Home

ALUMNI RETURN TO PBL TO PURSUE THEIR CAREERS--
PANTHER PRIDE AT ITS BEST

Many former students have returned to become teachers or support staff in the PBL School District. About 14 percent of the 219 certified and non-certified staff in the district graduated from PBL or one of the schools that formed the district: Buckley-Loda, Roberts-Thawville, Ford Central, and Paxton. They work as teachers, teachers' aids or support staff. There are additional alumni who are employees of the PBL Unit #10 district who are not pictured below. These include several janitorial staff members and coaches for various sports.

Front Row: Kari (Hofer) Dudley, Rob Pacey, Jean (Stroup) Meuser, Margo (Miller) Jones, Katrina Tammen, Hillary (Collier) Sawyer, Mindy (Schneider) Duley, Emilie (Jones) Ross, Tammy (Boman) Ross
2nd Row: Susan Naugle, Amy (Schwartz) Johnson, Kay (Luebchow) Schmidt, Betty Hull, Linda (Ecker) Marquis, Lacey (Wickenhauser) Smith, Jodi (Ross) Coplea, Donna (Behrens) Howe, Diana (Eppelheimer) Hale, Lisa (Hudson) Allen, Peg (Allen) Francisco, Karen (Flessner) Foster
3rd Row: Melissa (Nuss) Robbins, Jeff Graham, John Overstreet, Peggy (Popel) Seibring, Barry Wright, Kristin (Molck) Oyer, Michele (Nuckols) Coe, Lindsey (Alred) Rose, Sharon (Luecke) Higgins, Judy (Thilmony) Schneider, Audra (Hull) Nuckols, Stan Daro

At a joint meeting at the high school for all employees on the opening day of school in August, 2008, more than 30 people filled out forms telling who influenced them to take up their careers. The following are comments made on the forms:

Donna (Beherns) Howe graduated from Buckley-Loda High School in 1980. She received an associate degree in science from Parkland College in 1983 and works as a teacher's aide. The teachers who influenced her were sixth-grade teacher Isabelle Perkinson and home economics teacher Connie Ross.

Susan Naugle is a 1972 graduate of Paxton High School and is now teaching first grade. She received a bachelor of science degree from Southern Illinois University in 1976. Fred Guyot was the teacher who influenced her the most.

Hillary (Collier) Sawyer is a 1996 graduate of PBL. She received a degree in elementary education from Eastern Illinois University in 1999 and teaches sixth and seventh grades. She began her teaching career in 2000 teaching Spanish at PBL H.S. She then taught elementary school in Champaign for seven years. This is her first year back at PBL. The high school teacher who influenced her the most was PBL choral teacher Nyla Hensley.

John Overstreet is a 1977 graduate of Paxton High School. He earned a bachelor of science degree from the U. of I. He is a government teacher at the high school and serves as athletic director and track coach. The teacher he was most influenced by was Fred Guyot

Karen (Flessner) Foster is a second-grade teacher and is a 1970 graduate of Roberts-Thawville High School. She received a bachelor of science degree from Southern Illinois in 1974. She was influenced most by R-T superintendent J. Fred Crouch.

Michelle (Nuckols) Coe is a 1980 graduate of Paxton High School. She is a third grade teacher who received a bachelor of science in education from Eastern Illinois University in 1985. Jerry Zimmerman and Fred Guyot were her favorite teachers in high school.

Rob Pacey is a sixth-grade teacher's aide and graduated from PBL in 2004. He received a bachelor's degree in history in 2008 from the University of Illinois. He was most influenced by sixth grade teacher Larry Geerken.

Katrina Tammen is a sixth-grade teacher. She graduated from PBL in 2001 and received a degree in educational studies and music from Illinois Wesleyan in 2005. The person who most influenced her to go into teaching was her mother, Linda Tammen who is a first-grade teacher now at PBL but was Katrina's kindergarten teacher at Ford Central.

Peggy (Allen) Francisco is a fourth grade teacher who is a 1974 graduate of Roberts-Thawville High School. She has an associate's degree in early children, a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and a master's degree in curriculum development from Olivet Nazarene University. Joyce Ubele, a music teacher at R-T, was her inspiration to become a teacher.

