Biography

Mrs. Sendaydiego grew up in Western Springs on Gilbert Avenue as the third of four children. Her parents moved to Western Springs in 1977 mainly due to her father's new job. Her grandparents then moved to Forest Hills. Mrs. Sendaydiego attended Laidlaw Elementary where the teachers inspired her, she learned many leadership skills, and she even had her writing included in the district’s writing anthology. Her parents moved to Ohio right before Mrs. Sendaydiego was about to start school at McClure Junior High where her older siblings went. When she graduated from high school in Ohio, she attended The Ohio State University. 

After earning her bachelor's degree in marketing from The Ohio State University in 2002, Mrs. Sendaydiego became a financial analyst. She worked for BP in Cleveland for two years before moving to Los Angeles, California, in February 2004. While in California, she supported Arco branded convenience stores. In California she also met her husband who was from Glenview, Illinois. She told us she knew her future husband was from the Midwest because in Los Angeles he “stood out like a sore thumb.” Mrs. and Mr. Sendaydiego got married after moving back to Chicago in August of 2007. 

When they started a family, Mr. and Mrs. Sendaydiego looked at houses in Glenview, Hinsdale, and La Grange. They decided to move to Western Springs because of the magic that it held in Mrs. Sendaydiego’s memories and because her grandparents still lived in Forest Hills. 

Two years ago, Mrs. Sendaydiego went back to work part time. She has served on the D101 Board of Education since 2017 and was elected President of the School Board in 2021. Her term ends this year. Before she was a member of the D101 Board of Education, she was the President of the Western Springs Neighbors and Newcomers Club. Her other community service has been school focused, including eight years with the Grand Avenue Preschool Parent Enrichment group. When she is not busy with her four children or volunteering, she plays pickleball! 

Conversation Topics

• Early Life -  Mrs. Sendaydiego lived in Ridge Acres in her childhood. She is the second youngest of four children. When she was born, her parents brought her straight from the hospital to the Western Springs pool. Mrs. Sendaydiego's parents moved to Western Springs before she was born to be closer to her dad's new job. Her grandparents then followed the family by moving to the Forest Hills area. Mrs. Sendaydiego really bonded with her Laidlaw teachers and classmates where she learned leadership skills during an Oregon Trail simulation and other activities and also developed important life skills that made it possible for her to be in new situations and help others. Mrs. Sendaydeigo moved to Ohio after 5th grade and was bummed she never got to attend McClure (her older siblings did go to McClure). After 5th grade, Mrs. Sendaydiego’s family moved to Shaker Heights in Ohio. After high school, Mrs. Sendaydiego attended The Ohio State where she graduated in 2002 with a degree in marketing

• Family Life - Mrs. Sendaydiego has four children: a daughter who is a junior in high school, a son who is a freshman, a son who is a 7th grader at McClure, and a 5th grade daughter at Laidlaw. She doesn’t have a lot of free time because her kids keep her so busy, but when she does have any free time, she plays pickleball. She met her husband when she lived in California; her husband is from Glenview, IL, and she said when they met in CA she knew right away that he was from the Midwest because he “stuck out like a sore thumb.” Her maternal grandparents moved in with Mrs. Sendaydiego’s family until the end of their lives; her grandmother passed in 2020 at the age of 91 and her grandfather passed away two years later at the age of 97. Mrs. Sendaydiego’s mother, Carol Masini,  was Vice President of the D101 school board when Mrs. Sendaydiego was a kid.

• The School Board - She first became interested in running for the D101 Board of Education when a friend asked her to sign a petition for someone else that was running for the school board. She was really excited to see her name on the ballot! Mrs. Sendaydiego will end her second term as school board president in May 2025 and will step down from the position and the Board of Education. School Board meetings are open to the public on the 4th Monday of every month at 6:15 (although some discussions take place in what’s called a “closed session”). They make large decisions like hiring people to the district office and smaller decisions. There are 7 diverse members, so all views are represented.

Western Springs Story

Western Springs has always meant home to Mrs. Sendaydiego. She told us that her parents joke that the day after she was born they went right from Hinsdale Hospital to the Western Springs pool! 

Mrs. Sendaydiego was a Laidlaw Leopard. Right after 5th grade, Mrs. Sendaydiego’s family moved to Shaker Heights, Ohio, so she never got to go to school at McClure. After graduating from The Ohio State, she met her husband while working in California (her husband grew up in Glenview). Mrs. and Mr. Sendaydiego were married after moving back to Chicago in August of 2007. 

