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April 20, 2022

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Educator of the Year Nominees in D131Ocho miembros del personal nominados a Educador del Año del Condado

Each year, the Kane County Regional Office of Education celebrates outstanding educators in the area through the Educator of the Year award. During the 2019-2020 school year this ceremony took a pause due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. However it was reignited in 2021 and continues honoring those most dedicated to their student and district communities.

In its 45 year run, District 131 has had 6 honorees awarded the Educator of the Year distinction. This year, 8 staff members from across the district were nominated, ringing out the 2021-2022 school year with bells, whistles, and a celebration worthy of pomp and circumstance.

What distinguishes nominees is their active and engaged role in their school and district communities, signifying a dedication to the holistic academic and social/emotional experience of a child and their family. These are educators who have a demonstrated ability to inspire and connect with students–visible and clear to any outsider, least of all their nominators.

The 46th Annual Educator of the Year awards banquet will take place Friday, April 29 in St. Charles.

East Aurora School District 131 is extremely proud of all the staff we call our own. We are especially grateful for those who go above and beyond each and every day.

Congratulations to our amazing staff! These nominated educators represent the best of what we hope to deliver to our students and community. They embody our mission to educate and empower all students to reach their full potential and incorporate our strategic pillars of equity, operational excellence, collaborative leadership, and student achievement in all they do.

Read on to get to know this year’s Kane County Educator of the Year Nominees from East Aurora 131.

Megan Bockenhauer, Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy

7th Grade English Language Arts Teacher

Years in education: 15

Years in EASD 131: 7-8

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: Isabel Jorjorian, Jackie Elliott, Stephanie Golike, Michael Swanson, Rory Schlarb, Meagan Savoie, Dr. David Ballard, Dr. Rita Guzman, Marlon Williams

Why education? I have always been a teacher.

Why East Aurora? Seeing kids learn, explain, support others, and grow makes me smile.

Soundtrack to your Life: N/A

Sheila Conrad, Krug Elementary School

Principal

Years in education: 31

Years in EASD 131: 19

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: I don’t think I can name just one. I have been fortunate to have the privilege of working alongside so many talented educators throughout the course of my career.

Why education? I love kids.

Why East Aurora? Our students are absolutely amazing!

Soundtrack to your Life: “Best Day of My Life”

Kiera Donnamario, Waldo Middle School

Social Studies/Early Career Teacher

Years in education: 2

Years in EASD 131: 2

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: My world history and economics teacher from high school. She was the one teacher who was not afraid to push me into something unknown. Without her, I don’t think I would have found my path in life.

Why education? Having teachers who were a strong influence in my life, pushing me towards my own path of success.

Why East Aurora? When I was in college, I had a practicum at EAHS with the social studies department. I absolutely loved my time there because of both the students and staff. I knew that upon graduation, I wanted to seek out a position back in East Aurora. I am so fortunate I was able to make my dream a reality. I have really grown and found myself as an educator by being a part of this district, from being a pre-service teacher to now. I want to share this with others because it really goes to show that you will flourish where you are meant to.

Soundtrack to your Life: “In Violet”, by Grayscale

Laura Manzanos, Oak Park Elementary

Bilingual Preschool Teacher

Years in education: 14

Years in EASD 131: 10

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: I would say my Art History teacher in high school, Ms. Manina. She was able to take you around the world with her instruction. She was fun, entertaining, charismatic, but even more important–I learned from her that patience, empathy, and respect are essential for this profession.

Why education? Since I remember, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I think a big influence on following that wish is my dad. He is an eager learner and reader, and I grew up in a house full of books and conversations about so many different topics. I would also add that since I did not have the best experience as a student with some teachers, I have always wanted to have a positive and inspiring impact in my students’ lives and their families.

Why East Aurora? I am proud to represent District 131 because it has become my home for the last ten years. This recognition is coming from my colleagues, my family at school; it makes me feel very happy of the team that we have. I would say that this is a recognition for myself but I truly believe this nomination is also a recognition for my preschool colleagues that work side by side with me planning, sharing, supporting each other. It is a recognition for the District, who has been supporting me since the first day I arrived from Spain and that has always trusted me and provided me opportunities to grow personally and professionally. My students make me smile, my colleagues, and my husband who is also my colleague make me smile. It is the great thing about my job, no matter how hard the day is, there is always something that makes you smile and feel the joy of being a teacher.

