of the content really fun to learn. This really inspired me to get into finance. He had worked in finance for a number of years before he got into teaching, and being my favorite teacher, I thought I’d take a similar path.

I went to Loyola University and got my undergraduate degree in finance and eventually went to work at Northern Trust. Five years into my finance career, I began training people from India, and they really enjoyed my teaching methods. It helped me realize that I shouldn’t wait any longer. I got my master’s degree from Northwestern University in order to become a teacher.

After getting my teaching degree, I student taught and covered a maternity leave at Whitney Young. Then, I taught at Lane Tech for a year, and came to Peterson It’s been great ever since. There’s a ton of support, and the kids are awesome.

My wife of 10 years and I have three kids: two daughters named Emma and Jenna, and a son named Leo. I’m really looking forward to traveling more often and having my kids experience different cultures in and outside of America. I also look forward to growing as a father, teacher, husband, and person.

“I grew up in Lincoln Square with my younger brother and sister, and I attended Saint Matthias School. We then moved to Norridge, and I attended Saint Patrick High School. Unknown to my teachers then, I had dyslexia. I found this out about 10 years ago. I have to read a sentence 4 or 5 times just to figure out what it’s saying.

My dad was a building engineer who also worked side jobs all the time. At 8 years of age, I was cleaning factory toilettes and resurfacing floors. We did janitor jobs at churches, synagogues, homes, and businesses. We’d go to hotels to gather the garbage and burn it. While going to grammar school, my siblings and I would wake up at 3:30 am and would go to work with my dad on one of his side jobs. We’d then go to school afterwards. It was a family operation, so I didn’t get paid for any of it.

Right after high school, my first job was at the Divine Savior School in Norridge. I got fired 9 months later for shoveling a path in the snow for the nuns before the priests’ path got shoveled. The priests felt they deserved to be shoveled first; we disagreed on that.

I’ve been in CPS since 1981, and I started as a custodian. I really wanted to be an engineer, but it involved a lot of tests. In order to study for them, I would take the book and handwrite everything that was in it. It was the only way I could learn what was in the book. It took me about a year to prepare for the engineer test, but I passed the first time! I wasn’t assigned to a school, but to a section of the city. I worked at about seventy schools before I got to Peterson in 1993.

Before 1995, CPS’s budget for upkeep was not what it is today. We would have to keep buckets in classrooms for rainy days and make sure to turn the lights off so they didn’t blow out. When I got to Peterson, it was not top shape physically. The first summer I was here, I had my parents and siblings help me remove all of the furniture and clean up. It took four years to finally get Peterson all cleaned up!

I have a daughter and son, and my son is the engineer over at Taft High School. After getting two kidneys implants, my goal right now is to be able to get up the next day and get to work!”

“I was born and raised in Highwood, Illinois, and I wanted to be a teacher as far as I can remember. I used to play teacher every day at home. Sometimes my mom would move my piles of papers, and of course I’d get really upset with her. I even started babysitting when I was nine years old and loved it!

I always loved being in a school. In high school, I worked for Lincoln Park Prep, and taught pre-school during the summers when I was off. While in college, I worked at a Montessori school.

I knew I wanted to work in Chicago, and my first teaching experience was in Garfield Park, doing clinicals. Having grown up in such privileged circumstances, going to the West side, I was taken aback. I loved the school and the kids so much that I talked to the assistant principal and told him that I would contact him for a job after I graduated. After graduating, I got the job and dedicated my whole day to the kids. It was a hard experience, and I learned so much from it. I loved working there, but after five years, it was time for a change.

When I started at Peterson, I worked in fourth grade and slowly worked my way to first grade. Teaching primary is where my heart is the happiest. I love seeing kids become readers and reaching their goals. There is such a supportive community and staff at Peterson, which is the reason why it’s so great! We work together as a team to help kids.

This is my fourteenth year as a teacher, and I’ve evolved a lot. When I started teaching I struggled because I did not have the support. Now being at Peterson, I can’t imagine doing it without all of the supports we have. I love co-teaching with Ms. Ortigara and working together as a team has helped me evolve as a teacher.

When I am not teaching, I love spending time with my husband and my two children. I have a three year old son and a six year old daughter who always keep me busy.”

“Growing up, I moved almost every year of my life; my parents were consistently switching careers. My dad came to the US when he was 16, and he grew up in Garfield Park. He then joined the US Army when he was 18 and was stationed at the DMZ in South Korea. He met my mom while he was there, and they came back to the USA together. They did everything they could to achieve the American dream. For them, that meant working at a cleaners. We struggled financially until my dad was able to get his military benefits recently.

I thought all the moving was exciting until high school when I started understanding why were moving, which was to find work. I was already working at the age of twelve, which was cool at first, but then I realized that I was working to support our family. After my dad received his military benefits, I didn't have to help support them anymore which has taken a huge weight off my shoulders.

I never thought I’d be a teacher. I never behaved well in school and was removed from two different ones. Besides seeing my friends and going to gym and art class, I disliked school. I didn’t have big goals growing up, and many adults in my life didn't believe I could be successful, particularly teachers.

My senior year of high school, I got a part time job as a paraprofessional, working with kids with autism. I immediately wanted to become a teacher after that experience. I could see how much potential students with autism had.

I graduated high school with a 1.8 GPA, so I knew I had a lot of catching up to do! I went to College of DuPage while working three jobs. I then transferred to Illinois State University, which I graduated from with a 4.0 GPA!

My first job as a teacher was working in Humboldt Park at Funston Elementary. My big goal while there was to help the kids that truly felt they had no one else. I was there for three years. I learned so much, but I also took on too much, so I needed a change. I worked at a couple of more schools and found out what I wanted from a school. After doing a lot research, I came across Peterson, a school that shares a lot of the values I hold true as an educator.”

"For the most part, I grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota, with my two sisters. We did spend five years in Rockford, IL, as my dad was in the National Guard, and we would move back and forth between states. Third grade through high school was spent in Apple Valley.

I certainly didn’t appreciate Minnesota when I was there; it was too cold for me, which is why I ended up in Los Angeles for college. I got my bachelors in European History and then went to California State in Los Angeles to get my masters. At this point, I wanted to be a history professor and went to the University of Southern California to get my PhD in American History.

I moved out to Chicago and taught at a number of institutions, including North Park University. I then decided I was then going to get my teaching degree. I ended up at Peterson after Tom Ruby reached out to me and told me to get my substitute certificate since there was an opening at Peterson. I did mini teaching at Mather and then did student teaching at Peterson. Luckily the principal at that time paid for my student teaching. I’ve been here seventeen years and working with Ms. Bell most of that time.

I love teaching middle school, whereas in college, I didn’t actually get to teach a lot, and mostly graded really bad papers. Now, I spend more time in the classroom and get to teach sixth graders about Frederick Douglass. They’re very capable of answering difficult questions while also understanding that they may not know all the answers.

Peterson’s strength is that teachers collaborate and don’t have egos. We’re all constantly learning, and I always tell kids that when I’m done learning, I need to retire. Even though I have a history background, we are more about developing the skills for comprehending a text, writing skills, and being able to prove your argument. Content won’t stick especially when you can Google any fact you don’t remember.

I wouldn’t change my job for anything. I live in the neighborhood, I walk to work, and I get to see my kids all of the time. I love the kids here, and for a teacher, it’s a dream job. My children are the third generation to go to this school. My mother-in-law, my wife, and my kids have all gone to Peterson, and without the community, Peterson wouldn’t survive !"

"I was born and raised in Summit, Illinois, with five other siblings. My parents came here from Mexico, so we’re first generation Americans. I went to Graves Elementary School and Argo Community High School in my neighborhood, and they were both great experiences.

Argo was a good environment with good teachers and coaches. If anything, that experience led me to the teaching path. A lot of those teachers helped guide me into my career and were just great role models. Coach Murray, Coach Jankowicz, and my Spanish teacher, Ms. Macedo, are the teachers that really impacted me and my future.

I was an honor roll student in high school, but I didn’t do well on my ACT exam. After high school, I didn’t get into the colleges I wanted to, and I felt like I was all over the place. I thought about joining the armed forces, but decided to go to a community college. I took my methods classes and went back to observe my teachers. I realized at that point that teaching was what wanted to do. I then went to Chicago State University, and I got my teaching degree there. The staffthere always did everything they could to help, especially when it came to books. If I couldn’t afford a book, they share them or would find them online for us. They definitely helped me succeed.

My first teaching job was part time, and I was just as much of a security guard as I was teacher. It was a school that didn’t have resources, and the class sizes were usually forty students. Children weren’t learning in that environment.

Coming to Peterson has been an amazing experience. The staff and parents have been great, and the students are a lot fun. I’m learning a lot from Mr. Spy; he’s a good colleague, and co-teaching with him helps us work through any bumps in the classroom. I look forward to getting to know the students more and to helping make our students lifelong learners. I have also really enjoyed coaching cross country with Coach Mac, and we’re really proud of our runners!"

"I was born and raised in Chicago, but we moved around a lot when I was young because my dad worked several jobs; I’d get to see him in passing or on the weekends. My parents were first generation immigrants from Palestine, and they moved here because my dad had a good job opportunity. My mom was actually pregnant with me when they moved.

I’m a proud product of CPS schools, but I also see some of the challenges facing the district. I went to Beaubien Elementary and then to Von Steuben High School. Beaubien had a gifted program, and unfortunately it became a have and a have-not situation within the school. I definitely had the feeling that people saw my education as less than the gifted students. That being said, my experience at Beaubien shaped my perspective on the quality of education all children should have access to--an education that emphasizes critical thinking, processing, and creativity. I took this belief with me to West Humboldt Park when I started teaching at Alfred Nobel Elementary.

As a teacher, my motivation was to provide my students with the same or better education as the gifted schools. My first year of teaching was rough; there were a lot of challenging needs from the students. It helped me see the students in all that they bring, but I never let their challenges become excuses because we as a school would support them through their challenges.

The principal at Alfred Nobel was a strong believer in building the leadership capacity of teachers. So, I asked him if I could join the Instructional Leadership Team, and he allowed me to. This experience gave me the opportunity to constantly learn from my peers. I then started to inquire more about how my then principal did what he did. I wanted to be the one who led a neighborhood that is highly regarded, like he did for Nobel. He nominated me for New Leaders, and I got accepted--now I’m learning under Ms. Kane.

When I got to Peterson, I took some time to learn and figure out what makes Peterson what it is, and I learned how similar it is to Nobel. Peterson has a very strong leadership and teacher leaders who have a clear vision for the school. Above all, students come first in all regards. I’ve learned how much Peterson really values involving the community in decisions. I’m looking forward to continue to learn what it takes to really lead a school."

“I grew up in Harwood Heights with my three older brothers, and I moved to Norridge when I was in seventh grade. I went to Ridgewood High School where I was a three sport athlete: football, wrestling, and pole vault.

Teaching was always in the back of my mind, and I really wanted to coach sports; I thought being a teacher would give me that opportunity. I decided to go to the University of Illinois with the guidance of my brothers, who always seemed to know best. My brothers and I are really close. It was a really difficult time for us when our oldest brother, Chad, recently passed away; he was only 42. It was really hard for our family, especially my mother.

To pay for school, I joined an air defense artillery unit in the Illinois National Guard Reserve. I started with the unit when I was seventeen, and I loved my experience with the unit. I thought about doing it long term, but my brothers talked me out of it.

I decided too late in undergrad to get my teaching degree. I finished my English major and toyed with either being a teacher or lawyer. However, after graduation, I became a financial planner before going to the Academy for Urban School Leadership to get my teaching certification. After working at various schools teaching English and science, I realized that I really wanted to teach math and got my endorsement at the University of Chicago. After working at a few other schools, Mr. Reynolds gave my resumé to Peterson. I have been here for eight years!

Peterson has many aspects that set it apart from other schools. The teachers here are a team. We have our challenges and difficulties, but we’re prepared to handle them. The administration has also done a good job of making sure we have everything we need. The opportunities to work with kids and have the resources to make it happen is no small task. It’s also just a good school!

I’m always looking forward to my next travel adventure and we’re taking a cruise over Thanksgiving!”

“I grew up the youngest of seven in Humboldt Park, and I attended Midwestern Christian Academy for elementary school. I then attended Lincoln Park High School where I was a band major and played the flute, as well as marched in the band. I’ve been playing the flute since fourth grade when my dad basically told me that was the instrument I was going to play. I wish I had learned the piano. I love listening to classical music and hearing the piano. Sometimes I get to play with Mr. Villesvik before school, and it’s a lot of fun!

I then took a couple of courses at Truman Community College and got my associates degree. I also took early childhood courses and worked at preschools and daycares. After working with little kids, I decided I wanted to work with older students. I started going to different schools and handing them my resumé. I came to Peterson and Bob, our engineer, took my resumé. I adamantly told him that he had to give it to the principal. I probably annoyed him, but he did, and I got a call back. I got hired and thanked him right away!

