Jackie was nominated to be a hidden hero in our community because of her ever evolving teaching practices with her students and her love of children in general. She has an unbeatable passion for people in our community. We feel honored to have her as teacher and community member.

Our hero Jackie, was originally born and raised in Wausau, WI. When she was in first grade, she had difficulty producing the /s/ sound, so her father helped her. A couple years later she came home from school and told her parents that she was "going to teach people to talk right someday." She was inspired by a child on her playground who walked laps around their elementary school and repeating a string of noises that did not make sense to her. Every day he walked. Alone. Repeating to himself. She didn’t know much about disabilities back then but now, believes he may have been a student on the autism spectrum. From then on Jackie always wanted to become a Speech/Language Pathologist. She enrolled at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, completed her master’s program in 1992 and began working in public schools as a Speech/Language Pathologist. Since entering the field she has never left and never regretted her decision for a career. 

Jackie's passion for talking to others & sharing stories, in part, came early on but also was encouraged after the death of her younger sister in 1994. As a result of her death, she ended up volunteering for the Family Crisis Center in Portage County (approximately 1994-1998) and created a video about domestic violence to train others for signs to look for and what biases/stereotypes we accidentally might have in our heads. While working in the center she assisted with childcare for children whose mothers were attending support groups and answered phones. From there, she was asked to speak at several rallies in Portage and Waupaca Counties related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Becoming comfortable talking about the ‘uncomfortable’ and that helped her to both heal as well as grow in the understanding of others. The time she spent with that organization demonstrated the need for supporting each other. It was truly a beautifully, mutually-beneficial relationship in her opinion. 

What have you overcome to get to where you are today?

For about the last six years, I have filled the role of Program Support Teacher in the area of Autism for elementary aged students. The number of new teachers each year makes this role critical as new staff are constantly needing to already hold knowledge for students with needs that the teacher may never have witnessed before and need to teach support staff at the same time they are learning. Additionally, when I started with a caseload of 65 students ages 3 – 21 in my first years of teaching, there was literally only one non-verbal student who had autism that was identified at that time. A consultant from Madison was hired to train me and his team to work with this student. I was also sent to multi-day, state-wide trainings in the area of autism understanding and treatment practices. Now, in 2021, it would be common for a therapist with a caseload of only 40 students 4K-6th grade to have 3-6 student who are nonverbal and an additional 4-10 students who are verbal but have significant social and communicative language impairments that negatively impact their daily life functioning.  Plainly stated, the job is harder because there are more students with significant social and behavioral needs and many of the trainings no longer exist that I was able to benefit from. The job is hard. Harder than it was 29 years ago.

Jackie's Favorites:

Food: Cheese!! because I’m a Wisconsin girl?

Quote: "Just because someone cannot speak, doesn't mean they don't have anything to say" ~ Unknown

Books:

7 Habits of Highly Effective Leadership by Stephen Covey

Untamed by Glennon Doyle 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Out of My Mind by Sharon Drape

What makes you happy? 

Oh, so many things. Watching my own children grow into amazing, giving, young women. Each is on their own path to ‘giving back’ professions – My oldest is pursuing a medical degree, my middle daughter just graduated in psychiatry and works with students with autism for a residential living center and my youngest is working on becoming a special education teacher.

I also love talking about autism, communication challenges, women-power, and just talking in general (I often joke that my elementary report cards said ‘Nice girl but talks too much’).

How does living in Portage County influence you?

I have been blessed to find so many organizations whose purpose is to give back to others – the Family Crisis Center, Redeemer Lutheran Church/Beloved Community, even Big Brothers/Big Sisters for which I was a ‘Big’ for many years, years ago, have all shaped my thinking as I’ve grown. Portage County overall has such a spirit of giving! It is woven into the fabric of who it is as a collective group. I am proud of all the organizations I assist with and know of who, are helping others. Knowing these exist keeps the concept of helping others to be in the forefront of my mind.

Where are you headed?

