Government teacher Erin Wise has been at Grayslake North for the past six years and shows no signs of stopping the work she loves, contributing to the school. 

Wise has participated in many school activities in her time teaching here, and her great work has helped the school grow in many ways. 

“When I first started here, I helped write the application and researched the Democracy School Network. Being a Democracy School Network was a thing that I pursued. I run the election judge programs every year so students can participate in the election as well as voter drives. I also started the AP Comparative Government here which has been running now for four years, so an additional class with and AP experience with global interactions and full information. I am a co-sponsor of the National Honor Society,” Wise said. 

She is also responsible for making the change of “Mr. GNHS ” to “Top Knight,” that way everyone could be included in the event. 

“It used to be Mr. GNHS; now it’s Top Knight. So making it a little bit more inclusive but still getting money for charity and having students have fun performances and have a lot of good time doing that,” she said.

Wise really enjoys the time spent with every single thing she gets involved in and wants to bring a positive experience for her students. 

“I hadn’t thought about things that I do. I just try every day to come in and provide positive experiences for students in a class that could be potentially tumultuous because politics often is. And I try to give them one of the best comfortable learning experiences where anyone can freely express their own beliefs but in a safe space where learning is always more than just sort of venting,” Wise said.

Growing up, her family was always heavily involved in politics, so Wise’s love for the profession is very strong. She is also used to getting involved due to her past experiences from when she was in high school. 

“For me, I was involved in my own school’s service organizations. Our National Honor Society ran differently, so I was part of that. But that was something that was run kind of separately. There were hours that you needed, but it wasn’t to the extent that we require. It wasn’t as large. But we did have a service club, and I was one of the officers of that my junior and senior year. That’s why when I saw at the end of my first year here an NHS position opened up, I knew it would be a perfect fit for me. I would love it; it was something I had always done,” Wise said.