Soundtrack to your Life: “Perfect Day”, by Lou Reed

Anna Nightingale, Oak Park Elementary

Dual Language Teacher

Years in education: 15

Years in EASD 131: 9

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: In college I had a professor named Dr. David Frolick for several political science courses, including Model U.N., at North Central College. I dropped out of his class freshman year because it was too challenging. I avoided him on campus and tried to not have to take any of his courses. Since it was a small college, I could only avoid him for so long. My junior year I was forced to have him again. I entered his classroom, hoping he had forgotten my name, but when he called roll he said, “Nightingale? That name sounds familiar. We know each other, don’t we?” I nodded and he said, “Welcome back.”

He has had the biggest impact on me because of what he valued as an educator–integrity, resilience, and character. He also encouraged me to travel more and see the world. He was the first one to tell me about the Peace Corps, which is an experience that deeply impacted me and led me to become an educator. Another educator that has had an immense impact on me is Dr. Jan Fitzsimmons through the North Central College Junior-Senior Scholars Program. Her positivity and continuous drive continues to inspire me. Finally, in East Aurora (at Bardwell, Waldo, and East High), I also had many great teachers–ones that helped me learn more about myself , the world, and my place in it. My colleagues at Oak Park also inspire every day!

Why education? I never planned on working with children, much less being a teacher. In college I tutored dozens of students because of a scholarship requirement, but had a clear focus on becoming involved in foreign affairs. The children and administrators in the Junior/Senior Scholars Program first shifted my direction by opening my eyes to inner-city life. They taught me about disparities in our education system and how inspiring educators can transform even the bleakest realities. As a Youth Development Volunteer in Guatemala, I was in charge of developing a project that focused on implementing best practices and creating an environment of true youth participation. My integration into the culture helped me gain an appreciation of the challenges people face in developing nations. I realized how simple solutions had an impact on the lives of my students and the community. I saw that access to education was critical, parent involvement was essential and that exceptional teachers were key.

Upon completing my service, I returned to Chicago to manage four mentoring programs. A large part of the work involved coaching mentors so that they could help youth identity their interests and passions, encourage and provide opportunities that would empower them and improve their communities. In 2013, I returned to my old school district in Aurora, initially as a substitute and tutor, and finally as a classroom teacher.

Why East Aurora? I am proud to be a nominee because I am a product of East Aurora. As someone born in another country, daughter of an immigrant, biracial and multilingual, I think I have a unique understanding of our students because I was just like them.

Soundtrack to your Life: “Al otro lado del rio”, by Jorge Drexler.

Wilfredo Torres, Benavides STEAM Academy

Utility Custodian

Years in education: 12

Years in EASD 131: 4

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: To be honest, I was a quiet kid and I believe I blended into the background. This is why I’m so passionate about showing a good example for the kids in my building. I want to be that person that makes a great impact on a child. If it’s taking 5 minutes out of my day to play Play-Doh with a student or give a student a high-five, because people will never know what a child is going home to, especially the ones that are quiet and blend into the background. I’m happy to see the difference from when I was in school to how it’s been with my kids. Their list will be long, full of educators who impacted their lives and that makes up for my experience ten-fold.

Why education? After working maintenance for 22 years in a factory that ended up closing their doors and relocating out of state, I needed a job and I’ve always enjoyed when me and my wife would volunteer our time to our children’s schools. I decided to try the district and I have to say that was the best choice I made.

Why East Aurora? It feels good to be recognized for all the hard work I do for a district that I myself have graduated from as well as my entire family. My son graduated in 2019 and my daughter is currently a sophomore at East Aurora High School. What makes me smile about E, it’s honestly the kids. When I walk into the building and hear all the kids yell out, “Hi Mr. Will!”, it shows me that I’m more than just a custodian, I’m more than just at title.

Soundtrack to your Life: The song, “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. In life we don’t always have a choice, but we do have the choice to be happy no matter what is thrown our way. I choose to be happy, my wife and kids make me happy, my work family makes me happy. So if I had to pick out a song it would definitely be, “Happy.”

Jessica Trilling Sheldon, East Aurora Extension Campus

RSSP Math Teacher

Years in education: 22

Years in EASD 131: 8

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: Not only was my mother my first educator, but she also had the greatest impact. The lessons I learned from her were not explicitly taught. I learned from example. She is one of the strongest women I know.

Why education? My mother was my first educator. Not only was the degree she pursued in education, but she also taught me valuable lessons you do not typically learn in the classroom. My grandpa and my aunt were also educators. Being an educator inevitably is in my blood.

