Four soon-to-retire Minooka Community High School retirees were recognized recently for their collective contributions to District 111. Combined, they have brought three-quarters of a century of service through their respective areas of expertise.
The retirees include Melissa Caruso, a social worker; Jon Monti, a science teacher; Karen Styrna, a Spanish teacher; and John Troy, assistant superintendent of business and general counsel. They were recognized at MCHS’ most recent board of education meeting.
Joseph Pacetti, Minooka 111’s director of special services, recognized Caruso and her 16 years of service to the district as a social worker at the south campus.
“She works with families, works with the community, and the thing she does outside the job that people don’t know is she helps families during holidays, during anytime,” Pacetti said at the April 15 board meeting. “It’s amazing.”
Pacetti added Caruso’s commitment and work ethic have been an inspirational model.
“You’ve always been here for the kids; you know how important that is,” he said to his colleague. “We’re going to miss you, and I just want to thank you for everything that you’ve done.”
Monti has been a science teacher at MCHS for 26 years. In the past, he also has been heavily involved in the high school’s sports programs, most notably coaching basketball and serving as the “voice” of Minooka baseball for a number of years as the announcer.
“I think John’s most significant impact came to us in the classroom,” said Chris Erickson, who is chair of the high school science department. “Jon created and nurtured the anatomy program that I think is so fantastic at MCHS today.”
Erickson said he especially has been inspired by Monti’s willingness and desire to change up his teaching techniques and adopt new strategies within the classroom.
“Selfishly, I will miss Jon’s sense of humor, his integrity, his reliability, and his professionalism,” Erickson said. “I use Jon many times as a sounding board for ideas that I have.”
Jeff Easthon, chair of the high school’s world languages, music, and art departments, said Styrna has impacted countless students in and out of her classroom throughout her 22 years of service.
He noted she routinely takes time to interact with students, even if they are not enrolled in one of her Spanish classes.
“She’s been more than a teacher,” Easthon said. “She’s been a mentor, a guide, a source of encouragement and a steady presence in the lives of thousands of students and lots of teachers.”
Superintendent Robert Schiffbauer recognized Troy at the board meeting, describing him as “a unicorn.”
“He is one of those unique individuals that has such a diverse skill set, it’s hard to even explain,” Schiffbauer said, pointing to Troy’s disparate professional background, which has included engineering, business, and a stint as a private practice attorney.
Schiffbauer said Troy made his mark on MCHS upon his arrival 11 years ago, improving the district’s finances to a point where there is enough capacity to tackle “monster projects.”
“At the time, Minooka High School was designated by ISBE [Illinois State Board of Education] as a ‘review school’ when it comes to our finances,” Schiffbauer said. “Within two years, John put us into ‘recognition,’ which is the highest category there is for designations for finances. We’ve remained there ever since.”
Despite limited experience in education, compared to his other professional roles, Schiffbauer praised Troy for always putting the interest of students first as decisions hung in the balance.