Nine new teachers join Reed-Custer classrooms

Students weren’t the only ones experiencing a first day when the doors opened for the 2026-2027 school year at Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255.
Nine new teachers were among the smiling faces greeting students on Wednesday, Aug. 12, as classes got underway across the district.
The new educators bring a mix of experience to Reed-Custer, from first-year teachers beginning their careers to veterans with years in the classroom. They also bring some interesting backgrounds, including culinary school, college volleyball, cheerleading, farming and even a love of Edgar Allan Poe.
Here’s a look at the district’s newest teachers:
JESSICA ANDERSON
Jessica Anderson will teach kindergarten special education. Anderson spent four years as a paraprofessional in an intensive special education middle school classroom within the Plainfield School District while attending Grand Canyon University. Last school year, she completed her student teaching in a third-grade classroom at Reed-Custer Elementary School and then worked as a substitute teacher for the remainder of the year.
Anderson said she chose special education because she wants to help students reach their individual potential and finds it rewarding to watch them gain confidence, learn new skills and achieve their goals.
"Growing up in a small district and now working in a small district, I am excited to return to a close-knit environment and connect with like-minded colleagues. I look forward to the opportunity to grow professionally at RC and to build relationships with the building staff and colleagues," she said.
Anderson grew up and attended school in Wilmington and now lives in Diamond with her husband and their two dogs. She also coaches middle school cheerleading and is entering her fifth season. Away from school, she enjoys hiking and reading. A longtime athlete herself, Anderson was a cheerleader for 15 years and played softball for 11.
AJ BAKER
AJ Baker is teaching biology, physical science and chemistry at Reed-Custer High School, where he will also serve as freshman class sponsor and lead the science club.
A Seneca High School graduate, Baker initially took a much different career path, studying culinary arts at Joliet Junior College and working full-time in restaurants for several years.
Baker said he eventually realized restaurant work was not his calling. The death of his best friend in October 2020 helped him reconsider what he wanted to do with his life. His friend, then a freshman at the University of Illinois, had been studying to become a high school history teacher.
“Through that grieving process I realized teaching is what I was called to do,” Baker said.
He returned to college, studying physics education at Illinois State University. He student taught at Streator High School last fall and joined Reed-Custer last January.
Growing up in the area, Baker was already familiar with Reed-Custer’s reputation and said he has appreciated the support from administrators and fellow teachers. Away from school, he enjoys hiking, camping, reading in his hammock, video games, board games and Dungeons & Dragons.
KRISTIN GRUNWALD
Kristin Grunwald is teaching English 10 after spending 14 years teaching seventh-grade English language arts in Palos Heights.
Grunwald graduated from Trinity Christian College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and also holds a master’s degree in educational technology. She discovered her love for teaching after high school while giving swim lessons to children at her local park district.
She said Reed-Custer’s small-district atmosphere is similar to her previous district, and she is excited about making the move from middle school to high school English.
Grunwald lives in Manhattan with her husband, Jeff, their 3-year-old daughter, Charlotte, and two dogs, Gunnar and Bella. Her interests include gardening, reading, spending time with friends and watching true-crime documentaries. She also describes herself as “obsessed” with Edgar Allan Poe and everything spooky and macabre. Grunwald previously coached cheerleading for 10 years.
KATELYN McCANN
Katelyn McCann, a Wilmington native, will teach second grade. McCann recently graduated from North Central College and completed her student teaching in a first-grade classroom.
"I decided to become a teacher because I have always enjoyed working with children and helping them learn and be the best they can be. Seeing students grow academically and grow confidence in themselves is very rewarding, and I wanted a career where I could make a difference every day," McCann said.
McCann said she was attracted to Reed-Custer by its welcoming atmosphere and commitment to students. She said she is looking forward to creating a positive classroom environment where all students feel supported, valued and excited to learn.
“I am excited to be part of a collaborative and supportive team,” she said.
McCann has been involved in cheerleading and athletics for much of her life and was once asked to try out for the Chicago Bulls Cheer Team, an opportunity she ultimately turned down. She is interested in becoming involved with cheerleading or track at Reed-Custer.
MAGGIE McDONALD
Maggie McDonald is beginning her first year as a teacher in a first-grade classroom. McDonald graduated from Illinois State University in May and student taught in kindergarten at Morris Grade School. She also gained experience in preschool through second-grade classrooms and has worked as a substitute teacher in Seneca and Morris.
