By: Dr. Jeff Feucht, Superintendent
This feature, the second of a quarterly series, focuses on exceptional District 117 educators who truly embody our D117 Portrait of a Graduate. This edition features six staff members who all received Lake County Educator of the Year nominations! I was honored to sit down and interview each of them and learned how, through their unique approaches and dedication, they serve as shining examples of the competencies we aim to instill in all of our students by the time they graduate!
Vikki Ecker - Nominated for School Administrator
A pillar of LCHS since its second year, Mrs. Ecker has taught nearly every math course and built the field hockey program over her 20 years at Lakes. Her teaching aligns seamlessly with thinks critically, as she challenges students to consider why an answer works. She regularly asks, “What told you that?” and “What do we know about this problem?”—guiding students to “examine and challenge assumptions in making decisions based on a thorough understanding of authentic evidence.”
Her classroom is also a place of courage. She reminds students that “mistakes are part of the process,” encouraging them to take risks by presenting answers, even if they are incorrect, and learning from the mistakes made. In doing so, she lives out the competency where students “advocate for self and others in a socially responsible and empathetic manner” as well as models it herself. She encourages students to trust their intuition and not be afraid to take risks as they learn, often asking them what they think will happen as they work through a problem to anticipate solutions.
Mrs. Ecker’s room is buzzing with collaborative energy, too. She uses the “Building Thinking Classrooms” model, where students get out of their seats and use dry-erase markers to write on whiteboards and even windows to solve problems together. Through these practices, they “actively listen to discover mutual understanding,” transforming math into a team sport.
Hannah Kramer - Nominated for Early Career Educator
Ms. Kramer, a passionate teacher of U.S. History and AP U.S. History, as well as sponsor of Sequoit Senate and member of the Democracy School Committee, has made ACHS her home for the past three years. She is deeply rooted in the competencies is emotionally intelligent and is courageous.
In her classroom, she fosters an environment that is both safe and brave—“a place where students feel seen, heard, and supported to take risks,” she says. This reflects her dedication to is courageous, which encourages us to “create, monitor and reflect upon ambitious goals” and “advocate for self and others in a socially responsible and empathetic manner.”
Ms. Kramer also focuses on growth mindset, especially around writing. Rather than pressuring students to be “right,” she helps them grow—an embodiment of thinks critically, where students are asked to “consistently improve the quality of one’s own thinking by skillfully analyzing, assessing, and reconstructing.”
And when it comes to collaborates, she’s intentional: “Learning to collaborate with classmates prepares students to work with strangers in the real world,” she explains. Through group projects, discussions, and student travel trips to D.C., London, and Paris, she’s creating real-world-ready graduates!
Erika Marino - Nominated for Educational Support Personnel
Mrs. Marino has served as the receptionist at Lakes since 2021 where she is an ambassador to everyone visiting Lakes and the communication hub of the school! Her role is multifaceted and includes preparing documents and materials, managing transportation for field trips, and the huge project of planning and managing all of the logistics for our commencement ceremony for graduation every year. She also authors the daily student bulletin that is famous for not only its rich information of everything a student would need to know for dates and activities at Lakes, but also for its inspirational quotes that lead the bulletin every morning!
Her work also exemplifies emotionally intelligent. From managing field trips to handling unexpected parent visits, she embodies “self-regulation, motivation, and resiliency” as she navigates a constant flow of interactions. As she puts it, “No two days are the same, and that’s what I love.” Visitors are sometimes coming to school to address a stressful situation with their student so it is important for her to embody self regulation and resilience as she maintains a customer service approach to each new guest.
She emphasizes our Portrait of a Graduate competency of communicates as it is crucial to her role as the first point of contact for the diverse individuals that come to Lakes every day. She is constantly helping visitors redirect, connect, or solve problems. Mrs. Marino shared that she is “proud to be part of the positive culture at Lakes which is a direct result of the amazing students and staff". Mrs. Marino is a model of the welcoming, empathetic culture of Lakes Community High School!
Matt Marino - Nominated for Classroom Diverse Learner Teacher
Mr. Marino has taught students at ACHS for five years after a long career in Chicago where he served as the first Deputy Chief of Workforce Development at the Chicago Park District. He also has an amazing biography of diverse life experiences that are too many to list here, including a tenure in the Peace Corps in his 30s where he was assigned to the Fiji islands where he trained teachers and wrote the curriculum for the Physical Education classes at the Fijian College of Advanced Education. His teaching centers on helping students “discover who they are and how to thrive in the world,” going far beyond textbooks.
The communicates competency is central to his approach. He believes in building community within his classroom, saying, “Students need to feel like they’re part of a family.” He supports “articulating ideas effectively using clear and concise oral and written communication” by creating consistent opportunities for students to express themselves each day.
He also leans heavily into thinks critically, especially when helping students build independence. He encourages them to delay seeking help until they’ve truly grappled with a problem—supporting the definition: “Leverages curiosity to identify and solve problems while taking intellectual risks.” As he puts it, “I’ll always be there when they really need me, but they grow more by working through it first.”
Jim White - Nominated for Student Support Personnel
With 21 years of experience at ACHS, Mr. White has made an impact both in the classroom and on the court. As a longtime head basketball coach, current golf coach, and school psychologist, he lives the is emotionally intelligent competency: “Practices responsible decision-making and considers impact on others; builds and sustains strong, healthy relationships with peers and adults.”
Mr. White frequently meets with students during tough days, encouraging them to “repair it the next day,” guiding them to build better relationships and take ownership of their actions. “I always tell them it’s about learning how to grow from mistakes, not avoiding them,” he says. That belief also ties directly to is courageous, as he urges students to “be comfortable being uncomfortable,” especially when it comes to learning and self-reflection.
Perhaps most powerfully, Mr. White embodies collaborates, which asks us to “actively listen to discover mutual understanding by providing and receiving feedback.” In his work as a school psychologist, he collaborates with staff across departments, athletics, and activities to provide wraparound support for students. He recalls one former student who faced enormous challenges at home and struggled with peer relationships. Years later, that student returned to say, “You never gave up on me. You were like a father figure.” The student shared that his entire life trajectory was changed by Mr. White!
Christine Zucker - Nominated for Classroom High School Teacher
Ms. Zucker has been an educator for more than 15 years, teaching in New York, Missouri, and now at LCHS for the last six years, where she teaches social studies with a specialty in AP Human Geography and coaches cross country and indoor and outdoor track. She was a state champion track athlete in high school and competed as a Division I athlete at the University of Kansas! Her approach is rooted in is courageous, where she supports students to “build confidence and be willing to take risks” in writing, presenting, and discussion.
She’s also a powerful advocate for embraces diversity, creating lessons that explore colonialism, indigenous peoples, and cultural history. Her curated bulletin boards—like the one celebrating Women's History Month—help students “actively work to develop empathy for others” and “find opportunities to embrace and affirm one’s authentic self.”
Finally, Ms. Zucker is committed to communicates. She urges students to speak up for themselves and advocate when needed, even when it’s uncomfortable. This helps them “initiate and sustain meaningful conversation acting with empathy and respect in a variety of settings.” She holds high expectations for her students and her athletes, but always emphasizes that we pursue these high expectations by making mistakes and learning from them, so we can always be getting better!