I’m just so lucky to be a part of the Peterson Elementary community! I’ve worked with all different grade levels and love them each differently. I love the connection that I’ve made with parents, as well as the diversity that everyone is so proud of. I love the small-group settings you see in the hallway, and the, “a ha”, moments kids have. Every day I come to work thinking, “what difference can I make in a child’s life?”

It’s extremely rewarding to see how much a child can grow in the nine months we have them in school. It’s especially exciting to see students pick up books when they wouldn’t before, or just how they communicate with their teachers when they need help.

More recently, I transferred to Northeastern Illinois University where I am getting my degree in teaching with a music minor. However, I am now thinking that I actually want to be a school counselor. It’s taking me a while to get through school while being the parent of four boys and working, but I really look forward to finishing!”

“I grew up in Fremont, California with my younger brother, who just got married this summer. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, specifically a math teacher—I think I liked sharing and helping people to understand what I understand. There is a big community aspect of sharing knowledge, and it really appealed to me at a young age.

I then took an advanced math class in high school and realized teaching math wasn’t for me, but music was always something special for me. My friends weren’t the most encouraging about my singing, and in spite of their opinions, I joined choir class. It turned out I could sing, and sing well! I then joined advanced choir and then the musical theater group. My high school choir teacher, Ms. Glover, was my inspiration and mentor. Around sophomore year of high school, I realized I could teach choir!

I went to the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. I got my degree in voice and went back to my old high school and started teaching right away. I did that for a year and then did some touring and educational theater. Then after visiting Chicago a few times and realizing how much I liked it, I decided I should just move here.

I decided to go back to school at Northeastern Illinois University to finish my teacher license for Illinois, and did full shifts at Starbucks at the same time. I was basically a zombie for two years.

I was informed about Peterson needing a choir teacher, and I could tell right away from the first phone screenings that Peterson had good solid people who really care, and I have felt nothing but support since.

Right now I’m really looking forward to the Spring musical and our concerts! Music is so much more then the classically trained path, and it’s really about how music can enhance your life.”

“I grew up with my sister on the south side of Chicago, in Roseland. I mostly went to a Catholic school until 7th grade when I told my parents they were wasting their money, so I went to public school after that. I then went to Corliss High School. My most memorable teachers are the ones that I ended up working with. Mrs. Randolph was my 7th grade teacher and then in 1992, I worked at the school where she was the principal.

I had to go straight to work out of high School. I had my first child when I was seventeen and needed to provide for her. My daughter now works as a clerk at a school, my middle child is a teacher assistant, and my son owns his own retail business. My first job was at White Castle, and then I worked for a company that made steel frames for cars before I got to work for CPS in 1989.

My first school was Coleman Elementary school; I was put in a school where there were a lot of challenges. I then transferred to King High School, but the teachers kept thinking I was student and would have me go to class. I decided I’d only work in elementary schools after that point.

I hopped around different schools until I worked at Lawrence Elementary for seventeen years, and I eventually got to Peterson Elementary. I really like it here since everyone is really nice. This is where I plan to retire. I travel a lot on my breaks and that’s what I plan to do in retirement. My first road trip was when I sixteen, when I went to my grandparent’s 500 acre farm in Alabama. I loved it and ever since then, I have been taking road trips all over the U.S. and Canada. If you ever have questions about traveling, feel free to ask!”

“I grew up in Evanston, IL., and my entire life I knew I wanted to be a teacher. This passion for teaching came from a bad school experience in my first elementary school. I was in an elementary school that had teachers that didn’t care, we didn’t have recess, and I felt like if I couldn’t learn something it was all on me. I was able to recognize this in 4th and 5th grade. We switched schools and my whole world changed. The teachers adapted to my learning needs, and we had recess! It showed me how much influence teachers had on children’s lives.

I then went to Evanston Township High School where I had a debate teacher who taught me about policies and education. He gave me the tools to find out who I am as a person and how I can use my identity to help others. He also helped me get into a lot of organizations, and it culminated in me becoming the Chicago City Debate Champion.

A month after graduating high school, I moved to Los Angeles. I did some teaching and also learned that I have a great passion towards youth development. I served with an organization called City Year. I was a tutor and mentor for eleven students and my favorite was always the social emotional side, teaching them how to be good humans. It was extremely rewarding to teach the children that they have the power to find a way to fix their problems.

I stayed in Los Angeles and found other youth development organizations and eventually found Playworks. It’s a great match for me since I really believe in the power of play! With the help of the program director at Playworks, I am starting to dabble in grant writing. We’re learning how to program develop, and it’s a great experience before I eventually go back to school for education.

Peterson will be my second year with Playworks and what I’ve realized coming here is that my above-and-beyond is the standard here. It’s scary, but I look forward to seeing how we grow together!”

It takes a community of committed individuals to make sure that kids are successful, and Peterson is so very fortunate to have a group of volunteers who repeatedly and tirelessly give of their time to support the young people at Peterson to become college graduates, community leaders, and cultural ambassadors. THANK YOU Peterson volunteers for all you do for kids.

I would also like to specifically recognize the officers of FoP (Friends of Peterson), the LSC (Local School Council), the PAC (Parent Advisory Council), and the PTA (Parent Teacher Association). Thank you Catherine Korda, Stephen Johnson, Chuck Deters, Barbara Nordlund, and Rachel Bramley for raising funds to support Peterson Elementary through your work on FoP. Thank you Lloy Johnston, Kim Schiller, Leslie Combs, Fady Sharshar, Karla Holcomb, Aaron Olson, Naseem Azizuddin, Marti Hindaileh, Tom Ruby, Brian Bochenek, and Chuck Deters for spending many long evenings working on the budget and the strategic plan as part of the Local School Council. Thank you Catherine Korda, Jessica Espinosa, Lynda Gibson, and Anita Gabor for providing opportunities to learn about mathematics, literacy, social-emotional learning and more as a part of the Peterson Parent Advisory Council. Finally, thank you Megan Trinter, Sarah Ahmad-Myers, Carmen Karnuth, Barbara Nordlund, and Maria Ciccone for organizing so many wonderful community events as a part of the Peterson Parent-Teacher Association.

Thank you again to our extraordinary Peterson community for the collective work to give rise to college graduates, community leaders and cultural ambassadors.

“I grew up in Palatine, Illinois, with my younger brother and sister.

Growing up, I knew I wanted to work with kids. It was the only thing I thought about doing, and my high school had an opportunity for me to learn about teaching in a pre-school classroom. I also did an internship in high school where I could help out in a first grade classroom for two hours every morning. They were both great experiences.

I then went to Loyola University to get my teaching degree. Their education program has a big social justice component, which I believe was very important to my education. While at Loyola, I worked at a tutoring center with mostly English Learners. I then knew I really wanted to work to support second language learners. I was always so impressed with students’ desire to learn in addition to the challenge of tackling a new language.

My first year out of college I was a member of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is a program through AmeriCorps. I lived on a Native American Reservation in Montana and taught fifth grade. It was very eye opening, as many of the students were facing a lot of challenges in their lives.

When I finished teaching in Montana, I knew I wanted to work in the city, and luckily I got the position at Peterson. It feels like my first year teaching all over again. There are struggles, but my students and I have learned a lot this year. We have come a long way from the beginning of the year!

I love the support and the diversity of Peterson. The 2nd grade team and the staff have helped me a lot this year. There’s a lot I don’t know how to do, and they haven’t skipped a beat in helping me succeed!”

“I was born in Chicago. I have an older brother and a half-sister and half-brother who are much older than I am. My dad was a city planner who has a PhD in history. My mother went to school for textiles, and I had the best Halloween costumes ever made. Interestingly, the reason I am in technology is because my mother and I used to build computers together when I was younger. Sadly, my mother passed away in 2012 from breast cancer. I am now on the board of a non-profit called Theresa’s Research Foundation, and organization committed to raising funds for metastatic breast cancer research.

I went to St. James Luthern School, Von Steuben High School, and Loyola where I studied history. Before coming to Peterson, I had a cubical job that was not very fulfilling. I was going to leave the job to join the Navy, but I was unable to pass the eye exam. Fortunately, I started at Peterson in November of 2011 as a paraprofessional, and shortly afterwards, I was asked to be the technology coordinator.

The best about Peterson is that I get to see everyone teach. I get to walk through classes and kids know who I am. I am sort of like the mini-Caban. I also get to capture what is happening through photography and film. I am always trying new things, or flapping my wings as they say.

Apart from my official role at Peterson, I am also on the FoP board and the LSC. I know that schools are not treated equitably financially, and I want to do what I can to change that. I have always wanted to be in public service, which I get from my mom, because she was always doing the right thing.

In 2017, I married Anna Garcia who is now Anna Deters. She is a SpEd teacher at Hawthorne. Anna and I both love to see the world, and recently we went to Hawaii and loved it.”

“I was born and raised with my younger brother in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb of St. Paul. I come from a long line of music teachers. My mom was a piano teacher, which gave me an early start into music, and her mom was an elementary music teacher. My grandfather on my dad’s side was also an elementary band director.

I played the piano when I was in 1st grade and then started on the cello in 4th grade until I broke my arm. I then switched to the trombone when I was in elementary school band and played it all the way through high school. I also played the bass guitar to start a band with my friend in middle school. In college, I started playing classical bass and have been playing that ever since.

I went to Augsburg College, and I knew I wanted to be a music major, but I wasn’t sure where that would go. What appealed to me about music education was that it was going to be challenging.

My first teaching job was 7th through 12th grade in a small town in Minnesota. It was a challenge, and I learned a lot my first year. I stayed there for three years, and then I moved to Chicago with my current fiancé. I worked at three different schools for maternity leave positions before I came to Peterson.

It’s really cool to see the progression from when a student starts in beginning band to where they end up in 8th grade as musicians. Learning to play an instrument is a long term investment for the student and me, and we get to see their progress unfold before our eyes. Playing a song for someone is as authentic as anything.”

“I was born in Buffalo, New York, and then we moved to West Hartford, Connecticut. I was greatly impacted by my parents, as my mom was a teacher and my dad directed social services for youth.

I double majored in psychology and educational studies at Knox College, and I stayed for an extra year to coach their woman’s soccer team. After graduating from Knox, I moved to Chicago. I went to graduate school, worked for Planned Parenthood, and then moved with my husband Mark to Ecuador for a year and a half so that he was able to do research for his PhD. While there, I took up Taekwondo and eventually became the national champion in Ecuador. This helped my realize that I wanted to be a personal trainer, and I took a job at New City YMCA. After my daughter was born, I started my own business and have had my own business ever since.

I wanted my kids to attend the neighborhood school. After they started at Peterson, I contacted Karla Holcolmb and asked how I could be a part of the Peterson community. I went to my first PTA meeting, and I eventually became the membership leader. For many parents, the PTA is your first entry into feeling like you have a community here.

I am currently the LSC Chair, and the LSC is a thrill to be on. You get to see individuals from all parts of our school and community with the same goal, but driven by different life experiences and viewpoints. Ultimately, my family is my most important thing. If a decision will diminish my connection to my most important thing, I let it go. My family spends a lot of time at Peterson. so by association, Peterson is among one of my most important things, which helps me make time and space for it.”

“I was born and raised with my twin brother and younger brother in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Growing up, my passion was sports. I did gymnastics my whole life, and I also did diving in high school, even going to the state competition. I loved my time doing gymnastics and other sports, but it was time to move on when I went off to college. To continue being active, I do kickboxing now.

I didn’t know I wanted to be teacher until I went to college in Oshkosh, WI. I got an after-school job as a tutor in an elementary school, and I loved it so much I instantly changed my major to education. I continued to work there throughout the next four years of college. Then a friend of mine recommended I go into the Diverse Learning program at Oshkosh, and it was the right choice. For me it meant I’d be prepared to properly help all students.

After college, I really wanted to move to a big city, and Chicago is definitely a big city! I love Chicago! I grew up in a small town and the difference is that there’s always something to do, and there’s never a dull moment in Chicago. Luckily, I got the job at Peterson, and I love it! I feel very lucky that it’s my first school, and I work with some incredible people. There’s so much to teaching that I didn’t expect, and there’s always something to learn. I really appreciate the community that Peterson has and the support that everyone has given me.

Being my first summer in Chicago, I’m really looking forward to all the festivals as well as traveling with my family!”

“I grew up in Rogers Park until kindergarten, and then we moved to Arlington Heights.

I was in dance my entire life,
doing ballet, tap, and jazz all
the way through college. I was very quiet as a child, and dance was a way to express myself. I still take dance classes, mostly hip-hop and modern classes.

I’m also a big foodie. I grew up around food. My mom managed a bakery when I was younger, and I would go to work with her in the summer at 4:30am. My dad is a chef and my mom is a restauranteur.

