I recently spoke to Austin resident and St. Angela School board member on how his life has evolved around the community.
On his perception of the St. Angela School community
I’ve been on the board for seven years. I joined because I wanted to be part of what’s happening at the school in our community. The school has been a pillar in the community for many years and it really provides a good education for individuals in the neighborhood. There’s affordable tuition with the help of donors, so the school is an opportunity for students from the community to experience a different type of education. You don’t have to be Catholic to go to this school.
On his career before retiring and life after retiring
I worked for the Chicago Park District for [roughly 32 years] as an area manager. I did a lot in the community. I also taught physical education and health and worked at the Chicago Board of Education for 10 years and at the Archdiocese of Chicago for 15 years. I recently retired from ComEd.
I still do community services with some of the high schools. I’m on the Earth Day committee for Humboldt Park and we bring in about 1,000 people to clean the park at that location. We have various other sites where we send people to clean for Earth Day.
I continue to help with environmental cleanup around the Lagoon. We bring out some of the students and teach them how to mulch and plant, educating them on things like butterfly gardens.
On encouraging others to get involved in community work
Take a step forward. Don’t be afraid to open your mouth and say, ‘Hey I’m here. I’m here, as a community resident; I’m here as a neighbor. Don’t be afraid to call the police when you see something out of the ordinary. And do stand up for your rights and the rights of others.
CONTACT: shanel@growingcommunitymedia.org