When it was time to start a family, the Sendaydiegos looked at houses in Glenview, Hinsdale, and La Grange, but they chose to move to Western Springs. They wanted their children to have the same great experiences Mrs. Sendaydiego had growing up here like riding bikes all over and spending summers at the pool. They also already had family in Western Springs. Mrs. Sendaydiego’s maternal grandparents lived in Forest Hills for 35 years before they moved in with the Sendaydiego family. Mrs. Sendaydiego’s grandmother passed away in 2020 at the age of  91 and her grandfather passed away in 2022 when he was 97.

While raising children in Western Springs, Mrs. Sendaydiego has been involved in many community and school-related groups. In addition to the Western Springs Neighbors and Newcomers Club, she served on the Grand Avenue Preschool Parent Enrichment group for eight years. In D101, she has served many years as the Laidlaw PTO Directory Chair, a library volunteer, room parent, classroom volunteer, Art Appreciation volunteer, fun lunch volunteer, etc. When another parent asked Mrs. Sendaydiego to sign a petition for someone running for the D101 School Board, Mrs. Sendaydiego started thinking that it might be time for her to follow in the footsteps of her mom, Carol Masini, who served as a D101 School Board member and as Vice President of the Board of Education. 

That’s how Mrs. Sendaydiego experienced the excitement of seeing her name on a ballot. She was first elected to the D101 Board of Education in 2017. She was then elected President of the Board of Education in April of 2021. Her current term expires in April 2025. She has decided not to run again, but she still wants to be very involved with the community and the schools. As the President of the School Board and a Western Springs mom, Mrs. Sendaydiego says that “so many things have come full circle, what I got to experience and my kids get to experience.”

What Makes Western Springs Special

Mrs. Sendaydiego told us “there is magic in Western Springs.” She talked about how important the feeling of community in Western Springs has always been to her. She showed us a clipping from an old Western Springs newspaper of her with Santa Claus when she was a child. She also told us about the fun she had at Harvest Days and ice skating at Spring Rock Park where she would skate with her friends, jump off the ice into the snow piles around the rink, and then warm up around a wood fire in the warming hut. 

Mrs. Sendaydiego described how town events like these were and still are so important to her. For the future, she really hopes the village will “go back to kind of an 80’s level of involvement” like the community she knew when she was younger. She also would like to see more frequent and more in-depth news coverage of these community-wide events. She explained how she believes this makes for a stronger village and a better place for everyone living there. 

Present and Future

Mrs. Sendaydiego is the President of the Western Springs D101 Board of Education. The School Board makes decisions for our school. When our class asked Caitlin Sendaydiego about her position and future plans, her responses were insightful. 

Mrs. Sendaydiego described challenges she has faced while serving on the Board of Education. These challenges include the limited funds available due to Western Springs’ tax base which, she explained, when it comes to paying teachers, “there’s not the biggest pot to pull from.” 

President Sendaydiego then enlightened us on how the School Board finds alternative ways to value Western Springs teachers beyond their salaries. As she stated directly, “It’s really a partnership about how can this be a place you want to come everyday, and be the best for your students, while we’re responsible to the taxpayers.” 

Another student asked about the changes Mrs. Sendaydiego would like to see in the Western Springs community. Her response was warm and heartfelt. She explained that she would love to see, “…us going back to kind of an 80’s level of involvement from the community…what made Western Springs so special is every person..or it may have felt that way…did something for the community.” Her answer clearly shows her deep love for Western Springs and her hope for an even more engaged community in the future.

Describe Western Springs in 3 Words

• Community - She used this word because everyone in the town feels connected and they support each other. Mrs. Sendaydiego told us that , growing up, what made Western Springs so special was that almost every single person “did something for the community.”

• Kindness - She said this because the citizens of this town show incredible kindness, even if they don’t know you - “They will lift you up if you have a health emergency.“

• Home - She called this town home because she is from here and grew up here, creating a very strong connection between her and Western Springs.  “And third I would say, home. It’s not really an adjective, but I’ve always just…this place has a special place in my heart.” 

Artist's Sketch

This is a sketch of Caitlin Sendaydiego from an oral history conversation on Friday, February 21st. This sketch was made by Stella, an 8th grader and a part of the McClure class of 2025. The mood during this interview was very bright so the artist worked to convey that feeling through the bright windows and intricate details of the classroom. Mrs. Sendaydiego’s voice was very empathetic and passionate. One could tell that she clearly cared deeply about this subject and she shared that passion through her voice, stories, and the artifacts she brought to share with us.

Citation

Sendaydiego, Caitlin. Personal Interview. 21 Feb. 2025.