Growing up, I debated between being a doctor and a special education teacher. My passion for special education came from my little brother Mitchell, who has Down Syndrome. He had a lot surgeries when he was really young, and I became very protective of him when we were growing up. He didn’t speak for a very long time, so when I was six or seven, I picked up a sign language book and started teaching it to him. I wanted him to advocate for himself. Right now, he is doing great. He’s going to the Special Olympics State Championship for weight lifting, and he just finished playing the Scarecrow in an adult production of the Wizard of Oz.

I ultimately decided to go into Special Education, and I made the right choice. I loved the program at Illinois State University and it reaffirmed my decision.

I started working at Little Village High School, and then the elementary school down the street, Zapata. I taught at Zapata for five years and loved the community relationships, but it was time for a change. I was really looking for a school that was about inclusion and diversity, and Peterson valued both immensely. It’s so good to see kids at a young age be with peers who are different than them.”

“I was born in Vientiane, Laos, and my family came over to the United States when I was seven. The majority of my family was here already, so we moved here to be with them.

The hardest part of moving here was not speaking the language, but the school I attended had a bilingual program for Laotian students. It was also difficult to get used to the cultural differences. In Laos, all of the bathrooms are unisex, so when I was new, I walked into the boys bathroom to the surprise of the boy who was in there. He kindly showed me where the girls’ bathroom was.

Growing up, I wanted to be a physical therapist, but I also really wanted to do something that let me travel. After high school I went to Lake Forest College and got my degree in Economics and International Relations.

I worked for a couple banks in Chicago, but then my husband and I moved to Texas. I thought it was a good opportunity for a career change. I decided to go back to school and get my degree in nursing. I did a year of nursing in Texas before moving back to Chicago in 2011.

While I enjoyed helping people financially when I was working in banks, it just wasn’t fulfilling to me. Nursing can be mentally and physically exhausting, but when I start to see someone get better after interacting with them for 8 to 10 hours a day, it’s very rewarding.

I love working with kids! I did use to work on the pediatric floor at Swedish Hospital and really enjoyed it, so I applied for a nursing position and got placed at Peterson. I really enjoy being here, and I am happy to work 5 days a week at Peterson.”

 “I was born in the Philippines and my parents brought me to the United States when I was two. They wanted a better life for us. I grew up in Albany Park and went to Haugan Elementary and then Lane Tech.

I started off  studying marine biology at Hawai’i Pacific University, but then I changed my major to psychology. I moved back to Chicago and went tocNortheastern Illinois to finish my degree in psychology with the hope of eventually getting my doctorate. I realized, though, that psychology was not for me. Knowing that I wanted to work with kids, I eventually settled on Early Childhood Education and worked in daycare at Northeastern after I graduated.

After working at the daycare for a couple of years, I decided to go to culinary school. I have always loved cooking! Growing up, you either cooked or cleaned, and I hated cleaning. I thought I could work at a restaurant and eventually open my own place. I then actually worked in a restaurant for 16 hour days, 6 days aweek and there was no letup. I did finish my culinary degree, but then went back to the daycare system as their cook, and the workday was a regular Monday through Friday.

My kids started at Peterson when my oldest was in kindergarten. When we toured Peterson as parents, we walked in, and it felt welcoming. We didn’t feel that at other schools. We also really appreciated that the seventh graders gave us the tour, and they knew the answer to all of our questions. Fortunately, a paraprofessional position then opened up at the school.

I started working with fifth grade and was terrified. After working with the fifth grade team, I became inspired to pursue my teaching degree. I was always an active part of their classroom, and it showed me that I could be a teacher too. Now, I’m going back to school to get my Masters in Teaching. I also currently cater on the side for parties. I started my own company and do cooking classes for kids. I go to parties and classes at daycares, and this lets me work with kids and cook.”

 “I was born and raised in West Rogers Park. I went to a private parochial school in Skokie for elementary and high school. While I had both positive and negative experiences with teachers, I always remember the teachers that made extra time for me and made those connections. That’s what I remember most now as teacher.

Despite my mom being a teacher, I definitely did not want to be a teacher while growing up. All I had on my mind was to make money, and I went to Northeastern for business. However, I then got engaged to my wife, and she made a good point. Why was I going to business school when I’ve been with kids my whole life? I’ve been a camp counselor, youth group leader, the oldest of five, and I loved working with kids. Once I started taking classes in education, I realized how much I enjoyed it.

I got placed at Peterson for student teaching, specifically fifth grade, including Ms. Almer and Ms. Bramley. While working with them, I realized that I would be successful as a teacher due to everything that they taught me. At the end of that year, Ms. Bramley went on maternity leave, and I took over her classroom.

At times, teaching can be grueling since there are so many diff erent demands in education, but when I see the kids that want to come talk to me on their own time, for school or personal reasons, it’s a reminder of why I love teaching. Yes, they’ll learn multiplication and how to do a science fair project, but the relationships that we’re building to help these kids grow up and make good choices is so rewarding!

I couldn’t do my job without the help and guidance of certain people in my life. I call my mom every day for tips and advice. I also couldn’t do it without my team: Ms. Almer, Ms. Bramley, Ms. Ahmed, Ms. Ortez, and Mr. Bochencek. We talk as professionals and as friends, and you need that support for each other as well as the kids.”

 “I was born in Panama, and my family moved to Chicago when I was twelve years old. 

hen my family got to Chicago, I was enrolled in sixth grade at the neighborhood elementary school. I was then put into the bilingual program. After two years of bilingual education, my teacher recommended that I transfer out of the bilingual program so that I could practice more English and have a better chance of going to Lane Tech. Through hard work and with the help of my teachers and my mother, I graduated valedictorian and went to Lane Tech.

I initially went to Wright College, but once my family became residents, I started going to Northeastern to get a degree in education. I wanted to provide students with the education that my teachers gave me. I wanted to become a Spanish teacher, and I initially started working with adults at Daley Community College, teaching ESL.

In the process of trying to become a U.S. citizen, I realized there was so much I didn’t know about the country that gave me so many opportunities. I felt that to really be a part of the country I needed to understand its history. I decided to go to Loyola to get a masters in history, and it made me a stronger educator overall.

I came to CPS in 2011 and taught history at Wells High School. I eventually became the co- chair of the history program, where my focus had been to identify the right support to help children thrive as well as develop teacher capacity.

While at Wells, I applied for the New Leaders for New Schools Aspiring Principals Program, and I came to Peterson as the Resident Principal. Peterson has such a strong social and emotional component, I instantly wanted to be a part of what educators and the community were doing here. Social and emotional learning is essential in a child’s development, and I knew I was at the right place. I am excited to continue to work with kids coming from other countries and who need that additional support and connection to succeed.”

I studied psychology at Illinois State University (ISU). While I was studying at ISU, I had an opportunity to do a practicum experience as a sophomore at a local autism clinic learning about Applied Behavior Analysis, and working with kids with autism. I worked in the clinic until I was a senior and did my whole senior thesis about my experience. After that experience, I really wanted to pursue ABA therapy outside of undergraduate studies. However, I was also interested in school psychology. After ISU, I worked for a year at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders where I did behavior therapy as a full time job. Afterwards, I decided to go to graduate school at the University of Arizona.

My first full year as a psychologist was with a special education cooperative in DuPage County called SASED. I left SASED to go Los Angeles, but it didn’t work out as I had hoped, and I decided to return home. I knew I needed to move closer to my friends, and I hadn’t given Chicago a shot yet. It’s always been a goal of mine to work in CPS since I knew I wanted to be a school psychologist. 

I’m currently covering for a psychologist on leave, but I’m really hoping I can keep this case load. Peterson is a really positive environment! The amount of supports that are available for mental health are amazing which is not very common. There’s a variety of social skills groups targeting different needs on a weekly basis. The multi-tiered system of supports is top notch in my opinion, and this is the type of environment where I want to collaborate with other educators and families as a psychologist!

“I was born in Pakistan, and my parents brought me and my sister to the United States when I was six months old. They left Pakistan because they wanted a better life for us. From Pakistan, we moved straight to Glen Ellen. My parents didn’t speak any English, but there was a supportive community that helped them get a job at a factory. 

I struggled with English, and I remember my ESL teacher pulling out flash cards to help me. I didn’t speak English fluently until about 4th grade. I also really struggled to find my identity. I was bullied a lot in school. My mom would make me a curry sandwich for lunch, and the kids around me would make fun of me until I cried. I was embarrassed that my name was Kiran, since it definitely stood out from the crowd. On top of that, we were illegal immigrants, and we came to the country with an alias name. If my father thought there was a possibility of getting found out, we would move right away and go to a different school.

I went to community college and then to Loyola University. I was going to go into finance and realized it wasn’t for me. I was sitting in the courtyard at Loyola and remembered a moment with my ESL teacher. She had that sense of caring about me, and she was the first person that held my hand and walked me to class. It was a feeling I hadn’t ever had, and I know she was just doing her job, but her job changed my life. This experience led me to seek a degree in education.

Prior to Peterson, I taught in Pilsen. I loved the school and the community, but I noticed I was having trouble speaking my native language of Urdu. I wasn’t speaking it at my old school. I made a very hard decision to leave, but it was my opportunity to work with families on another level that I couldn’t do previously, and I look forward to it!’

"I was born in Chicago but raised in Mount Prospect with my two older sisters. Growing up, I always knew  that I wanted to be an architect.  

In high school, I ran cross country and track and was also on the cross country team in college. I started running marathons a lot after college but got injured and took some time off.  After high school, I went to Monmouth College, a small liberal arts school with only 500 students--my high school had 3,000.  Since I was debating if I wanted to go into advertising and be a copywriter, I decided to get a degree in business administration. 

While pursuing my degree, I also drove for my dad’s limousine company, did demo construction, and worked at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as a pit clerk, which led me to become a trader.  One day, a colleague of mine who knew I was a runner, asked if I was interested in coaching. 

I coached three seasons of track starting in 2004.  I ended up becoming conference director and really loved it. I then decided to quit my job as a broker and went back to school at National-Louis University to pursue my degree in education. I student taught in a kindergarten class and have loved it ever since!

I didn’t have the best experience at my first school. Soon after I arrived, I realized that the administration wasn’t leading with the interest of the students and community in mind. Since I knew I could do a better job, I was motivated to go back to school and received a masters degree in School  Leadership.

Since I didn’t want to return to my previous school's hostile environment, I decided to take a position at Peterson where I worked as the bilingual coordinator, which was challenging at first since I hadn’t worked with any grade other than kindergarten. We have students at Peterson that come from very difficult backgrounds, and I can’t fathom what they’ve been through.  I had a student who just wanted to stay after school since the building was air conditioned, unlike where he came from. In his home country, he was also forced to run around the school building until he was sick with exhaustion. Meeting these children has helped me empathize with people and the circumstances of where they come from.

In kindergarten, students do not understand social constructs, which makes it a free and open environment where we’re all equal. I read a story about parents' jobs, and it mentioned people having two moms or two dads, and everyone was fine with it.

Schools tend to be very top down, so when Ms. Kane came back to Peterson, asked the staff about what was going well and what needed improvement, and then worked with us to implement those improvements it felt like a tremendous team effort which gave teachers a great deal of voice. This helped to solidify that  kindergarten at Peterson is the place for me."

"I was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and lived there until I was thirteen. My mom had just passed away and my dad, as well as some of my siblings, were living in Chicago trying to support us from there. The brothers that were still with me in Mexico acted as father figures for the time being, and I can’t be more thankful to them. After my mom's passing, we all reunited in Chicago to do our best to establish a better life and pursue the American dream.

It was hard coming to Chicago, and not knowing the English language was very difficult. I only knew how to write, read, and speak Spanish. I started going to Foreman High School where it was very much a "sink or swim" environment.  Thankfully, I had an awesome teacher, Ms. Hernandez, who was my ESL teacher. She was encouraging and patient with all of the ESL students, and she definitely inspired me to become a teacher later in life. I knew the only way to open doors for my future was to get good grades, so I did everything I needed to in order to focus on my academics. I ended up getting straight A’s and learned English in the process. 

Before college, I worked on getting my citizenship. It was a great feeling to finally be a citizen. Citizenship meant that I was able to start a new life without being afraid. I could control my future without fear. My goal was to get a higher education and become somebody. 

I wanted to become a doctor, so I went to Northeastern University and graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Biology and Chemistry. I realized soon after that becoming a doctor wasn’t my calling. I wasn’t as strong as I believed I was when it came to having someone’s life in my hands, and I also wasn’t fond of blood!  I then went to Colombia College and got a Masters Degree in Education. I do believe that becoming a teacher was a natural transition for me. We have these kids lives in our hands and they’ll only be in first grade one time, so I know I need to do a great job for them.

My first teaching job was at Travis Elementary in the Back of the Yards. I taught there for four years and have been teaching at Peterson for twelve years. Peterson is awesome since you get to hear all of the different languages and see people from all over the world interact with one another. 

I see students facing the same struggles that I did in school, so I do my best to encourage them and reiterate that everything is going to be okay.  With the right approach to each of the students, I know that they will make it. Soon enough they’ll be changing the lives of others!

