Sheila Jercich is the new Special Education Department Chair at West. Prior to this year, Ms. Jercich was a special education director at Riverside Brookfield High School, but originally started her career as a school psychologist. Her college experience at Eastern Illinois University opened her up to school psychology in particular. This field cultivated her high-school interest in general psychology and child development into a passion for “helping students with disabilities overcome adversities associated with learning and functioning.” She works close with staff, students, and parents to develop rewarding “individual programs that promote success in the learning environment.” Ms. Jercich is gratified when her plans that she designs as a team are successful for the student. Although starting a new job in the middle of a pandemic has been difficult, Ms. Jercich feels “fortunate to be a part of a department that is so flexible and willing to be creative with teaching strategies to help students during remote instruction” despite the “lack of contact time [she has] had with students.”