by Grace LoDolce

Most of you know that Ms. Rea is our new Assistant Principal here at Joliet Central.  What most of you don’t know though is that Ms. Rea isn’t from Illinois.  She moved here from down south.  She lived in Alice, Texas and she also lived in Robstown, Texas before she moved here.
Ms. Rea wasn’t always a guideance counselor.  She taught English for twelve years at Joliet Central prior to becoming a counselor.  Once she became a counselor here, she stayed in that position for six years and loved it just as much as she did teaching.  Ms. Rea has been in the education field for twenty-four years total.
Ms. Rea believes that being a counselor before she became assistant principal really benefitted her because while she was a counselor, she dealt with students and their schedules.  Now, as an assistant principal, she does the same sort of things therefore she has a good understanding of the scheduling process.
She taught in the Lighthouse Center so she could still be with students. “The big difference between being a counselor and the assistant principal is that I don’t get to be with kids as much.  I miss being with kids so I go in the halls as much as possible and go check-up on my former students,” said Ms. Rea.  Having a different position in the school hasn’t changed what she wants for the school and the student body.  Ms. Rea says, “It is the same as in the class room, in the guidance office, and now in the principal’s office, I want to help students be successful, but I’m just on another level now.”  She really has a passion for youth.
Ms. Rea has her Master’s Degree in school counseling.  “Since I love school, it only took me about a year and a half to get my Master’s.  Opposed to someone who would have spread out their time more, it would have taken longer,” says Ms. Rea.  She will continue to take classes for the rest of her life because she loves school so much.