About Me

Mary C. Esquivel

I graduated Magna cum Laude from Dominican University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Social Sciences and a minor in History. I am endorsed in Sociology, Social Science, U.S. History, and World History. I am also highly qualified under NCLB for the areas of Economics, Geography, Civics and Government, and History.

I earned my Type 09 Secondary Education certificate in January, 2006, after which I worked as a substitute teacher for Evanston Township High School District 202 and Maine Township District 207 before obtaining a permanent teaching position at Saint James School in Arlington Heights in 2007.

I completed my administrative graduate program at National-Louis University and graduated with a Master of Education for Administration and Supervision in June of 2012. I passed the Type 75 Certificate exam in February of 2012. I participated in the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools Leadership Academy during the 2014-2015 school year. The academy allowed me to further develop my knowledge and skills in the area of educational leadership while building meaningful relationships with other future school leaders.

Over the course of my professional career, I have developed a desire to work as an administrator to positively influence the education system. Although I have never served in a strictly administrative position, there are several reasons why I believe my qualifications outweigh my lack of experience in this area. Through my graduate program and the Leadership Academy, I have gained the knowledge and skills needed to address the responsibilities inherent in the role of an administrator. Among other things, I have completed observation cycles of teachers in the classroom, studied professional development strategies, analyzed curriculum initiatives, and developed School Improvement Plans. I have also analyzed school budgets and developed a school gym renovation action plan. As a member of the St. James School staff, I have adopted a leadership role among my peers. I have planned class schedules, organized team meetings, supervised student teachers, and actively participated in disciplinary procedures.

Another reason for my belief in my abilities is strictly personal: I am used to hard work. I have been an athlete for most of my life, either playing volleyball or coaching others in the sport. One of my proudest accomplishments was being invited to try out for the United States Women’s Volleyball National Team in 2005. I was also inducted into the Dominican University Athletics Hall of Fame in June 2013 for my accomplishments as a student-athlete. I know the importance of teamwork both on and off the court and I know how to inspire people to greater effort when a goal must be reached. That knowledge has served me well both in my personal and my professional life. For all of these reasons, I am confident that, if chosen for an administrative position, I will fulfill all my duties to the best of my ability.

For several years, I served as a camp counselor with the Royal Family Kids' Camp program based out of the First United Methodist Church in Belvidere, Illinois. This organization focuses on creating life changing moments for foster children between the ages of 6 to 12 who have suffered mental and/or physical abuse. Each adult counselor is assigned to only two children to provide them with more personal attention. For one week, they can just "be kids" and enjoy experiences they would not have had the opportunity to be a part of otherwise. While the focus is of course on the children, this turned out to be a life changing experience for me as well. I had never before worked with students who had to deal with this degree of abuse. After two days, I was questioning what I had got myself into. After three, I was hooked and knew that I would never be the same. I find it difficult to put into words how deeply this experience and those children have affected me. To this day, I cannot think of camp without becoming emotional. Ultimately, I learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I am more confident than ever that education is the profession I was meant to choose. It is more than an occupation - it is a vocation.

In my free time, I enjoy an active lifestyle. I play volleyball and softball, ride my bike, go hiking and camping, and have even ran several half-marathons. I try to stretch my limits, whether it is through hang gliding or whitewater rafting or climbing a high ropes course. I always want to challenge myself and improve my abilities. I believe I bring that positive attitude to my professional career and inspire my students to reach farther.