Gallery • 4 Photos

Addi Sriram

“Be proud to wear orange and black and be proud to show that you’re a Wildcat, even when you leave and you graduate. It’s my hope that you feel pride in where you went to school, and that when people ask you where you went to high school that you feel super great about saying, I was a Libertyville Wildcat.” - Mrs. Uliks

After decades of early mornings, lesson plans and creating lasting connections, ten beloved teachers and staff members at LHS are preparing to say goodbye. While this moment is bittersweet for many, the legacy these staff members leave behind will stay with the LHS community for years to come. For many teachers, the most
meaningful part of their jobs wasn’t found in tests or grading papers, but in the connections they built.

Dr. David Kreutz has spent 20 years at LHS teaching science, his main subject being Human Anatomy and Physiology. Kreutz has long utilized a more hands-on approach in his classroom, his lifelong motto for teaching being not to teach the way that he was taught growing up.

“You can write with your brain totally turned off,” Dr. Kreutz said. “You know words, you’re just writing. The concepts are not getting in there because it’s not interactive, so I cut that stuff out right away.”

Outside of school, Dr. Kreutz is a state officer for the Knights of Columbus, which is the world’s largest fraternal service organization. He intends to spend his time in retirement contributing to the cause, which provides extensive volunteer aid and donates millions to charities such as the Special Olympics and disaster relief.

Mrs. Jennifer Uliks

After starting as a Special Education teacher at West Leyden High School, Student Activities Director Mrs. Jennifer Uliks has worked at LHS since 2000. Throughout her time, she’s done everything from helping start Link Crew to dressing up in costumes and handing out hot chocolate to students during COVID times.

“There’s so many memories,” Mrs. Uliks said. “They’re all super unique and special to me.”

Mrs. Uliks intends to spend her time in retirement doing things she once put aside due to her busy work schedule and looks forward to being more present at family events.

“I want to be able to sit down and read a book uninterrupted without thoughts creeping in about what I should be doing or tasks that need to happen,” Mrs. Uliks said.

Mrs. Stefanie Dahlstrom

Mrs. Stefanie Dahlstrom has taught art for 33 years, with a majority of those years being at LHS. Mrs. Dahlstrom has taught a variety of art forms, from drawing to starting the Glass Arts class.

“Letting students express themselves artistically and having that trust and openness of being able to make mistakes and take risks and get back up on your feet is so important,” Mrs. Dahlstrom said.

Now that she’s retiring, Dahlstrom intends to travel, which includes visiting her daughters in Colorado and New Zealand.

Mrs. Julia West

Mrs. Julia West is the social worker in the G-P LST but has been working for a total of 38 years, spending time at the Special Education District of Lake County and in Barrington. West’s job exposes her to all kinds of students from a variety of backgrounds, making her job very unique.

“There’s just so many memories because each day is a memory, each day is different,” Mrs. West said. “I’ve worked with a lot of great
people and great students.”

Heading into retirement, Mrs. West is looking forward to not needing to have a plan for each day and taking them as they come.

Mrs. Audrey Glenn

Mrs. Audrey Glenn serves as the Substitute Coordinator at LHS. She started working in social work before coming to work at LHS nearly two decades ago. A paper chain hanging in her office serves as a countdown to her retirement. Mrs. Glenn’s office is located inside the teacher’s workshop, which allows her to create long-lasting relationships with teachers as they come in for the morning to pick up mail and make copies.

“The people, absolutely,” Mrs. Glenn said. “That’s sort of what’s kept me here; so many really kind, engaging, enjoyable people.”

Non-featured retiring staff includes: Mr. Constantinidis, Mrs. Fowkes, Mr.
Johnson, Mrs. Warfield and Mr.Wilcox.