I consider retirement and yet cannot imagine a day where I am not working with students who struggle to effectively communicate and also try to help others be the best educators they can be. When I say I love my job, I truly do. If someone could figure out for me what my next life goal should be, that would help me a lot. I have always had professional goals. I need to set my next one. It may be centered around more consultation and training of others. I need to put some work into that goal to make it into a plan yet though!

I think, as the time eventually comes where I allow the next group of leaders truly be the educational leaders, I will continue to be involved in my church Redeemer Lutheran Church/Beloved Community. I love and appreciate all they stand for – Love and caring for our community in so many different ways. The youth group I co-lead keep me hopeful in our youth today. Their passion for doing right in the world, helping the greater community (which means many different things but all thinking beyond themselves and towards others). In some way, I hope to continue to have youth always be my focus. There is honesty, vision, compassion, creativity and love in their hearts and minds. They help keep it in mine as well!

Who's your hero?

My parents and specifically my mother. Both my parents were pillars of strength and true role models. My father passed away over six years ago but both he and my mother lived life to the fullest and shared their blessings with others. My mother is still a great listener and has been through so many hardships of loss and even discrimination in the workplace years ago because of being a female employee. She is an incredibly positive and independent woman. She never loses faith that things are good – no matter the circumstances. They may not be great all the time but she knows life is still good. That doesn’t mean to say she doesn’t own her feelings and shies away from challenges. She just does it with strength and determination in the most beautiful of ways. When I think of it, she comes from a family of strong women. It makes me think of ‘Strong women, may we be them, be blessed to be raised by them, have friends who are them, and raise them ourselves’.

What can people from the community learn from you?

Passion. Find yours and share it with others. You never know who you can influence, education, assist, support and learn from. Share the blessings you have been given with those near you. You can create a ripple effect and in return, help you be a better person. And don’t forget to listen along the way. You’ll learn a lot as well!

What is your most deeply held belief?

Kids are worth it!

What is the hardest truth you've ever learned?

Trusting that everyone is pure of heart and trustworthy when you first meet them can leave you in vulnerable situations. Sometimes it can leave you in incredibly painful and life-altering circumstances. The types of things that will turn you and your life upside down. Working through those is hard.

Influential People in Jackie's Life:

Undergraduate and graduate – UWSP Center of Communicative Disorders

  *Teachers/Professors – Cynthia Forster, Ellie Brush, Dennis Nash, Don Ayelsworth – These staff helped me see the type Speech/Language Pathologist and leader I wanted to be. They helped me believe in myself that I could be a leader

CESA 8 in Bowler & Tigerton

  *Mentors/Professionals: Marcia Whitrock, Carol Hinrichs – Taught me professionalism, support, the importance of families and clearly communicating with them

Tomorrow River School District – Amherst 

  *Katherine Rybak, Leanne Krutza, Joe & Penny Reed, Judi Cumley – Together, Katherine & I created some, what I still believe were foundationally powerful interventions for students. Joe Reed saw my leadership potential and recommended me for leadership with Penny Reid’s Wisconsin Assistive Technology Initiative (WATI) and I was able to learn from Penny & Judi along with other leaders in AT education

UWSP Center of Communicative Disorders

*Maggie Watson, Gary Cumley, Charlie Osborne – When I thought I couldn’t work with populations of clientele that I was less familiar with, these staff supported me. (Not to mention helping me when I was raising three young children at the same time!)

Stevens Point Area School District 

*My special education team at Bannach elementary: Teresa Lane, Vicki Kolodziej, Elizabeth Wojtalewicz, Liz Busch, Barb Flisakowski, Barb Soik, Clytie Lundgren, Stacey Itzen, Jordan Kaminzki, Lynn McGuley, Jen Teska, Beca Studinski, Ian Halberg, Sara Fischer and many regular education staff there as well. The strength of this staff is that we work to make each other better. All the time. It is about knowing we are all better when we are all supported and assist each other.