“To the world you might be one person, but to one person you might be the world.” -Author Unknown

My name is Vicky Redd.   I am originally from Plainfield, Illinois.   I have two older sisters, Jackie and Kris, and a younger brother, Scott.    My parents, Tom and Judy have been incredibly supportive throughout my life.  I have always had a close connection with my family.   Therefore, when I moved away from home in 1995 to attend Eastern Illinois University, I missed my family immensely.

I attended EIU from 1995-2000 and graduated in  December of 2000 with a degree in Sociology.  I got engaged and moved to Peoria, Illinois shortly after.  I was hired by a foster care agency as a case manager, and remained in that position for four years.  While the experience was somewhat rewarding, it was not a place I saw myself in for the rest of my life.   My hands were tied in many ways, and I did not feel I could give the children that I worked with all that they deserved.   I yearned to work with children more and give them all that I possibly could.   Therefore, I decided to go back to school to become a teacher.

My journey to become an educator has been a long one.   I slowly began taking classes part-time at Illinois Central College in 2003.  During that time, I got married and built a house with my husband in East Peoria.  I transferred to Illinois State University in 2005, and continued my studies in Elementary Education.  While at ISU, my husband and I had two children, Carter and Alyssa, who continue to be the center of my universe.  All the while, I worked one on one with foster children as a mentor and tutor in my spare time.

In 2007, I enrolled in the Pekin Professional Development Program as an intern for my final year at ISU.   I spent a year-long internship that partnered Illinois State University with Pekin District 108.   I began the year in a third grade classroom and moved to a sixth grade class in the second phase.   After wonderful experiences in both grade levels, I chose to complete my student teaching in the third grade classroom.

Over the course of my education, the balance of school, children, and home proved to be challenging.  However,  the struggle was well worth it, and I would not have done anything differently!  I am truly grateful for the knowledge and experience I gained from ISU and the PDS program.

I graduated from Illinois State University May 10, 2008, with endorsements in Language Arts and Social Sciences.   I am confident that ISU and the PDS program has prepared me to be a successful educator.  I now feel ready to face the challenges that may come my way as a  effective and dedicated teacher.