Dillin Randolph

Nia Henderson and Vivian Hackney 

When Dr. Dillin Randolph was in high school, he worked as a custodian. In college, searching for more custodial jobs near him, he stumbled upon a different job application and soon found himself coaching wrestling at the high school he attended as a student.

During his time coaching, Randolph discovered a love for helping students through wrestling. That passion motivated him to return to school, switch

his major to education and eventually spend several years teaching at Niles West High School before returning to the place he knows best. This year, Randolph teaches English, AVID and AP Literature and Composition at ETHS.

One of Randolph’s favorite parts of his job is building relationships with students. Randolph is very understanding towards his students and empathizes with the period in life they are going through, which is why he chose to be a high school teacher in the first place.

“I really like that transition from teenager to adult,” said Randolph. “I feel like that’s the time I really needed that guidance.”

Randolph grew up in Evanston, attending Lincolnwood Elementary School, Haven Middle School and ETHS. Randolph’s teachers supported and encouraged him to learn when he was in high school, and he described his high school community as a family. As a teacher, he wants to pass on this same feeling of empowerment to his own students, supporting them just like he was supported as a student.

“There are a bunch of teachers here who made my classes more enjoyable,” said Randolph.

Randolph’s classroom actually reflects his love of superheroes–the walls and shelves are filled with comic books, posters and themed decorations. Outside of school, he enjoys biking and rides his electric bike to school every day. After work, he is greeted by his two cats, Mojo Jojo and Starlord.

Randolph has also coached on and off over the years, working with both girls’ and boys’ wrestling teams as well as boys’ football. While he is not currently coaching at the high school, he expressed enthusiasm about returning to coaching in the future.

It is fitting that Randolph now teaches English because when he was a student, his favorite classes were English and physics. In fact, he thinks that if he were not an English teacher, he would teach physics instead. 

“English, in my opinion, is how humans behave and interact. Physics is how the world behaves and interacts,” said Randolph.

With his interests in a variety of subjects and his passion for working with students, it seems Randolph was destined to be a teacher. 

Zaida DeBeck 

Sloan Hampson and Pearl Anderson

English teacher Zaida DeBeck joined ETHS this year hoping to help students learn and collaborate in the classroom.

Since childhood, Ms. DeBeck has been interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). She studied engineering in college, planning to pursue a career in the field. After graduating, DeBeck shifted to teaching due to limited job opportunities in engineering. However, she continues to stay connected to engineering as a hobby.

DeBeck has taught for 13 years, starting with elementary school before moving to middle and eventually high school, including at the high school she attended, Larkin High School. As a high school student there, she encountered teachers who inspired her and helped shape the educator she is today.

“[My teachers] pushed and challenged me and didn’t let me be an average student,” said DeBeck. “As a multilingual learner, I didn’t think that I could learn or use English as well as other students, but my teachers helped me succeed.”

Now, she has come to ETHS, attracted by its diversity. Language diversity is important to DeBeck, in part because of her childhood. She grew up in Mexico until she was 10 and was surrounded by different languages, including Spanish and French.

“I was super excited about the diverse population at ETHS, and it’s exciting that there are so many languages spoken here,” said DeBeck. 

DeBeck’s enthusiasm for ETHS goes beyond its language offerings. She was also drawn to the school because of its strong community and the variety of opportunities available to students.

“I’ve heard many good things about the community and the activities offered to students,” said DeBeck.

Outside of school, DeBeck enjoys snowboarding, a skill she learned in college while living in Colorado. She also loves DJing, a hobby she picked up from her stepdad.

Elizabeth Wallace

Scout Brischetto, Owen Danastasio and Charlie Pfriem

Elizabeth Wallace, who has taught in schools from Huaraz, Peru to the Chicago area, is joining ETHS this year. She teaches 2 Spanish and AP Spanish Language and Literature in the World Languages department, marking her first year at the school.

Wallace has been a Spanish teacher for eight years. Early in her career, she considered becoming a math teacher but ultimately decided that Spanish was the better fit for her.

“When I went to college, I decided that I wanted to be a teacher,” said Wallace. “I wanted to help people.” 

Wallace has been interested in Spanish since her freshman year of high school. She is eager to share her enthusiasm for the language and positively influence her students’ lives.

“Having learned Spanish as a freshman myself, I hope I can inspire my students who are experiencing it for the first time,” said Wallace. 

Wallace is fascinated by the study of speech sounds, translation and interpreting and math, which she sees as similar to world languages. She compares it to solving a jigsaw puzzle, where you have to figure out what someone is saying.

Wallace explained why Evanston might be the perfect place for her as a teacher, highlighting ETHS’ progressive environment as a major draw.

“I think that a lot of my values are reflected and practiced at ETHS,” said Wallace. “I also think we have a really impressive course catalog; students can take so many languages and multiple years of language study. Not many students have access to classes like [AP Spanish Language and Literature].”

Outside of school, Wallace teaches fitness and dance classes, enjoys cooking and loves spending time with her dog, Paprika.

Cara Brooks

Elodie Henerey and Eliana Dodson

Cara Brooks takes on a new role in the English department, teaching sophomore English and AP Language and Composition for juniors.

Brooks decided to teach full-time after serving as a long-term substitute last year.

“I just love being part of the ETHS community,” said Brooks.

When Brooks is not teaching, she spends time with her family and attends her four children’s sporting events. She also enjoys athletics herself; she is a competitive runner. 

Brooks loves what she does and has always been passionate about teaching.

“I pretty much always wanted to be a teacher,” said Brooks. “I went through a little stint my freshman year in college where I thought I might apply to the business school, but then I quickly realized 

I just wanted to teach.”

