Mary C. Shorey

Mary Shorey taught first through fourth graders at Pritchett School in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, for over twenty-five years. A learner herself, Mary earned National Board Certification and a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Teaching was a lifelong passion, and Mary considered her classroom her "laboratory of opportunity."

She admits that as a young person, she resisted teaching. "I wanted to be different," Mary explains. "Both my parents were teachers as well as many aunts, uncles, and even grandparents. So I pursued other careers like fashion merchandising and pharmaceutical sales. But even in sales, I gravitated to the training department and began to hone my teaching skills." After some soul searching she decided to pursue a career in teaching and never looked back. She received her master's degree from National Louis University and her doctorate from Northern Illinois University.

Mary loved to teach because she loved to learn: "I am always amazed at how brilliant my young students are. Together we learn skills, pursue interests, and aspire to be caring, responsible citizens. I am watching my daughter complete her first year as a first-grade teacher and I am reminded of just how important and noble a career teaching is."

Mary passed away in 2014.