The most rewarding part of my day is getting hugs from my students. They’re showing how much they care about you and love you. Even after they graduate my class, I sometimes get hugs from middle-school students that remember me. It’s so rewarding to me knowing that I was able to make a difference in their lives!"

"I was born in Hagerstown, MD, but we moved to Vernon Hills, IL, when I was four years old after my dad was transferred to a different position.

My aunt and uncle were teachers, as were my grandfather and step grandmother, so teaching has always been in the back of my mind. I didn’t always want to be a teacher though.  When I was in the 6th grade the Titanic was found, and I thought it was so amazing that it motivated me to want to be an oceanographer. I then realized I didn’t want to go to college on the coast which ended that dream. I also wanted to be a pilot, but was misinformed that I had to have 20/20 vision and, as a result, didn’t pursue it.

After going to Libertyville High School, I went to Purdue University where I began pursuing my teaching degree. After the first semester I decided to change degrees to pursue a career as a Child Life Specialist, which is someone who works in a hospital and teaches children about the surgery that they’re about to have as well as the different instruments they might see. By my Junior year of college, I had developed Compartment Syndrome, which created difficulties with my legs. This required me to go to the hospital regularly which inadvertently made me realized I couldn’t work there. I ended up majoring in Youth, Adult, and Family Development with a specialization in Child Health.

After college, I worked for Big Brothers and Big Sisters participating in programs that bussed kids to different schools to act as mentors for other kids. I really enjoyed helping the children, but by then I new that I really wanted to be a teacher instead. I decided to go back to school and went to DePaul to get my Masters in Teacher.

I learned quickly that teaching is hard. I worked at a few different schools before I decided I wanted to be closer to home and be at school with a culturally diverse population. I subbed at Peterson for Mr. Brady and then was offered a position here. I taught 6th and 7th grade math, then 4th grade, and now 3rd grade for the past 5 years. 

I love the teams at Peterson, the adults treat each other so nicely. I also found the diversity I was looking for. There are cultures at Peterson that I hadn’t previously been exposed to and I truly appreciate that, as well as the intercultural exposure that students have with each other. We all get to learn about similarities and differences, and how we all fit together. I had my students watch the Olympics so they could see how people from different countries can live amongst one another.

I’m excited about training for my third marathon. I never thought this was something I could do, but when my dad had a really bad cycling accident, which prevented him from being active and doing the things he loved, I was motivated to take advantage of my ability to be active. Ms. Barnes and I initially joined a "Couch to 5k" running program which has turned me into a marathon runner!"

"I was born in Jamaica and was adopted by my mom who raised me in San Francisco until I was ten. We then came to Chicago after my mom got a new job at NEIU. I grew up on Foster and Kimball and went to Hannah G. Solomon Elementary and then on to Lane Tech High School. My brother, who is from Africa, and I, actually still keep in contact with our birth families; surprisingly both of them live on the west side of Chicago! I now have two more younger brothers and a younger sister, and we see each other for family events and holidays.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a police office or fire fighter. As I got older, I leaned more towards the fire fighter role. I then did a two year program in high school called CPFTA which is a program where they put you in the police academy and fire fighter academy for a semester each. It was a great experience that took a lot of dedication, and I’m proud to have graduated from it!

I wanted a mental break so I took a year off after high school. I had a learning disability, and school hasn’t always been my strong suit. I have issues with short term memory.  For instance, I can learn something in math, but the next day I’ll forget how to do it--which would become an even bigger struggle during tests.

After my year off I went to NEIU.  I quickly learned that this was a mistake since my mom always seemed to know when I was late for class! I then went to Malcolm X to get take general education classes and then applied to Northwestern and got a scholarship for art. I’m now majoring in business and minoring in photography and art history. 

I’ve been into all types of art from photography and music to painting.  I've even helped with some of the photography for the Hate Has No Home here campaign.  Having struggled academically, art has given me something to be proud of. 

I’ve been taking a lot of summer classes, and my goal is to graduate next year at the age of 21. My next step will be to go to Culinary School at the Art Institute of Chicago. I grew up with a lot of independence since my family and I had schedules that didn’t coordinate well. I had to learn to cook for myself early on and not just live off of peanut butter sandwiches. I would watch cooking shows and make those meals at home. I want to work in a restaurant to build more skills and eventually open up my own food truck serving Jamaican-style food.  I'm pursuing the business degree so I can manage everything myself.

After a month at Peterson, I have to say I really like it here! The students are very aware of how society works and have talked to me about the troubles they face. I had a student relate to me about not having a dad, and he now knows he’s not alone and that he can still be successful in life."

"This is my 3rd year as PTA President. I’m also on the Beer for Books planning committee, and I am also the designated Grade Level Parent for the 8th grade.  I have 4 kids at Peterson.

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, where I lived  until I left for college. I wanted to go to a big school outside of Ohio, so I decided on Penn State.  At Penn State I began studying to be an architect--which I've wanted to do my entire life.  As a little girl I would draw house plans and also visit model homes with my parents just to see how they were laid out. Doing activities with graph paper and pens were, and are, some of my favorite hobbies. When I had extra time, I would travel to a different high school than mine, and take a Computer Aided Drafting class. 

However, six weeks into school at Penn State, I realized architecture wasn’t what I wanted to do. Instead, I decided to get a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. At the end of my junior year, I was taking a class in Women’s Studies and the girl next to me said she was in school to be a midwife. After that conversation, I decided I was going to be midwife.  In my next class, another student told me that I should actually look into being a doula. A doula provides non-clinical care for laboring women, whereas a midwife is someone who is trained to care for women during their child bearing years. I currently work as both a doula and midwife.  As part of my work I go to a lot of home births as an assistant to a nurse midwife. All of my doula work is in hospitals.

After college, I moved to Chicago with my husband.  He currently teaches at Von Steuben, which is how we learned about Peterson. The counselors at Von talked very highly of Peterson students, saying that they send smart, thoughtful kids their way.

I remember going to a PTA meeting and not knowing anyone, which inspired me to be a friendly face. There have been so many ways that Peterson has grown as a school since we got here, and yet it remains accessible to everyone, which I hope it will continue to be in the future. I want parents to know how much they can be a part of their child’s school and the rewards that come with participating.

I want Peterson to be a school beyond the regular hours. I want the children to have memories of walking through the halls for fun events and being able to share that with their parents. The best part of Peterson is walking through halls and being greeted with smiling faces. There are teachers and staff here that have never had my kids, but they’re still so welcoming and pleasant."

"I grew up in the Albany Park area and went to Patrick Henry and then Thurgood Marshall Elementary. As a child, my mom always wanted me to stay active, so, in addition to ice skating lessons, she signed me up for a summer camp at six years old. When I was too old to attend the camp, I started working as a camp counselor there. I then went to high school at Lane Tech and continued working with children in their Best Buddies program.

In high school, my literature teacher told me that I had a very animated reading voice which kept listeners engaged. She said I should be a reading or kindergarten teacher, which also played a role in my wanting to work with children. 

I was awarded a scholarship to attend Indiana State University where I focused on  social work. After a few classes I realized that it wasn’t for me, but I still knew that I wanted to work with children. My experiences with my autistic cousin inspired me to take a Special Education 101 class, which I absolutely loved! After a year and half at ISU, I then went to Northeastern Illinois University where I graduated with a degree in Special Education.

After graduating from Northeastern I had my first interview at Peterson. I love Peterson! I’m super blessed to be at this school; everyone leaves their door open for guidance. As a first year teacher there are so many opportunities to further my teaching abilities. The children are awesome, and I wake up every day excited to see them. 

I’ve learned that teaching is a never ending job. I keep thinking about what’s next and what I can I do better. I am always asking myself how I can support kids more? I feel like all I do on weekends is talk about my kids, they’re on my mind all the time."

"I grew up in the Albany Park area and went to Patrick Henry and then Thurgood Marshall Elementary. As a child, my mom always wanted me to stay active, so, in addition to ice skating lessons, she signed me up for a summer camp at six years old. When I was too old to attend the camp, I started working as a camp counselor there. I then went to high school at Lane Tech and continued working with children in their Best Buddies program.

In high school, my literature teacher told me that I had a very animated reading voice which kept listeners engaged. She said I should be a reading or kindergarten teacher, which also played a role in my wanting to work with children. 

I was awarded a scholarship to attend Indiana State University where I focused on  social work. After a few classes I realized that it wasn’t for me, but I still knew that I wanted to work with children. My experiences with my cousin, who has autism, inspired me to take a Special Education 101 class, which I absolutely loved! After a year and half at ISU, I then went to Northeastern Illinois University where I graduated with a degree in Special Education.

After graduating from Northeastern I had my first interview at Peterson. I love Peterson! I’m super blessed to be at this school; everyone leaves their door open for guidance. As a first year teacher there are so many opportunities to further my teaching abilities. The children are awesome, and I wake up every day excited to see them. 

I’ve learned that teaching is a never ending job. I keep thinking about what’s next and what I can I do better. I am always asking myself how I can support kids more? I feel like all I do on weekends is talk about my kids, they’re on my mind all the time."

"I was born and raised in McKinley Park on the South Side of Chicago. I went to elementary school in Bridgeport, Mark Sheridan Magnet School, and then went on to Whitney Young High School. 

Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer like my dad, but by second grade I knew I wanted to teach. I have many teachers and classroom aides in my family and I had many wonderful teachers throughout my elementary and high school career who inspired me to pursue a future in education.

In fourth grade I had a gloriously nerdy teacher who took us on many science, history, and field trips.  In high school, my drama teacher helped me to develop the confidence to know that I could teach. All of their classrooms were so different, but they all had an overwhelming passion for education which made learning an enjoyable adventure.

At Knox College, I majored in elementary education and minored in theater. While there, I completed a directing project and was invited to direct and teach drama classes at Whitney Young High School.

I decided not to go into teaching right out of college and worked as a secretary for Ann Lurie, of Lurie Children’s Hospital and taught dance classes after work.  Teaching dance classes made me realize how much I wanted to get back into a classroom, and so I began my career as an elementary school teacher.

After teaching at four different elementary schools, I finally found my way to Peterson. I love Peterson partly because it’s very much like the schools I went to when I was young.  It's an incredibly diverse school with children from all walks of life. When students are able to thrive in a classroom with others who have different opinions, different backgrounds and different beliefs, it says a lot about the potential future of our country.

Dance has always been a huge part of my life--I’ve been dancing for twenty-eight years! I began assisting in dance class when I was thirteen and then starting teaching when I was sixteen, and have been teaching ever since. Currently I’m teaching classes with the instructor who taught me to dance!

I also started working as a volunteer at the Field Museum nine years ago, and now I work with their Summer Camp, Fall Teen, and Fall Docent programs. It’s an awesome experience to work with scientists at the museum.  Through this partnership we were able to bring an insect scientist into our classroom to share some of his tarantulas and millipedes."

Marti Hindaileh - Community Representative
As a former parent, LSC member, and staff member, I am a firm supporter of the Peterson community. I want all students to know they are supported by all.

Naseem Azizuddin - Parent Representative
I joined the LSC to serve the community and represent the parents who cannot voice their thoughts out of their homes. I also love the diversity in our community which can be seen here.

Chuck Deters - Staff Representative
I have been a staff member at Peterson since 2010, and have had the pleasure to see Peterson grow academically and collectively. As the newest member of the LSC, I’m excited to be a part of the continual growth and inclusion.

Leslie Combs - Community Representative
I was excited to join the LSC because good neighborhood schools are essential to the strength of communities and our education system, and community and parent involvement is an important factor in the success of a school. Peterson benefits from committed parents, teachers, administrators and community members who work hard to create a welcoming, inclusive and positive experience for students. 

Karla Holcomb - Parent Representative
I'm a parent of a 7th grader and two other Peterson graduates.  I joined the LSC because I wanted to know more about what was happening at Peterson and to help make it a better place.  Peterson has a fairly unique population within CPS and it's been an honor to see all the ways in which staff and students have made it the best neighborhood school in Chicago!

Lloy Johnston - Parent Representative
I am a parent of three children. Two are currently at Peterson, and one alumni.  I have been an active volunteer at Peterson for seven years. Currently, I volunteer as the LSC Chairperson, help out in classrooms, and assist with PTA events. I joined the LSC because I believe strong and bright individuals are supported by strong families. And, I believe families are supported by strong communities. Peterson is an important part of my family’s community; therefore, I am thrilled to support Peterson and help to make it stronger.

Fady Sharshar - Parent Representative
I am a father of 3 children; 2 are Peterson Alumni and 1 is currently a student.  My wife Lana and I are both active volunteers at Peterson. I have been a volunteer for the Local School Council for 4 years. I joined the LSC to support the good work that Peterson is doing for the children in our community.

Kim Schiller - Parent Representative
I am the proud parent of current, (Tobin, 7th) and former (Lena, 9th) Peterson students. My husband and I both attended Peterson School for some of our elementary school. I wanted to be a part of the LSC so that I had an opportunity to give to Peterson what it gave to me, a place to learn, rich curriculum, teachers who deeply care for students and respect each other. Peterson is a community and I am proud to serve the community in this way.  Thank you to the community for your trust.