Brooks was inspired by teachers, who she considers some of the most influential people in her life, and she wanted to be that source of inspiration for others. As she grew older, her passion for teaching deepened as she began to understand what the role truly entails.

“I realized that my love for literature and working with young people felt like the coolest thing I could do for work,” said Brooks.

When Brooks was younger, English–especially reading–was one of her favorite subjects.

“I connected with characters in the books that I read, and literature was just a nice escape for me,” said Brooks. “I think that’s why I leaned toward literature later in life.”

Cristina Hladish

Alex Ivanchenko, Mila Kaul and Tristan Saunders

Growing up in Panama, Cristina Hladish spent her childhood immersed in activities most people only dream of: snorkeling, exploring rainforests and learning science firsthand.

“I grew up snorkeling because it’s basically summer all year round,” she said.

Now, as a freshman biology teacher, she plans to bring these hands-on experiences into her classroom. Although Hladish is in her seventh year of teaching, her experiences with biology started years before her teaching career began. Born in Costa Rica and raised in Panama, she began her journey in biology while pursuing marine studies at the University of Miami and Johns Hopkins University, following in the footsteps of her father, a Smithsonian scientist who studied insects. 

Her teaching methods reflect her background. Hladish describes herself as a hands-on teacher who prioritizes lab work. She incorporates videos into her teaching to hook students who are less engaged and plays music to help the class focus. Her high school experiences in Panama also included field trips, influencing her perspective on science.

 “My science teacher would take us out into the Panamanian rainforest, and being out in nature and seeing science in real life definitely made a big impact,” said Hladish.

As a high school student, Hladish was involved in many activities, including drama, yearbook, honor society and science club, all of which promoted her passion for science.

Though Hladish teaches generic biology, marine biology remains her first love. In sharing her journey with students, she hopes to pass along not just academic knowledge, but the sense of wonder that comes from experiencing nature and science firsthand. Her enthusiasm for discovery continues to inspire students every day.

Outside of teaching, Hladish loves traveling, doing art projects and creating halloween costumes with her children. She also enjoys musicals and theater, and her biggest goal is to travel the world.

Hladish’s connection to ETHS runs deep through her husband.

“My husband actually graduated from ETHS, so we moved up just two years ago, and he spoke very highly of the high school. I was curious to check it out,” said Hladish. “It has lived up to everything he always talked about.”

Miles Osei

Zoe Price and Sylvia Petersen

From trigonometry to touchdowns, Miles Osei has been doing it all at ETHS. Even though he has been here for only a few months, he has already made an impact on the students he coaches and teaches. 

Osei grew up in Florida, moved to Canada and then landed in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He grew up focused on playing sports, specifically pursuing his “first love,” baseball. Through high school, he continued his interest in baseball, although he chose to pursue football. He played quarterback and receiver at the University of Illinois.

“It was just a better opportunity for me,” said Osei.

From a young age, Osei knew he wanted to coach, and he had his mind set on coaching high school students. Coaching football is a large commitment, especially on top of teaching, and Osei hopes he can have the impact on students that his high school coaches had on him.

“My biggest influences in high school were my high school coaches, and I wouldn’t be here today without them,” said Osei.

His favorite school subject, psychology, influenced how he deals with students. Osei values showing up and being consistent in the teaching world, and he always tries to stay honest, regardless of whether he is giving his students and athletes good or bad news.

“I think they always appreciated that I was going to be honest with them,” said Osei.

Even though he has been teaching for 11 years, this is Osei’s first year teaching math.

“I used to teach honors English,” he said. “It wasn’t really a decision to switch…it was just going with the flow.”

In his senior year of high school, Osei joined a dance group, which was a new experience for him. Dance played a role in developing his leadership skills as he was able to see a unique side to people. Seeing things from a new perspective is important to him as it provokes change and positivity in his life. 

During football season, Osei’s favorite thing to do is see his kids and wife, his high school sweetheart. His wife is always there for Osei and his kids, bringing the kids to ETHS football games in their customized jerseys. He values the time he can spend with them. 

“When I see them, it just brings a smile to my face,” Osei said. “Regardless of how many hours you pour into the team, they just want their dad.”

When it comes to game days, the most valuable thing is being ready. For him, hyping up his players is all about ensuring they are training and working towards their goals.

“You’re either ready or you’re not,” said Osei.

William Salek

Miles Ross and Samantha Fox

William Salek teaches welding and automotives in the Arts and Innovation Department, located on the first floor of the Arts and Innovation wing. An Illinois native from Elmhurst, Salek attended Illinois State University and previously taught robotics and coached water polo in Lockport for three years. In 2024, he was recognized as a New Teacher of the Year by the Technology Education Association of Illinois.

Before joining the school, Salek often heard great things about the Evanston community from colleagues who already worked there. When an opportunity opened up, he decided to interview and immediately knew it was the right fit. ETHS’ reputation and strong financial and academic resources also played a role in his decision.

“There are lots of resources and helpful staff here, and I’ve been amazed by the students,” said Salek.

Salek’s interest in teaching began early in his life.

“I took a student intern class and helped with a seventh-grade social studies class, which was great,” he said.

As a freshman in high school, Salek struggled with traditional classroom learning until he discovered hands-on work.

“When I held a tape measure in my hand, everything made sense to me,” Salek said. “If kids are taking shop classes, they don’t want to be sitting in the classroom; they want to be in the shop working.”

Outside of the classroom, Salek enjoys working out and backpacking. He said he often tries to see class from a student’s perspective, but now he guides the students himself.