Her mother’s career as a teacher played an important role in McDonald choosing education herself.
“My mom was able to show me that teaching is more than just a job, it is a commitment to building up youth in the community,” she said.
McDonald grew up in Seneca and enjoys spending time with family and friends, fishing and being on the lake in Wisconsin. A sports fan, she cheers for the White Sox and Bears.
"I am excited to work at Reed-Custer this school year for the strong community mindset the district has. I cannot wait to dive into the culture and traditions that Reed-Custer has to offer. I am excited to bring my passion for education into this community as well. Collaborating with new teachers and building meaningful relationships with students are only a few of the many things I am looking forward to."
LIZA NICHOLS
Liza Nichols joins Reed-Custer Elementary School as a fifth-grade teacher. Nichols holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in elementary education. Her experience includes three years as a paraprofessional in Lockport and Homer Glen, two years teaching third grade in Arizona and one year teaching fourth grade in Elwood.
Nichols said she has always loved school and enjoys seeing the moment when something “clicks” for a student. She had also always wanted to teach fifth grade and felt Reed-Custer Elementary School’s values and emphasis on student learning and relationships matched the type of school community she wanted to join.
A New Lenox native who attended Providence High School, Nichols lives in Manhattan with her husband, Adam, and their daughter, Adaline, who was born in June, and their dog Bailey. When she has some free time, Nichols enjoys spending time with her daughter, running and reading.
AUBRIE PRUESS
Aubrie Pruess is taking over a third-grade classroom after graduating from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, in May. She earned a degree in elementary education with endorsements in K-8 reading and middle school math and science and completed student teaching in fourth-grade and sixth/seventh-grade math classrooms in school districts in Iowa.
Teaching runs in the family for Pruess. Her mother and grandmother both worked in education, and as a child she would pretend to teach in her grandmother’s classroom.
"I have grown to have a passion for leaving a positive mark on many students’ lives. I can’t wait to help students foster a love of learning like I have had the opportunity to do," she said.
Pruess grew up the oldest of four on a family farm in Clarence, Iowa, and played volleyball for four years at Wartburg. She met her fiancé, Drew, at college, and his family farms in Bonfield. The couple plans to marry in April. When she isn’t teaching, Pruess enjoys farm life, reading, working out, spending time outdoors and visiting national parks.
EMILY STRATTON
Emily Stratton returns to the classroom as Reed-Custer High School’s new special education math teacher.
Stratton earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Illinois State University and master’s degrees in special education from Eastern Illinois University and educational leadership from Lewis University. Entering her ninth year in education, she previously worked in Plainfield District 202 as a high school special education teacher in both the resource and multi-needs setting, and most recently as a dean of students.
Stratton decided to become a teacher while in high school after serving as a peer mentor for students with disabilities. She is especially pleased to be teaching in the community she calls home and looks forward to developing lasting relationships with students and families.
She lives in Custer Park with her husband and 2-year-old daughter in a multigenerational household that also includes her parents. Their 10-acre property is home to two Highland cows, three goats and plenty of chickens. Stratton also has a particularly meaningful story to share: In July 2020, she donated a kidney to her father.
"It was a wonderful experience and I was able to give him a second chance at life so he could be present for mine and my borther's weddings and to become a grandfather," Emily said.
GRACE WINGERTER
Grace Wingerter is teaching ninth-grade World History and will also coach freshman girls basketball. A first-year teacher, Wingerter recently graduated from Lewis University with a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. She student taught with Mr. Wolf at Reed-Custer last year, teaching civics and economics, and previously had student-teaching experiences at Channahon Junior High and Plainfield South High School.
Wingerter’s path to teaching included taking a year away from college to work and travel the country in her van. The experience helped her realize she wanted to return home and give something back to the community that helped shape her.
“I realized I wanted to be that teacher for someone,” she said of the educators who made her feel comfortable enough to participate and try even when she didn’t have all the answers. “I want to make students feel wanted in my class.”
The Channahon native enjoys gardening, being in her backyard in Shorewood, where she lives with her boyfriend and cat named Clover, and anything outdoors. On weekends she usually rides her motorcycle with her boyfriend, and loves reading and watching history documentaries. "I always have a good book recommendation." She also recently published her first research paper in the Armstrong Journal of History.
Together, the nine newcomers entered their Reed-Custer classrooms with different experiences and backgrounds but a common goal—building relationships with students and helping them start the new school year on a positive note.