Aaron Olson - Parent Representative
I’m the father of Grace who is in the sixth grade at Peterson.  I was born in the North Park neighborhood and have lived here for most of the last twenty-five years.  I joined the LSC to support our fantastic staff and teachers and to do everything I can to make sure we maintain our focus on providing all kids with a quality education and strong community.

Tom Ruby - Teacher Representative
I’m a returning member of the LSC and I enjoy the opportunity to engage in all aspects of our learning community. It’s fun to see through the eyes of different aspects of our Peterson family. I love the challenge of finding innovative ways to help our students give rise to their efforts of becoming college graduates, community leaders and cultural ambassadors.

Brian Bochenek - Teacher Representative
I had never seen myself involved in local government prior to joining the extraordinary team at Peterson.  The daunting tasks facing our city have always seemed so overwhelming; I felt my voice would never be able to affect change outside of the classroom.  Once I began teaching, it became quickly apparent that the collective efforts of our learning community could extend into the our neighborhoods as well.  As a lifelong learner, the enthusiasm for strengthening our community and the opportunity to collaborate with a forward thinking group of individuals was too much to pass by.  I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to be a part of this motivated group of individuals dedicated to Peterson.

"I was born and raised in Springfield, IL. My dad was a refugee from Hungary and knowing what he had to go through has motivated me to make sure immigrants and refugees are treated well.

Along with my dad's history, my experience in college at Carlton had a lasting impact. I took a class called America’s Children: From Poverty to Privilege, which brought about a lot of meaningful conversation. I also started tutoring adults that didn’t know how to read, which helped me understand the impact reading has on being successful in our society.

We moved into the neighborhood in 2004, and we had heard that Peterson was a good school from local parents.  When the addition was put on, we toured the school with our then baby son. I now have two children at Peterson, a 1st and 4th grader, and my husband is a Chicago Public Schools teacher at Westinghouse High School.

I am a social worker by training and I currently teach Introduction to Child Advocacy Studies as well as Women and Gender Studies at Northeastern Illinois University. As well as teaching, I am the President of Friends of Peterson (FoP), which is the non-profit organization that raises funds for the school. I’m also the chair for the Parent Advisory Counsel (PAC) which educates and advocates for parents to be equal partners in their child’s education. I also volunteer in my daughter’s classroom every week as well as being a first grade parent representative.

Parents can be involved at Peterson in a variety of ways - from fundraising to volunteering in a classroom, to helping in the office, to assisting at lunch.  It impresses me how much expertise and experience there is amongst our parents, and sometimes it’s just figuring out how to best utilize that.

My proudest moments of what can happen when the community bands together were getting the stop sign on Kimball and Catalpa as well as the “Hate Has No Home Here” campaign. After all of the negative speech had come out last year, the community was trying to find ways to counteract that. A couple of Peterson kids came up with the phrase and we got it translated into a few different languages, with the intention of it just being in the community. It then went “viral” when someone posted it on Pantsuit Nation. It’s in almost every state and about ten countries! I’m also really proud of the amount of money FoP has raised, more than a quarter of a million dollars!”

"The oldest of three, I was born and raised in the Albany Park area of Chicago. I went to St. John's Lutheran Elementary School and then on to North Side College Prep High School.

Growing up, I wanted to be a veterinarian. My mom and I have always had a great love for animals--so my siblings and I could basically get any pet we wanted!  Having so many pets taught me how to be responsible from an early age. I took great pride in caring for my animals.  On the other hand, my long-time dream of becoming a veterinarian vanished as soon as I realized how much I didn’t like seeing blood.

In elementary school, my 7th grade English teacher had a significant impact on my life. I remember when she taught A Murder on the Orient Express and how excited I got about it. It was the first time we really got into a novel and it drove my passion for reading and writing. She was also a really caring person, and if I ever needed help outside of school, she was always available.

After high school I went to Northeastern not knowing what I wanted to do. I had an advisor that helped me out by suggesting I take a class geared towards teachers. I then found out how much I liked it!

My first teaching job was a maternity leave position at Sauganash Elementary.  Once that teacher returned I needed to find a new school. One of my colleagues suggested Peterson, and it was clearly a great choice. I love how much Peterson celebrates diversity every day. We also don’t focus too heavily on test scores, but instead on the health and well being of the whole student.

I’ve learned a lot in the past two years. My favorite part of teaching has been getting to know the students as people--especially in third grade when their personalities are really starting to emerge. My advice for new teachers is to accept that every day is not going to be perfect.  Also, enjoy your time with the kids as I’m realizing how much I miss some of my students that I had last year. It’s been hard to manage all of the different aspects of teaching, especially all of the planning that goes on behind the scenes--I would certainly advise new teachers to buy a planner! Teaching is exhausting, but it’s completely offset by how fulfilling it is. I have friends that work downtown and might get paid very well, but they don’t particularly like their jobs very much, while I love mine!

"I am from the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the second youngest of five. I went to public school up through high school and then went to Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where I studied economics. I thought I would go into business, but eventually changed my mind. 

While working as a resident assistant in a residence hall I decided to pursue a degree in Student Personnel and to work at a college on student life. I had made the decision to attend the University of Michigan to pursue my master's degree, until the Peace Corps came on campus when I was a senior and recruited me. I was ecstatic about doing it!

I was accepted by June and was offered a country by July. I was sent to Zaire (currently the Democratic Republic of the Congo) where I taught high school math and physics, in French, as well as physical education and a class of English. After being in Zaire for two years, I decided to stay longer.  The Peace Corps offered me a position training new  volunteers which I accepted. I decided to learn Lingala so I wouldn’t be seen as a French colonialist, and also to immerse myself more into the culture. My favorite phrase is, "Moto no moto abongisa”which means "everyone do their personal best." Our region shut down due to local conflicts, so, after four years, I came back to Chicago.

When I returned, I was hired by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) where I worked with communities on housing rehab, fixing streets, and arranging for daycare and healthcare services.

With help from a contact at the Peace Corps, I went to DePaul University to get my Masters in Teaching while working at HUD. I taught around the district for a few years, but things weren’t going well so my wife suggested that I look into Peterson. I was hired right away as a middle school math teacher! After seven years, I left to be a math and science coach for CPS, which I did for the next four years.  I still feel that coaching is one of the best ways we can help educators improve their craft. I'm hopeful that CPS will eventually offer coaching positions again. 

After my coaching work, I was fortunate that Peterson welcomed me back! While working here I also was able travel to Finland for 6 months on a Fulbright scholarship, where I spent time observing and  interviewing teachers, principals, and students. It was a great experience! After the experience I came back to Peterson and have been teaching 7th grade math ever since.  Peterson is truly a top-class neighborhood school, which should really be replicated throughout the District."

"I am from a small town in northern California. Growing up, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do other than traveling and meeting new people.

I attended the University of California in Santa Cruz where I studied linguistics, Spanish, Italian, and French (but I only speak Spanish fluently). While in college, my plan was to travel the world and teach; however, things changed when my friend said she was moving to Chicago. I had always really wanted to live in a city and decided to move with her. I only planned on staying for a year or two, but I ended up never leaving!

I didn’t always want to be a teacher, but my experience working as volunteer tutor at the Albany Park Community Center for newcomers from the Dominican Republic made me think more seriously about it.  After working as a volunteer, I decided to make the leap to teaching and went to DePaul to get my Masters degree.

Although teaching comes much more naturally now  it certainly didn't always that way.  When I began my teaching career I was extremely nervous about how I would  manage a class of 25 kids! 

What I enjoy most about Peterson is the amount of diversity we have here. It’s very rewarding to see students navigating and celebrating their cultural differences in the classroom. 

While I may not be traveling for my career, the traveling I have done has increased my empathy towards students who don’t speak English.  I feel I now have a better understanding of how arriving in a new country and not knowing the local language can be an incredibly overwhelming experience. 

My traveling experiences have also helped me navigate challenging experiences in the classroom.  I have learned to expect the unexpected and to work collaboratively with others to find solutions to difficult problems. 

I’m really excited about having my first child in early February! I don’t know what to expect except sleepless nights, but I'm excited nonetheless. I'm also excited to see how the students have grown while I'm out on my maternity leave."

"I was born in North Carolina, but eventually moved to Wheaton, Illinois, where I grew up as the youngest of five siblings.  Before moving to Wheaton we did a lot moving, which I actually saw as an adventure. My most memorable experience was living in Florida and getting to go to Disney World for the holidays!

Growing up, I wanted to be a lot things, but I always felt most comfortable during physical education class. It was the one place I knew I could be myself and I was good at it. Along with physical education, music has always been another passion of mine. I grew up playing the piano and singing in a choir. I still play the piano because I enjoy the challenge as well as the "get away time" it provides me. 

As a dyslexic student I often needed help from others, but didn't always ask for the help I needed.  This taught me an important lesson about self-advocating for the support I needed. 

As a diverse learner I thought that my calling would be to teach other diverse learners, but in the end I decided that it just wasn't for me. 

A friend of mine suggested that I become a P.E. teacher, and I just couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of that yet! I had been coaching high school sports and summer camp sports since I was seventeen, so this really made sense!  I decided to enroll at Northeastern to learn to be a P.E. teacher. I quickly found out that it was nothing like coaching, but I knew it was definitely the right choice for me.  I knew I would enjoy teaching students how to be active, life-long learners.  In the end, I was very proud that I graduated from Northeastern with a 3.9 GPA without the need for any accommodations.

Peterson offered me exactly what I wanted. I get to teach dance which mixes physical fitness and choreography.  Students quickly learn that they don’t have to be an amazing dancer in order to have a blast in my class!  I enjoy teaching dance as it challenges kids to step outside their comfort zone. A culminating moment for me was seeing kids dancing at Unity Night--I was so proud to see all that they had accomplished."

"I was born in Rogers Park and then my family moved to Skokie when I was in the 5th grade. I’m the second oldest of four, and I’m excited that I’m about to be an aunt thanks to my older sister. Being a middle child, my role was to serve as mediator between siblings--which is a skill I've found very useful in helping students resolve conflicts!

I've always known that I wanted to be a mentor to younger individuals.  Many of my peers were getting into teaching which also helped to motivate me. One hurdle that I faced was having enough money to pay for college; however, after a lot of hard work in school I was awarded a Golden Apple Scholarship!

I considered pursuing a double major in performance since my other passion is playing the violin, which I’ve been playing since I was eight.  However, I felt that playing in a symphony would not be an experience I would enjoy and I didn’t want the experience to take away the joy I feel in playing the violin. 

I student taught at Mather after I graduated from Illinois State. While it was generally a positive experience, it led me to question what it was that I wanted from teaching. I decided to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship to see how the rest of world viewed teaching. I was awarded the scholarship and used it to travel around India for nine months. It was an incredibly eye-opening experience which made me realize the importance of teaching and learning. 

The experiences I've had have also helped me realize the profound impact that we as educators can have on children's lives. In fact, I still remember my kindergarten teacher's lessons on tying shoes! It's important for me to remember that an important outcome of teaching is providing students the tools they need to complete tasks even when we're not around. 

Having worked at  other schools, I can say that the support I receive from colleagues and administration at Peterson is extraordinary.  Everyone knows that we have a collective goal that extends well beyond the work we do in our classrooms.

"I  was born and raised in Dublin, Ohio and stayed there throughout high school. My brother and I were both adopted, which we handled in different ways. He was a lot more curious about his biological parents, which brought with it a lot of difficult emotions. I didn’t have the same curiosity and saw adoption as a positive experience in that I went to a family that loved me and had the means to take care of me. This experience with my family has helped me empathize as a person, and as a school counselor, with others who may not be see the world the same way I do.

After high school I went to Miami University where I got my bachelors degree in Psychology.  It's important to note that this is not Miami, Florida, but Miami of Ohio--which is even older than the state of Florida!

As a kid, I knew I wanted a job where I interacted with people. To me it seemed like a job as a bank teller would be ideal since there’s a lot of interpersonal interaction and you get to keep some of the money that you give to customers—at least that’s what I thought when I was six.

I initially didn’t go to college for psychology, but instead took a programming class since I liked computers. I ended up finding it extremely challenging. I wrote a tic-tac-toe game, but my professor said it was the longest code they had ever seen for a game like this! I soon realized that programming wasn’t the choice for me.

My love for tennis is really what got me into the education field. I’ve been a lifelong tennis player and have enjoyed sharing my passion for tennis with kids as a coach. After obtaining my Masters Degree in School Counseling at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, a local school district wanted to hire me as the high school tennis coach. I agreed to coach as long as I could work there as a guidance counselor, which I enjoyed very much. 

I then moved to Chicago where I worked at Reavis Elementary for three years and then found Peterson. I enjoy how much we celebrate different cultures at Peterson. It exposes our students to different opinions and different backgrounds. I also love the strong sense of community here which I haven't seen at previous schools I've worked at."

