In every school, there are staff whose dedication, passion, and hard work all have impacts on the students and the school community. This year, Chesterton High School (CHS) was proud to announce and recognize two exceptional staff members of the CHS who show these qualities: George Fox, for Teacher of the Year, and Shauna Jesse, for employee of the year.
“It was a great honor to be recognized…I have co-taught with a lot of teachers, and have worked with a lot of teachers. Just to know how awesome a lot of the teachers are here, I felt very privileged to be put in the same category as them,” Fox said.
Fox is an Exceptional Learning teacher for CHS who teaches students with mild disabilities. During college he studied radio and television communications, working for a television station and contributing to a nightly news program. He began substitute teaching during the day, and found fulfillment in it. Fox moved to Salt Lake City in 1997, and began to work as an assistant for a ESL class, to a middle school teaching algebra. Fox began his first full-time teaching career at Cyprus High School in Utah, but later moved, and began teaching a Special Education position here at CHS. He has demonstrated hard work and passion for teaching through his unwavering devotion to his profession.
“You have got to keep improving in everything, relationships, your career. That is how I view life…We have a lot of opportunities that they provide us to get better as teachers because times have changed, education has changed…I embrace it,” Fox said.
Shauna Jesse is a law enforcement professional currently working for DSC at CHS as a School Resource Officer. She has been in law enforcement for over 22 years. She began her journey as a Gary police officer in 2002, spending over 18 years at the Gary Police Department. She then began to work for the Chesterton Police Department beginning in 2021, starting her time as a School Resource Officer at CHS in 2022. She is certified in Indiana Law Enforcement, NASRO School Resource Officer Training, Crisis Intervention and Workplace Specialist Licensed and First Aid and CPR. She originally did not know if she wanted to work with juveniles, however Lt. Joe Chrstian and Sgt. Chris Swickard convinced her to try it, after trying it she found it extremely rewarding.
“One of the best parts of the job is seeing the kids grow…and knowing that I am building relationships with those kids has been wonderful, that is the highlight of the job,” Jesse stated.
Congratulations to Fox and Jesse on this amazing achievement!