Sharon (Luecke) Higgins is a pre-kindergarten teacher. She is a 1982 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She has a bachelor's and master's degree from Eastern Illinois University. She was influenced to become a teacher by Connie Ross.

Lisa (Hudson) Allen is a special education teacher who graduated from PBL in 1994. She received a degree in special education in 1998 from Eastern Illinois University. She said that she chose a career in special education after having personal experiences with children with special needs.

Jean (Stroup) Meuser is a third-grade teacher who is a 1967 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She received a BS degree from Concordia in 1971. She was influenced by her sixth-grade teacher, Mark Simantel.

Amy (Schwartz) Johnson is a 1991 graduate of PBL. She is a second-grade teacher with special education degrees from the University of Illinois. Teachers who influenced her are Susan Naugle, Fred Guyot, Jerry Zimmerman, and George Young.

Lacey (Wickenhauser) Smith is a 2002 graduate of PBL and received an elementary education degree in 2007 from Illinois State University. She is a fifth-grade teacher. Doug Anderson, her ICE teacher, convinced her to become a teacher.

Margo (Miller) Jones is a second-grade teacher. She received a bachelor of science degree from Eastern Illinois in 1976. The people who influenced her the most were her parents Glen and Doris Miller, her sister Jayne Mattingly, and teachers Alice Abrahamson and Mary Ann Beer.

Jeff Graham is a 1989 graduate of Paxton High School. Is is principal at PBL Junior High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Illinois State University, a Master's from the U. or I, and an education specialist degree from Eastern Illinois University. He was influenced to become a teacher by Russ Zick.

Barry Wright is the principal at Eastlawn Grade School. He is a 1989 graduate of Paxton High School. He has two degrees from Illinois State and one from Eastern Illinois University. He was influenced by Jerry Zimmerman and Charlie Wood.

Kristin (Molck) Oyer is a 1986 graduate of Paxton High School. She has a bachelor of science degree from ISU in 1990. She is a combination business teacher/counselor at PBL H.S. She was influenced by her mother Toni Molck and Joyce Pool, a retired business teacher.

Peggy (Popel) Seibring is a Title I teacher and a 1982 graduate of Paxton High School. She has two degrees from the U. or I. Her mother, Judy-Jepsen Popel was a great influence on her as was second-grade teacher Mrs. Harris. Her father Gary is also a teacher.

Stan Daro is an art teacher at PBL H.S. He graduated from Roberts-Thawville H.S. in 1972. He received a bachelor of science degree from Southern Illinois in 1976. Fred Crouch, the principal and superintendent at R-T, was an influence on Daro.

Lindsey (Alred) Rose is a fifth-grade special education teacher as well as softball coach. She graduated from PBL in 1998. She earned a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois and is working on a master's degree at Eastern Illinois. She is working under junior high Athletic Director Kelli Vaughn who was Lindsey's high school coach.

Audra (Hull) Nuckols is a business teacher in the high school. She graduated from Paxton High School in 1988 and earned two degrees from the University of Illinois. Her most influential teachers were Joyce Pool and Don Shields.

Emilie (Jones) Ross is a fourth-grade teacher who graduated from PBL in 2000. She has a BS degree from Illinois State and is working on a master's degree from ISU also. Her mother, Margo Jones, was the biggest influence on her career.

Mindy (Schneider) Duley is a 2001 graduate of PBL. She is a high school math teacher. She has a degree in secondary math education from ISU. Jerry Zimmerman influenced her to become a teacher.

Jodi (Ross) Coplea is a sixth-grade teacher and is a 1991 graduate of PBL. The biggest influence on her becoming a teacher was her mom and dad, Jay and Connie Ross. Her grandmother Myra Ross also had a career in education.

Linda (Ecker) Marquis is a 1972 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She is now a secretary at PBL Junior High School.

Betty Hull is a 1966 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She is a cook at both the junior high and high school.

Judy (Thilmony) Schneider is a 1967 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School She is a secretary at Eastlawn Elementary school.

Tammy (Boman) Ross is a 1974 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She is the food services director for the PBL school district.

Diana (Eppelheimer) Hale is a 1974 graduate of Paxton High School. She is a secretary at PBL High School.

Kari (Hofer) Dudley is a 1989 graduate of Buckley-Loda High School. She is a para-professional at the high school. She received a medical secretary degree from Parkland College in 1992.