"I was born and raised in Jefferson Park where I went to Oriole Park elementary school. I graduated from Taft High School and graduated from Northeastern Illinois University. Northeastern is also where I met my friend Ms. Sanchez who would later introduce me to Peterson!

I started thinking about becoming a teacher when I was in middle school. My math teacher, Ms. Esposito, was very passionate about teaching students math. Her passion rubbed off on me and I began to think that I should go to school to learn how to teach math. My family is made up of teachers and police officers, which led to me volunteering in elementary classrooms throughout my years in high school. Over time, the volunteering made me realize I really wanted to be a teacher. I made sure to go back to Ms. Esposito to express how much she inspired me!

After college, I did my student teaching at Thorpe Elementary, where I worked as an interventionist for a year.  I then went to Italy for the summer where I worked as a nanny for a family while they traveled around Europe. I loved it so much I started applying for teaching jobs and eventually a found kindergarten position at an international school.

After teaching in Italy for a year, I realized I missed home too much and decided to look for a position in Chicago. Fortunately, I was hired at Peterson within a week of getting back from Italy! 

I really like Peterson. Everyone I come across is very kind and helpful to me. The support at Peterson is great and I always feel comfortable asking for help.

I’m really looking forward to my grandparents coming to Chicago from Puerto Rico. After the hurricane hit, my grandma decided she couldn’t live there anymore. They came out of the storm in better shape than others, but they certainly don’t want to endure an event like that again. I’m so excited to see them in the next couple weeks!"

"I was born in St. Charles, but raised in Hoffman Estates. I went to Armstrong Elementary, Eisenhower Middle School, and then Hoffman Estates High School. 

My passion growing up was playing sports.Throughout high school I played soccer, basketball, and baseball. However, it was teaching swim lessons at summer camp where I initially developed the passion to teach. My mom had then suggested that I should become a P.E. teacher. When I was a junior in high school, I went to a couple career fairs and decided then that I wanted to become physical education teacher.

I went to college for physical education and then got my health endorsement. I started as a teacher’s assistant, and then started subbing in District 211 working with diverse learners. I learned a lot about how to help children that have different ways of communicating. I taught P.E. for 3 years and then came to Peterson. I love that everyone here works towards the same common goal of supporting kids.

In my spare time, you might say that I like to ride bikes. My aunt, who lives in Washington, once rode her bike across the entire country -which inspired me to do the same. It was really hard at the time, but afterwards I was able reflect on how awesome the experience was! I would definitely do it again. Maybe next time I'lltry cycling across Europe, or maybe even try cycling from Canada to Mexico."

"I was born in Lebanon, raised in Abu Dhabi and finished high school in Montreal. I then went to Virginia to do my undergrad in Interior Design.

For the next 15 years, I worked as an interior designer. I designed the original theater room for the Atlantis Hotel in the Caribbean. My pride and joy though is the Hampton Inn and Suites in Deer Park, I designed the entire interior of that building!

When the design company I was working for decided not to do interior design anymore, I decided I wanted to teach design in college. A friend made the suggestion that since I was already trilingual and understood a lot about different cultures I should pursue a degree in education and bilingual bicultural studies,  I was apprehensive about working with kids as it wasn’t what I had ever imagined doing, but I went for it!

I completed my student teaching at Peterson with Angie Taggart.  I then transitioned to Sauganash (although my heart was still at Peterson).  Thankfully I was offered a job here as a bilingual educator and the bilingual coordinator.

Living in different countries has given me a unique perspective that helps me to relate to parents who struggle to keep their cultural identity while also trying to assimilate. One way I try to help is to ask families to donate any books referencing their home culture.  I love giving our students opportunities to learn about all the different cultures here at Peterson.

I’m now the 4th grade writing teacher and I love it even more! The transition has its challenges, but the kids have been so supportive. I tell them that they’re helping me as much as I’m helping them, and their eyes light up when they see that adults need help sometimes too!"

"I was born and raised in Melrose Park, but I moved into the city when I got married.  I’ve been living in Chicago ever since. I’m already looking forward to celebrating my twenty-year wedding anniversary in Ireland!

I grew up wanting to teach kindergarten. My first experiences in kindergarten were very memorable. I transferred in mid-year, and I didn’t know anyone. When I first arrived, all I did was cling to the teacher, Ms. Johannes. She put in a lot of effort to help me be comfortable. She found another girl in our class to partner me with, and we remained best friends through high school.

I graduated from West Leyden in Northlake, and then went to Loyola University in Chicago for Early Elementary education. I didn’t get to finish getting my degree, but I’m looking into it again.

I’ve been a stay-at-home mom since I had my kids, but now they’re old enough to handle themselves. My family was very supportive of me getting back into the workforce, but I’ll admit my biggest hurdle has been “mommy guilt.” On the bright side, my kids are pitching in a lot more!

I was really nervous about coming back to the workplace, but I really do enjoy learning, and I get to do that at all the CPS training sessions I attend. The drive to and from is never fun, but it feels good to know that I can keep learning!

The most amazing part of Peterson has been the all of the community involvement in the school. Everyone goes all out for the students!

My passion outside of Peterson is to bake, and opening my own bakery has always a goal of mine. I do event cakes and cupcakes, in all shapes and sizes. I’ve dedicated up to 90 hours to make one cake! My family knows to disappear from the kitchen when I have an order coming in."

"I mostly grew up on the Northwest side of Chicago. My brother is a diverse learner, so we moved around frequently in order to find the best educational fit for him. I went to Our Lady of Victory Grammar School and then on to Norte Dame College Prep. 

I always saw myself as owning my own business, so I decided to pursue a business degree at Saint Norbert in De Pere, Wisconsin. After college, I worked in sales, but I wasn’t really happy, so I took a job with the Cook County Sheriffs' Department.  I was later promoted to the rank of sergeant, which was a great experience that helped me to develop my leadership skills.

I also coached football while working as a police officer, which is when I began to see myself having a future in education.  I wanted to be a teacher because I began to realize how important mentorship is for teenagers as they transition into adulthood.

Dan Defranza was a big role model for me. I played for him in high school and then coached with him.  He had transitioned from being a stock trader to a teacher and with his guidance I began to see that a successful career change is possible.  He saw how well I worked with young people and encouraged me to make the change as well.

I never envisioned myself teaching at an elementary school, but I love it. I’ve had so much fun working with first grade and it’s actually helped me in my work with the eight graders. Teaching is teaching, whether it’s a sport or a class, and the skills you pickup will translate to other scenarios.

I feel very lucky to be here at Peterson. There is a very strong structure in place to support new teachers, whether it’s Teach Like a Champion or having a team I can get advice from. It’s a great place to learn for everyone."

"I was born and raised in Southeastern Ohio on my parents’ farm. They mostly grew soybeans, hay, and corn, but we also had cows, pigs, chickens--and I even got to raise rabbits!

My parents are both educators. My dad is still a school psychologist, having worked in schools for the past 45 years, and my mom was a K-5 educator and gifted coordinator for 30 years. I was raised to understand the importance of education from an early age. 

I’ve had an interest in science from an early age as well. Ms. Hildebrandt, our awesome 8th grade science teacher, was very influential. Her way of teaching important concepts like the scientific method made me realize that although the pursuit of science may always lead to more questions and frustrations that is part of what makes science exciting as well! 

Based on this experience, my brother’s interest in chemistry, and my leadership experiences in 4-H while in high school, I decided to complete my undergrad at the University of Cincinnati in nutrition. I started looking into the school lunch program and was intrigued by what we were feeding students in college. I figured that if I wanted to work for the USDA, I should at least know what they were feeding the students.

I then heard of Teach for America from friends and decided I wanted to do it. I have loved being an educator since I started, and I don’t ever plan on getting out of it. This is my fourth year at Peterson and, even though I didn’t plan on teaching STEM, it turned out to be a perfect fit.  I love that the curriculum mixes science and problem solving and constantly keeps evolving.   I also love the Peterson community and the relationships I’ve formed with students, parents and community members.  In fact, I’m really looking forward to our next 'Robot Day' at Von Steuben and the opportunity to make more connections between our students and other schools in the neighborhood."

 "I was born and raised with my younger sister and brother in Albany Park where I went to La Salle Language Academy. I then went on to North Side College Prep-- where I would be amongst the first graduating classes.

Growing up, I had many different career ambitions. I initially thought I wanted to work in a science museum, so I studied geology for my undergrad at the University of Illinois. In college, I had my first taste of being an educator while working at a cultural museum where I would lead school tours and run children's programming. My career focus began to shift to education when I started to notice that only students from certain social backgrounds were coming to the museum. This became a social justice issue for me and, as a result, I decided that I would be better able to reach a diverse range of social backgrounds in the classroom.

Although I initially thought about being a science teacher, I later decided that I would rather be a general education teacher. After graduating from the University of Chicago Urban Teacher Program, I started teaching in CPS at the Harvard School of Excellence. My husband and I then moved to Houston for three years where he went to graduate school to study architecture and I continued to teach at a small magnet school.

By the time I returned to Chicago I had had a child and was committed to avoiding a long commute so I focused my search to schools on the Northside. Peterson’s unique diversity, committed staff and its neighborhood feel really appealed to me.

As a teacher, I’ve always been very interested in how kids develop their number sense including their ability to reason with, manipulate, and understand the meaning behind numbers in order to help them become better problem solvers. I read a lot Constance Kamii, who believes that developmental math games should be used in the classroom rather than a traditional math curriculum.

I have been integrating developmental math games into my classroom since Houston, and thanks to Friends of Peterson, was recently provided with even more games for my math class. I believe that this approach has significantly contributed to Peterson students developing their number sense. In the future, I hope conduct research into how playing developmental math games improves number sense in kids.

To this end, I've decided to attend Northwestern University starting in September where I'll be starting my PhD working in the Department of Learning Sciences. I’m very sad to leave the Peterson community, but I think this will be an exciting piece of my life puzzle-- and I hope to use the knowledge I gain to make a positive contribution to education here and at other schools across the US.

Fortunately, I’m still going to be in the neighborhood and will still be biking right by Peterson to get to Northwestern!"

 "I grew up a couple blocks away from Peterson, on Drake and Foster. I had gone to North Park Covenant school until 4th grade, which is when I started attending Peterson.

Having transferred schools at an older age, I feel like I can empathize with Peterson students who have made similar transitions. It was scary to come from such a small school, and I remember the halls of Peterson feeling so large!

Peterson has changed a lot since I attended. We would sit at desks and read out of a Basal Reader and answer questions from the text. Education has changed so much for the better since then!

I graduated from Peterson in 1992 and went a few blocks south to Von Steuben, where I played soccer and loved my experience. I then went a few hundred feet east to North Park University-- my whole educational experience has been within a one mile radius! I loved writing so I got my degree in Education and Literature.

This is my 17th year at Peterson and it’s the only school I have ever taught at, including student teaching. When I first started here, there were still several teachers on staffwho taught me when I attended. It's funny how diffi cult it was for me to call them by their first name, since I was so used to saying, “Ms. Thomas" and “Mr. Beucher." Having changed rolls and being on the other side of the desk, I appreciated my new colleagues so much more. Being a new teacher, they were extremely helpful and supportive of me.

My husband and I send our children to Peterson, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. We love this school because of its diversity and because of the commitment staffshow to ensuring that everyone receives a quality education. We want our children to be in a school where they’re not like everyone else.

I love teaching with my team. We’re all very supportive of each other and can bounce ideas back and forth. I’m also extremely lucky that I get to work with one of my best friends, Mrs. Almer, who I have worked with for 15 years.

When I’m not at Peterson I love to travel with my family, read books to my kids at night, and plan new projects around the house-- much to the dismay of my husband!”

 “I was born and raised in the city of San Juan on the island of Puerto Rico. Growing up, I went to a small private school which I attended from Pre- K all the way to my senior year in high school. We had a graduating class of only 31 students! Since we were such a small group, we’ve been able to stay friends for our whole lives.

I always knew that I wanted to be an educator, so right after high school I went to the University of Puerto Rico to get my bachelors degree in teaching English as a Second Language ( ESL) . I then got my masters degree at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. While still at the university I accepted my first classroom job as a teacher's assistant. I loved the job because it provided me with an opportunity to get some classroom experience before actually running a classroom-- which helped a lot when that day came a year later.

After college, I taught kindergarten in Puerto Rico for seven years and then decided to move to Chicago after being off ered an ESL position in Elgin. I taught in a bilingual classroom for three years and then moved on to the Academy for Global Citizenship ( AGC), a charter school on the south side. While working there I was approached by New Leaders for New Schools ( NLNS)  about joining their Emerging Leaders principal preparation program.

Being put into a position of leadership within a school changed my life! Halfway through my first year with the program I could already see how I has having an impact on the collaborative environment of the school. I was also able to see first hand how the quality of leadership has a direct correlation with student growth. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that there is no way a principal can do this job alone, and that developing a collaborative team of educators is key to ensuring that the work gets done.

