Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Dunker.
Sarah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been a social science teacher at Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake for the last 15 years. I have a vivid recollection of the moment I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. I was a junior in high school, sitting {on the edge of my seat} in my American Studies class as Mr. Dan Johnson had myself and my classmates hanging on his every word. He had a magical way to bring history alive, show us it’s importance in our sheltered high school bubble, and make each an every one of us want to be a better human being. I sat back that November day and thought, “This is it, this is what I want to do”. From that moment on, I had my sights set on becoming a teacher just like Dan Johnson one day. I went to the University of Iowa and was accepted into the School of Education going into my junior year. Everything was falling into place for me and it seemed like I had a fairly “easy” road ahead of me. I was determined, hard working, and so flipping excited to be getting closer to my dream job. However, a week before I was to begin my junior year at Iowa when my Dad suffered a heart attack and passed away. I was your typical “Daddy’s girl” and was crushed, to say the least. He and my mother were always my biggest fans — I went back to Iowa sad and lost without my Dad. How could I possibly focus on my dream career when I just wanted my dad back? I knew, however, that this was going to be a defining moment for me. My father constantly instilled in me significant values — always be gracious and kind, be the person others want to be around, laugh and make people laugh, be a ray of sunshine, and always be the hardest working person in your field — get to work before everyone else and stay longer than everyone else. As I sat crying in my room, I decided to pick myself up and get to work — that’s what he would have wanted me to do. From then on, I had a laser focus on my career. I was going to be the hardest working student in my social science program at Iowa and I was going to be the hardest working teacher at my school. To this day, I try to teach those very lessons to my students; hoping to make them the best version of themselves. If it weren’t for Mr. Johnson or my amazing family, and even the tragic death of my father, I would not be the educator I am today.
Has it been a smooth road?
There is never a “smooth” day in teaching — and that’s exactly what I love about it. Each morning when I walk in, I have no idea what these high school students are going to throw at me — they are sweet, kind, brilliant, confused, sassy, and lost all at the same time. I love that I get to guide them through some of their formative years and, hopefully, show them how to be a decent human being in the world who can communicate with an open mind and heart.
Student teaching is probably the most stressed I’ve been in my entire life as college doesn’t really teach you how to be a teacher, they give you the basics but this line of work is more of a “learn as you earn” type of situation. If you’re going to be a teacher you need to have an aggressive work ethic, thick skin, and a sense of humor! I am the only female in my social science department and I adore my colleagues but I remember as a young teacher (only 22) I had to make sure I could assert myself within a room full of guys as well as a room full of teenagers who were desperately trying to take advantage of me. Young teachers need to have grit — if you can make it through the first 5 years of teaching you can make it through anything!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Prairie Ridge High School as well as Rodan + Fields story. Tell us more about the business.
I am in the social science department at Prairie Ridge. however, please don’t mistake me as simply a history teacher — we are from that nowadays. I teach Advanced Placement European History and help students earn thousands of dollars of college credit as sophomores. I co-teach a climb (special education) US History class with the most incredible special ed teacher, Kait Sanford. She and I make sure that these kids with special needs come out of High School as confident and civically prepared as their peers. We teach them how to communicate, meet deadlines, actively participate in their community, and become life long active citizens. I teach freshman and sophomores how to be comfortable in their own skin, how to avoid judging cultures and religions that are far from their own and to have a sense of empathy for others that are not from their privileged upbringing. My ultimate goal for my students is to leave my class a better human being and citizen than when they entered.
For the last year, I have been working to develop a skill rubric into my classes where students are not held only to content standards but are taught and evaluated on skills that make people successful — leadership, responsibility, civic, communication, and work ethic. (Interestingly enough these happen to tie to the life lessons my father always instilled in me). Every single day in class, I target one or more of those skills in order to master being a respectful citizen by the time they leave my room. Clearly, our nation is struggling with how to communicate with each other and respectfully disagree. Students need to learn how to voice their opinion, listen to others’, and evaluate the sources of news that come their way.
I am also fascinated with the research on Positive Psychology coming out of Harvard and Yale. Shawn Achor has some incredible Ted Talks and data on the topic — I have been attempting to incorporate the fundamentals of being “happy” into my classroom on a daily basis with the help of my division leader, John Pellikan. Our country is going through a mental health crisis — I feel as though it’s my responsibility to help teach students how to reduce their stress, embrace challenges, and persevere through obstacles in their life, I mean, isn’t that really what we need now?
Two years ago I also decided to become a consultant for Rodan + Fields skincare — I was already obsessed with the products and the doctors behind the brand but I became increasingly more impressed with their empowerment of women which ultimately pushed me to join the company. I have never been a part of an organization that pushes women to help each other – a support system like none other I have experienced. I have met and become extremely close to hundreds of women from all around the country; 90% of who I would have never come into contact with if it weren’t for Rodan and Fields. I am their cheerleader; I seek their advice and they seek mine. It’s amazing that I can feel so connected to a group of women, most who I have never actually met in person. I am so thankful for the relationships that R+F has brought into my life and being able to experience women cheering on other women – not competing with each other. I personally have also loved the bond that I have formed with my 70+ customers that use these products religiously. I have helped teens finally kick acne out the door, thirty somethings erase fine lines, mothers get rid of pregnancy mask, and help end the redness pain associated with sensitive skin. How cool is that?!? I help women look, and more importantly feel, beautiful and confident in their own skin. I have also found myself growing in confidence by stepping out of my comfort zone with my R+F side business. I can’t say enough wonderful things about it!
For good reason, society often focuses more on the problems rather than the opportunities that exist, because the problems need to be solved. However, we’d probably also benefit from looking for and recognizing the opportunities that women are better positioned to capitalize on. Have you discovered such opportunities?
I saw a startling statistic the other day — 73% of all female millennial are dissatisfied with the direction of the country (yougov/skimm online poll) but only 46% are “absolutely certain” they’ll vote in the upcoming election. To me that is unacceptable. However, I don’t blame these young ladies, I blame the society in which they were brought up. I want my female students to feel empowered and motivated to help change not only the political direction of the world but also the social and economic direction as they see fit. I want them to want to participate in our democracy. There’s the opportunity — to vote, to stay educated, to serve their communities — that’s what we’re all well positioned for. I am so honored that I can help show high schoolers that their role in the world is just beginning and that they can make a difference, especially my female students.
Again, Rodan + Fields is a wonderful opportunity for women of any age to gain an incredible support system, try something new, gain some confidence, and help others feel their best!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @sar_dunk
- Twitter: @MrsDunker
- Other: sdunker.myrandf.com
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