Why East Aurora? EAEC has only been open for eight years, and I am the only original staff member. There has been steady growth in our building, especially over the last five years. I have found a home with an extended family at EAEC. We come together as a staff and figure out ways around the obstacles to help our students. Although the students’ time with us is supposed to be temporary, the majority of the students do not want to leave the safe environment we have created.

Our students are resilient and we work with them to show them how to obtain resources that are not readily available. It is a work in progress and is worth every effort. I love working with my colleagues and I love our students. My hope is that our students not only leave our district with a high school diploma, but they leave us knowing they are loved.

Soundtrack to your Life: I recently heard a country song by Cody Johnson titled, “‘Till You Can’t”. It basically says life is too short for regrets. If you have a chance to do something that makes you happy, then do it. You may never get that opportunity again. This is how I try to live my life.

Tracy Warwick, Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy

Guidance Counselor

Years in education: 8

Years in EASD 131: 6

Educator(s) with the greatest impact on you: I had a lot of negative experiences with educators in my K-12 education. I would say that a culmination of these experiences have taught me a lot about what I don’t want to do as an educator. These experiences have driven me to have a positive impact on students and therefore has had the greatest impact on me. In college, I had excellent educators that demonstrated care and treated students as whole people and not just ‘seats’ in their classroom. I learned a lot about what a positive educator-student relationship looks like.

Why education? When I worked with teens aging out of the foster care system, I learned a lot. I learned that education is the ticket out of cycles of poverty and abuse. I really enjoyed helping youth make post-secondary plans, which led me to go back to school to become a Professional School Counselor.

Why East Aurora? I always want to push myself to be the best counselor possible for the students of EA, because they deserve the best from all of us. Seeing students take pride in themselves for accomplishments of any size is what makes me smile–whether that is related to personal life or academics.

Soundtrack to your Life: N/A

Cada año, la Oficina Regional de Educación del Condado de Kane celebra a los educadores más distinguidos de la zona mediante el premio al Educador del Año. Durante el año escolar 2019-2022 esta ceremonia tomó una pausa debido a la pandemia de COVID-19. Sin embargo, fue reactivada en 2021 y continúa honrando a los más dedicados a sus estudiantes y a las comunidades del distrito.

En sus 45 años de existencia, el Distrito 131 ha tenido 6 ganadores de la distinción de Educador del Año. Este año, 8 miembros del personal de todo el distrito fueron nominados, dando la bienvenida al año escolar 2021-2022 con campanas, silbatos y una celebración digna de admiración y circunstancia.

Los nominados se distinguen por su papel activo y comprometido en sus comunidades escolares y distritales, lo que significa una dedicación a la experiencia académica y social/emocional holística de un niño y su familia. Estos educadores han demostrado la capacidad de inspirar y conectar con los estudiantes, lo que es visible y claro para cualquier persona externa y sobre toda para sus nominadores.

El 46º banquete anual de los premios del Educador del Año tendrá lugar el viernes 29 de abril en St. Charles.

El Distrito escolar 131 del Este de Aurora está muy orgulloso de nuestro personal. Estamos especialmente agradecidos a aquellos que van más allá cada día.

¡Felicidades a nuestro increíble personal! Estos educadores nominados representan lo mejor de lo que esperamos ofrecer a nuestros estudiantes y a la comunidad. Encarnan nuestra misión de educar y capacitar a todos los estudiantes para que alcancen su máximo potencial e incorporan nuestros pilares estratégicos de equidad, excelencia operativa, liderazgo colaborativo y logros estudiantiles en todo lo que hacen.

Siga leyendo para conocer a los nominados del Educador del Año del Condado de Kane del Distrito escolar 131 del Este de Aurora.

Megan Bockenhauer, Fred Rodgers Magnet Academy

Maestra de Artes del Lenguaje de Inglés de 7º grado

Años de experiencia en educación: 15

Años en EASD 131: 7-8

Educador(es) con mayor impacto en usted: Isabel Jorjorian, Jackie Elliott, Stephanie Golike, Michael Swanson, Rory Chlarb, Meagan Savoie, Dr. David Ballard, Dra. Rita Guzman, Marlon Williams

¿Por qué la educación? Siempre he sido una maestra.

¿Por qué el Este de Aurora? Ver a los niños aprender, explicar, apoyar a los demás y crecer me hace sonreír.

La canción de su vida: No se aplica