After AGC I decided I wanted to continue learning about new leadership and got into the NLNS Aspiring Principal program which brought me to get this residency here at Peterson. I came to work at Peterson after being sold on its many attributes including the school’s diversity and its strong social and emotional programming. During my early career as an educator, I had worked only with Latino populations. Working at Peterson has helped me branch out and learn how to work with so many diff erent cultures, ethnicities and languages. During my time here I’ve also been amazed at how involved and supportive Peterson
parents are of their children’s education!

Looking ahead, I’m keeping an open mind about being a principal or assistant principal at my next school. I’m hoping to work in a school with a Latino population since my ability to speak Spanish is a great asset which I can use to build great relationships with families."

I was born and raised in the suburb of Homer Glen (on the same street as Mr. Topel!) with my younger brother and sister. My brother was born with an ear infection which prevented him from speaking until he was four. My mother and I would sit with him through many speech therapy sessions as he learned to talk--an experience that had a significant influence in becoming a teacher later on.

Growing up, I always wanted to be a graphic designer. Discovering that people would actually buy my work only inspired me more. During my senior year at Lockport Township High School I would spend half the day commissioning jobs from teachers around the school. After high school I went to Columbia College for two years, but then dropped out to work as a lead designer for an internet auction company. Unfortunately, the company folded only six months later and I had a hard time finding work since I had not completed college. I was able to get a job as a paralegal, doing research for attorneys. It wasn’t a job I felt good about, but I also didn’t know what to do next.

In addition to graphic design, I’ve always had a passion for playing music. I’ve been playing in bands since 1996, which I still do today. While playing in a band I actually met my future wife, Rosie, who convinced me to be a lifelong learner and become a teacher. I had tried going back to college several times in the past, but this time I took things very seriously because of my love for learning. I knew I had to graduate magna cum laude!

After college, I had a really hard time my first year of teaching. It took me time to realize that I’m not the only driving force in my students’ lives and that many different factors have an impact on their success. Fortunately, I had great support from friends, family, and staff to help me get through the first year. I love the diversity we have here at Peterson. I’ve learned so much from these children who come from so many diverse backgrounds and I’ve really enjoyed sharing my passions for music, drawing, video games and comics. These days, I can’t even imagine working somewhere where everyone has the same background and life experiences as me.”

"I was born and raised in a small town near Cairo called Abou Hammad where I attended both elementary and high school.

I started learning English in 4th grade--although now Egyptian students start learning it in kindergarten! The more I learned the English language the more I became interested in American culture. Unfortunately, in Egyptian schools the focus is on English grammar instead of American culture. I had to learn about the culture myself by watching English movies and listening to music, which also helped me to improve my English as well.

My elder sister (one of seven older sisters), motivated me to continue with my study of English and so I enrolled in Zagazig University where I studied English Literature and Linguistics. While in college, I had to help my family make money so I started giving private tutoring lessons to kids in my neighborhood. I loved working with kids so much that I decided to make it my career. After college, I taught English as a Second Language for eight years to kids and adults. In March of 2016 I had my interview with TCLP--the longest interview in my life!--and was accepted and matched with Peterson

I've been very happy here at Peterson. Even though the students come from so many diverse backgrounds they're still able to learn together very much like a family. The staff here is always ready to help without hesitation. I’m thankful to Abby Zodo as my community liaison, Christine Demetre for showing me around the city, all the families that invited me into their homes for dinner, and to my house family, Stephen Johnson

"I was born in Chicago and lived there briefly until my family moved to Countryside. There I went to Highlands Elementary and Middle School and then Lyons Township High School--where I had an amazing school counselor. I then went on to the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana for my Bachelors of History with a minor in Secondary Education.

While in college, I also participated in competitive synchronized team skating-- which I've done since I was about 7 years old. Our college team actually placed second at the nationals! It's a great sport and I'm hopeful it will be in the Olympics someday soon. Despite my love for skating, I knew that I really wanted to become a counselor--thanks to my positive experience in high school.

After college, I tried going into teaching, but since there was a recession, jobs were hard to come by. I decided to take a year off from school to travel and work as a substitute teacher. I then went on to De Paul to get my Masters in Counseling. I’ve had such a great experience at Peterson. This is my third year here and I've learned a great deal working as a school counselor in an urban setting. What I love most about Peterson is the sense of community. In fact, I feel more of a sense of community here than in the neighborhood where I live. Everyone in the Peterson community makes me feel like a member of the family.

Speaking of family, I'm very excited to say that my husband and I will be having baby girl soon! We're not sharing the name yet, but here's a friendly hint: her name will start with the letter "I"...at least we think so ; ) My anticipated last day will be Friday, May 19th, but I’ll be back next year!"

"I’ve enjoyed working with kids my whole life. As a teenager, I worked as a camp counselor and in college I provided education services for a program called RACES (Rape Advocacy Counseling Educated Services). As part of the program we would educate kids on safe touch and bullying awareness--very similar to the work Imagination Theater does at Peterson.

I was born and raised in the Lake View neighborhood, where I attended St. Andrew Elementary, Loyola Academy and then graduated from Gordon Tech. During this time I working with my dad at Chicago Pizza--where I still work today! This experience really helped me with my people skills, which I put to good use in the classroom. After high school I attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where I got my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Political Science. During this time I was also in pre-law and doing an an internship at the public defenders office. I wanted to go to law school to reform education since I feel that this is one of the keys to ending the cycle of poverty.

While working in the public defenders office, I worked with many great kids that had made some really bad life-altering choices. This experience helped me to realize that I wanted to help kids at a younger age so as to better help them avoid making bad choices, and so I decided to enroll in Teach for America.

After Teach for America I was hired at Peterson, which felt like a special place right from the start. I love teaching kindergarten! I’ve known some of my kids since they were 3 or 4 having taught their siblings before them. It’s been really nice to get to know families over the years. I feel like this really helps to build our school community into something even stronger. "

I’ve also been working at Chicago Pizza since I was 11, which as I mentioned, helped me with my people skills which easily translates into the classroom. You get so many different characters and it helps builds patience. It gave me a good work ethic and I’m grateful for my dad having me work there growing up. The restaurant has become one big family!

"I was born and raised in Edison Park, where I attended Saint Juliana Elementary School and then Resurrection High School.

Growing up, my father was the firefighter captain at the Wrigley Field Firehouse. He's now the chief in Peterson’s area, so if you ever see an SUV labeled "fire department" parked outside, don't worry--it's probably my dad paying me a visit!

I really loved my high school P.E. teachers, especially Ms. B! After her class I knew what I wanted to do for my future career: teach P.E. I decided to attend Illinois State University, which I graduated from in 2012 and shortly thereafter went straight to working at Peterson.

Teaching every single grade level can be a real challenge especially since I only see them once a week. On the other hand, it’s been great seeing so many kids grow up over the past few years. Since I first started, I’ve learned a lot about classroom management, which has a lot to do with the strong relationships that I've built with the kids.

I’ve always thought about getting my doctorate in education. Since I just got my masters degree, I'm not ready just yet. When the right time comes it will be interesting to learn about something where all of the students are just as passionate about the topic as I am!"

"Born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago, I was raised as an only child after the death of my younger brother in second grade. I attended Kelvyn Park High School, where I fell in love with coaching basketball, and coached at St. Philomena--which was also my former elementary school. Before the school closed, I was running a league with over 400 kids from schools in the neighborhood! I've been coaching in some capacity ever since.

After high school I attended Northeastern Illinois University. Shortly after enrolling I found out that I was going to be a father. Realizing that I would need to get a job, I reached out to my elementary school gym teacher, Ms. Yankowski--who I still talk to today! She helped me find work at American Airlines where I worked as a baggage handler for a total of 23 years before retiring in 2014. One of the big perks of being an airline employee is that you can hop on any flight as long as it has room. I’ve been to a lot of islands and even went to Boston for lunch one day!

This is my third year at Peterson and I love working and coaching here. It’s very important to me that I help kids to find the right path. Before working at Peterson I worked with a young man who really liked to keep score for me at our basketball games. We tried to keep him on the right path, but despite our efforts he found new "friends" and ended up in a gang. Sadly those same friends were the ones who ended up killing him. I really miss him.

It’s easy to see that Peterson is a special place. The staff is great, and our school is run very well. The teachers here remind me of Ms. Yankowski who had such a big influence on me. All of the kids respected her, and I see this at Peterson with our teachers. Her influence is why I would love to go back to school to be a Physical Education teacher someday. For now though, between work, coaching and being a grandpa I've got my hands full!

"I was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan. I attended Northern Michigan University on a tennis scholarship where I graduated with a degree in English Literature with an emphasis in the poet John Milton. After college, I worked small office jobs and traveled often. I worked at Mount Rushmore for a summer and even had a job in Galway, Ireland!

I then decided to go back to school to get an Associates in Computer Programming, studying programming languages like Java and C++. I moved to Chicago in 2001 to get a job in computer programming, but then 9/11 happened. As a result, there was a hiring freeze and no one was interviewing.

I eventually got a job working at a non-profit in Rogers Park, overseeing their computer network and backing up their server. It turned into a fulltime job with half of my job being an Administrative Assistant. While working at the non-profit, I began volunteering as a tutor for a young girl. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to look into a career in education, which led to two teaching degrees from DePaul University. To this day, I continue to keep in touch with the girl I tutored--she was in 2nd grade when I began tutoring her and today she’s a college graduate!

After DePaul, I found a job at Peterson in 2006--and I've been here ever since. I love the diverse group of staff and students I've worked with over the years. In fact, I've co-taught classes from Kindergarten through 7th grade. Through these experiences, I’ve learned many different management and collaboration skills, all of which have really shaped me as an educator. Over the past two years, it’s been really great to co-teach with Ms. Thill! We're able to bounce ideas off of each other, collaborate on great lesson plans and be flexible enough to make adaptations when necessary."

"I grew up in the North Park Neighborhood attending Peterson Elementary and Von Steuben High School. I'm still in the neighborhood--In fact, I currently live only a block and a half away from where I grew up! Quite a few people that I grew up with have also stayed around the neighborhood.

When I attended Peterson we had rows of desks and often times had as many as 40 kids in a class! A lot has changed since then, but I still have fond memories of Peterson: I remember getting a check in kindergarten for talking and actually thinking that that was a good thing. I went home that day and said: 'Look mom, I talk really well!'--I know now the check was not a good thing! I also remember singing 'Memory' at my eighth grade graduation and sobbing my eyeballs out.

Growing up, I wanted to be an actress, a writer, or possibly own a ranch with a lot of horses! Later in life, I decided I wanted to work in the business field as a writer, so I went to Calvin College in Michigan for Literature. I had a really good experience there and then went to Colorado to work at a ski resort for a season, and then for the forest service that summer to make trails. This time outside made me realize that the desk life wasn’t for me. I knew teaching would keep me on my toes, and I’d get to travel in summer.

Ten years ago, the library position opened up at Peterson and I went for it! I got the position right away. I was devastated when we lost the library because I got to see so many kids, but I love teaching science and social studies now. Being the librarian, I wasn’t able to see students frequently enough to see the growth and, in turn, the 'aha' moments that I get to see now!

I’m currently teaching in what was my third grade room. I had Mrs. Bigshorn and her mirror is still there in the closet where she would put her lipstick on every morning and say, 'Good morning class!' This room has good karma!

Peterson is a happy place! As a teacher, I still face challenges but once I think about the kids, that all goes away. Ms. Kane has also made me a better teacher by introducing me to planning techniques including Understanding by Design. The parents at our school are also so supportive, we’re very lucky!"

"Born and raised in West Rogers Park, Chicago I was a product of Boone Elementary and Mather High School--which was still a new school when I went!   Growing up, I didn’t know what I wanted to be, which lead to a number of twists and turns in my life including dropping out of North Park University; I just wasn’t sure where I was going.

I then found a job working for a book distributor, where I had one of my most important life experiences.  I was facing some difficult questions during a presentation and was angry at my mentor for not stepping in and helping me.  His response, 'if you’re ever going to make it you have to speak up for yourself,' became a pivotal life lesson for me. I then realized that if I was going to be successful in life I would need to be determined and learn to speak up--a lesson I try to pass on to my students so they can learn to be risk takers.

I got married fairly young and had two kids, which helped give me purpose. It took me awhile to go back to school, a good 15 years, but my kids were my motivation in that I wanted to finish school before they did.

After graduating I worked at East Prairie in Skokie, teaching a second grade class where I quickly learned that if the students said they need to go to the bathroom, they really mean it!

In 1996, after obtaining my masters degree in special education, I was hired at Peterson to work in a resource environment; however, once the school shifted to a focus on inclusion I started to teach literature and social studies to those students who were now in the inclusive classroom.

I really enjoy the work I do here at Peterson and the people that I work with.  As an educator, I don’t get too overblown about what happens with someone who is only a 7th or 8th grade student, but I do want to see students pick up habits they can build on later in life.  Since I struggled with my own sense of direction in life, I enjoy the 'aha moment' of helping them find a possible path of success for themselves."

As a young child growing up in the Albany Park neighborhood I always felt that my life-long destiny was to be a dolphin trainer. However, all of this changed once I began attending kindergarten--I fell in love with my teacher and knew that I wanted to be just like her someday. I continued my education in Chicago and graduated from Lane Tech High School. I then went on to the Indiana Institute of Technology on a lacrosse scholarship before coming back home, enrolling in Northeastern University and graduating in December of 2017.

It's been a long road from my kindergarten class to my first year as a teacher, but I'm loving it here at Peterson! I’m already looking forward to having students return to see how they’ve grown and to hear about how their high school career is going.

For me, the most challenging--and rewarding--part of teaching is building relationships with others. Thankfully, the relationships I have established thus far with students have flourished. I feel like my efforts to get to know and understand my students has really paid off. A brief conversation with a student having a bad day can have a significant positive impact on their ability to focus for the rest of the day.

I've also been impressed with how many students have become increasingly invested in their work and, in turn, have shown a willingness to advocate for the support that they need.

"I grew up in Colorado as part of an Air Force family, which certainly had its benefits--including traveling all over the US and beyond--but came with its own challenges as well.

While living on an Air Force base in Colorado we discovered that the local school children were less than friendly when they threw rocks at our bus. We later found out that the local kids did this because they assumed that we were privileged because we were being bussed in from the base. This experience always serves to remind me how accepting and welcoming Peterson really is.

Although I initially pursued a degree in criminal justice, I discovered my love for teaching when I participated in a tutoring program while at Loyola University. The tutoring program was implemented for kids who were about to fail 3rd, 6th, and 8thgrade. I absolutely fell in love with it, but I also feared that my parents would’ve killed me if I changed my major again! With this fear in mind, I decided to wait until I graduated from Loyola University to pursue a Masters of Education at DePaul.

When I arrived at Peterson I started with teaching 3rd grade before eventually making my way up to the 6th grade. I fell in love with Peterson as soon as I got here. I believe the diversity of Peterson helps kids to “untangle the unknown” in a safe environment while not assuming the worst of others--as those local kids in Colorado did of me."

"Looking back, I realize my journey to becoming an art teacher began with some phenomenal art teachers at Fox River Grove High School. Growing up, I had always wanted to cut hair as a profession, which I did for a while after graduating from cosmetology school. After trying it out though, I soon realized hair cutting wasn't for me. During this period I continually found myself thinking back to my high school and the air of acceptance that those art teachers created in their classrooms. I knew that I wanted a chance to recreate that experience for others.

After graduating from Northeastern, I interviewed for an art position at Peterson and got the job. My first year of teaching was an eyeopening experience. My biggest challenges early on were learning to instill a sense of responsibility in students and figuring out how to make a comforting and welcoming environment for all of my students. Thankfully for me, Peterson is an amazing school where I feel comfortable reaching out to my colleagues for support.

Over the past 3 years at Peterson I’ve been fortunate enough to see how art can have a positive and calming effect on students and how it can help bring students out of their shell by allowing them to use art as a medium for expression."

Thinking back to my days as a young camp counselor, I realize I’ve always enjoyed enjoyed helping children learn about themselves and the world around them. This early experience--along with the influence of my aunt and mother who were both educators themselves--are likely the key factors in my becoming an educator.

I grew up in West Rogers Park, and attended Chicago Public Schools. Right out of college, my husband and I found jobs in the Sycamore school district. We enjoyed Sycamore but soon missed the diversity and excitement of living and working in the city--we decided to move back after only one year.

Upon returning to Chicago, I noticed that Peterson was looking for a kindergarten teacher. When I was first hired we taught in the gym, which was a real challenge due to the fact that we shared the space with another kindergarten class. Whenever the other kindergarten class in the gym sang a song the echo in the gym became so loud that we just stopped what we were doing and sang too! Despite this initial challenge, I loved how supportive the families and the teachers were at the school and how everyone embraced and celebrated the diversity of the school.

I’ve now been at Peterson for 15 years and I still love watching the children grow up. I love watching the annual 8th grade graduation parade and seeing the faces of children who I taught in kindergarten. My husband, who teaches at Mather now, even has students that I’ve had!

"My first experience as a teacher was in Korea where I taught high school social studies, geography, and an ethics class. In 1993 my family and I moved to the United States.  My parents always felt that there would be more opportunities for us in the United States and, since war was breaking out in Korea at the time, that it would be safer as well.  When we arrived in the US, instead of going back into teaching right away, I decided instead to go to UIC to earn an accounting degree. During this time I also did auditing for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Four years later, a friend at church told me there was a position open for a Korean bilingual teacher at Peterson Elementary. I applied and was hired right away! I've always loved working in such a diverse school, and I still love the little "wow" moments I have with my students--even after twenty years! As a teacher, I'm also proud that I can use my personal experience of immigrating to the US to help our students who are going through similar experiences.

I'll close by saying that it's been an especially exciting time for room 122: We've had perfect attendance the last two weeks and were awarded the Peterson Attendance Trophy by Ms. Kane!  Here's hoping for three weeks in a row!"

"I was born and raised in Canada to a very relaxed family of six. Looking back now, my family had a huge influence on me and my career. My dad was a chemical engineer and we would go rock hunting . Eventually this would lead to my love of teaching science. As a child however, I grew up wanting to be a modern dancer and never dreamed of being a teacher. Looking back though, I realize I’ve been teaching ever since I was teenager when I started teaching ballet to smaller kids. I continued to teach ballet and modern dance, which is what brought me to the United States.

When my late husband passed away, I was left with a two year old who wouldn’t stop crying, and so I decided to take parenting class. I took the class and fell in love with the place so much that I asked them for a job. My career to become a teacher took off from there! I continued working at the parenting center for five years. I then went back to school and received my education degree started working for Gladstone Elementary in 1999.

I came to Peterson after 4 years at Gladstone and I immediately fell in love with it. I taught Special Education here for several years, and then transitioned into teaching science. I love this community, I love these kids, and I just love the diversity. As a teacher, I strive to get the kids to constructively take over the classroom, think for themselves, and to get excited about life!"

"I became a Peterson Parent in September of 1998. My husband and I both felt very strongly about public schools and we
knew that, with all of its diversity, Peterson was the one for us. My husband, being a Palestinian refugee, and me, a country girl from Michigan, liked that our kids would be known by their name rather than their description.

In 2004, I was hired as a clerk. I also volunteered in the library, tutored for reading, and served on the LSC. Throughout those years, all three of my children graduated from Peterson.

In my position, I’ve learned so much about people and being a better person. I always want to make sure people know they’ve been heard. Even if I’m unable to help them, I still want them to feel like they are a person of worth. Over the years, I've had former parents and students come up to hug or greet me, and tell me how much they appreciated something I did that I don’t even remember
doing! It reminds me to keep listening to everyone that walks in Peterson.

Peterson is a family. We support each other regardless of language, or ethnicity, or background. What I'm most proud of is that the children, family, and staff of Peterson have names, rather than just descriptions."

"I was born and raised in the Old Irving neighborhood in Chicago. As a tried and true Cubs fan, I have been teaching for 34 years and spent the last 26 years making Cubs fans of Peterson students!

I love what I do every day.  One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is when a student has a 'lightbulb moment' and you can see on their face that they finally 'get it. One of the challenges I face as a teacher is striving to support all students in the classroom whether they are at, above, or below grade level.  Sometimes I feel like I need to have 25 arm!  Thankfully  for me, I have plenty of support from my awesome team of Ms. Eldorrado and Ms. Shirley.

After 26 years of teaching, I'm always amazed to meet the children of parents who I had previously taught. I once ran into a young man who I had taught (who needed a little more structure and guidance when he was in my classroom) run over to me at the mall and give me a hug! It’s always uplifting to run into families from years ago who still remember me!"

Go Cubs go!

This is my 23rd year of teaching, and Peterson is my first and only school. I grew up in Edison Park, and went to Notre Dame High School where Dave Beucher taught me.  This is also where I also student taught. A friend of mine recommended me for a job at Peterson, and that’s how I was able to be a sub for a year and then get my job here. I’ve mostly taught language arts but also social studies along the way.

My style of teaching has become more fluid since I started, and it has a lot to do with the use of technology. Instead of always asking, 'Where is your book?', we’re able to explore different ways of learning and communicate much easier than ever before.

Despite all of these modern changes, books like To Kill A Mockingbird still really connect with how multicultural Peterson is--the kids just understand it. The story also connects to the Civil Rights Movement and to the importance of recognizing others. The students immediately start to enjoy it whereas with other books, I have often have to sell their value. I’ve changed every other book in the last ten years, but To Kill a Mockingbird has always been there!

After 23 years, society has changed a lot, but Peterson has remained a solid structure through leadership, families, and the teachers. While the kids might change with current events and technology, we still have the same struggles such as, How do we get these kids to be life long learners?  When you succeed and see it first hand, it’s extremely rewarding. Awhile back, Tom Ruby and I had a student who was causing trouble on a daily basis. I then ran into him at Northeastern where he was finishing up his teaching degree, and currently he teaches at a high school for high risk students. We still talk to this day, and he’s doing great!

I’ve been at Peterson for 16 years, I started here in 2000 after 2 years of being a sub in CPS. I moved to Chicago from Mississippi, where I worked in the cotton fields, chopping the cotton and getting the weeds out. Our momma raised us and I’m the oldest of six. My dad came and got me from Mississippi and I lived with him for a year in Chicago, and then I got my own place with my kids.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish high school in Mississippi, but when I got to Chicago, I got my GED. I was working 3 jobs since I was raising my 4 kids by myself. I now have 5 children, 3 boys and 2 girls. My eldest son is a minister and does heating and cooling. My second oldest is an electrician. My daughter works for Kindred Hospital as a CNA and is going to school to be a nurse, and my youngest daughter doesn't want to leave Walgreens. My youngest son is in school to be mechanic.

I started on a school bus as a Child Welfare Attendant. I’m a SECA now and just love it. I love this school and wouldn’t dare go anywhere else, I just love Peterson! In high school, my summer job was working with special needs kids and that's where I needed to be. It’s so gratifying knowing that I am able to help, even if it’s just a little bit. Last year, I had a student who had been struggling to recognize numbers. He then started being able to say the numbers and being able write them, and I was just in tears seeing how far he came. My favorite part is being able to see how the support, from the teachers and I, can really help a student!

Outside of Peterson I am a busy woman! My husband and I have been married 13 years this February 7th. I take care of him since he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which may have spread to his liver. I go to church a lot, and spend a lot of time there. I’m a Sunday School teacher, I lead the prayer group, and go to biblical school. I help take care of my granddaughter, pick her up and drop her off from school, since her mother works.

I just love the Peterson! I tell all the kids that they’re my grandkids. One of the kids started calling me Christmas Grandma, and I started calling him grandson! I consider all these children and staff as part of my family. This is my other home. There’s no sense in being at a place where you can’t just spread the love.

"I came from India in 1985 with my husband, and a degree in accounting. I come from a family where education comes first and that’s what I wanted for my children. I had my three kids here [in the U.S.] and I got really involved in their schooling once they started at Volta Elementary. I helped in their preschool, and was told to try and apply for a teacher’s aid position. I applied at Volta and Peterson since I live so close to Peterson. Luckily, I got the Peterson job, and my kids started coming here. They’re 24, 25, and 30 now. My oldest daughter just got her masters to become a Nurse Practitioner, and my second daughter went to school for Special Education, and my son has a biology degree.

I think I started at Peterson in September of 1996, but it wasn't official until December 11th. When I started in 1996 with Ms. Sharon, who I’ve been with the whole time at Peterson, we used to have an offsite location for preschool, and I had to bring a cooler full of our lunches and serve it family style! Ms. Sharon and I worked so well as a team, and I learned quickly from her and she learned from me, we were perfect for each other! I’m so lucky, because now we have Ms. Marion and she is just awesome!

I love doing yoga with the kids in the morning and I love to help the parents. I try to be positive for families, because being a parent is hard for everyone, and you have to be strong. I’ve learned that if you help families from the beginning it makes a big difference in the long run. I came from a different country, and I didn’t know how the system works; I couldn’t have done it without the help of my family, and that’s what I want to do for our families.

"I’ve been a Peterson parent since 1985 and working here since 2000. Since then, Peterson is much better! We have nice parents, a good community, wonderful principals, and good staff! I love everything about Peterson, but I love working with the kids, especially the pre-k and kindergarten. The kids are why I keep coming back every year. I have so many great memories. I remember one of the parents, my best friend, had left the school after her kids graduated, but now I get to see her again because her grandkids go here! It makes me so happy to see her again! All five of my daughters graduated from Peterson. My twins are 36 years old and my baby is 27, and one of my daughters just turned 30!"