. This group of highly competent and caring individuals is brought together by an awareness of gifted students’ academic and emotional needs and a commitment to helping students grow and excel intellectually and socially.
The program staff includes all the dedicated and talented people who interact directly with Center for Talent Development (CTD) students and their families each summer.
The permanent staff is dedicated to the Summer Program year-round; it is through the diligence and ingenuity of these individuals that the Summer Program runs seamlessly and raises its standard of excellence each year.
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| Victoria Blanas |
| Apogee Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development |
| As Apogee program coordinator, Vicky Blanas enjoys developing positive relationships with Apogee instructors, meeting students and their parents and ensuring that students have the best possible experience in the program each summer. She loves being witness to the joy Apogee students display when learning alongside other talented students. Blanas brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role. She taught high school social studies for 16 years, served as department chair for five years and received repeated nominations for the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as a Disney Teacher Award nomination. She also led numerous educational tours overseas for high school students. Those trips, combined with her personal travels, have taken her to 25 countries on three continents. Blanas has a bachelor of arts in history from Loyola University and is currently working toward a master of arts in history, concentrating on genealogical research, through the University of Toronto. She is also a certified hypnotherapist and uses this skill to facilitate pain relief, improving people’s health and well-being. |
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| Susan Corwith |
| Associate Director, Center for Talent Development |
| Instructor, Master of Science in Education |
| Susan Corwith is passionate about the field of gifted education and has been converting that passion into action for more than 15 years. She has held leadership roles in a number of institutions serving the gifted population and brings that experience to bear in her role as associate director for Center for Talent Development (CTD). Her primary responsibilities with CTD include overseeing marketing and outreach as well as the Summer Program, Civic Education Project and PreK through grade 3 testing. She appreciates the opportunity to contribute to the gifted education field in myriad ways: through direct contact with students and their families, program development and research. Her multifaceted role, combined with CTD’s commitment to excellence, allow Corwith to feel as though she is helping to reveal gifted students’ incredible potential, which, she believes, often goes untapped. “It’s exciting to see what students can do and who they really are in an environment that nurtures and supports them,” she says. Corwith holds a PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis, an MS in curriculum and instruction and a BS in secondary education, all from University of Wisconsin-Madison. |
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| Elizabeth Dirkes-Jacks |
| Leapfrog Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development |
Beth Dirkes worked as the site coordinator for the Leapfrog program in Palatine last summer and returned because she loves being part of the CTD team. “Everyone at CTD keeps an eye on the ball,” she says. “The focus on the learning of gifted young children is never lost in the administration process.” Dirkes works hard to select the best instructors and teaching assistants, provide them the tools they need to be effective — whether it’s computers, robots, information or encouragement — and make sure instructors and students are well matched. Dirkes holds a bachelor of science degree in human development and social policy from Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, completed a second major in political science, and enjoyed a variety of other classes. Dirkes remembers that while at Northwestern, an English professor described Bruce Springsteen as "the greatest living American poet." An avid fan, she has enjoyed 10 of his concerts. Dirkes went on to study at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where she then worked in public administration with emphasis on children and youth policy. The mother of four gifted daughters, Dirkes finds that advocating for gifted children comes naturally to her.
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| Ann Gadzikowski |
| Summer Program Coordinator, Early Childhood Programs, Center for Talent Development |
Ann Gadzikowski’s affiliation with Northwestern University began as a music student. An accomplished violist, Gadzikowski majored in music and English at Northwestern. Although she maintains a strong interest in music, Gadzikowski went on to earn her master's degree from the Erikson Institute for the Advanced Study of Child Development in Chicago. Gadzikowski worked as a teacher and director of preschool programs in the Evanston community for many years, wrote the book Story Dictation: A Guide for Early Childhood Professionals, and authored and edited a variety of educational materials including curriculum guides, early readers and textbooks. So she was well prepared for her current role as coordinator of the Early Childhood Programs. She is also committed: “As a parent myself, I feel that one of my primary responsibilities is to communicate with and support parents and families. I understand that parents want the very best summer experience for their child.” Gadzikowski describes herself as “bookish” and enjoys visiting libraries wherever she travels. One of her favorites: the library on Mackinaw Island – it’s housed in a cottage along the water and the back has a sheltered deck with rocking chairs facing the channel and Round Island.
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| Victoria Hutchen |
| Leapfrog Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development |
| Victoria Hutchen coordinates the Leapfrog program for students completing PreK through grade 3. By managing everything from admissions to program evaluation, Hutchen makes certain that Leapfrog students, families, instructors and staff all have a positive summer experience. As a former teacher in classrooms from kindergarten through grade 7, Hutchen appreciates that the Summer Program gives gifted students opportunities to explore subjects in greater depth than time allows during the school year. Hutchen admires Leapfrog students for their genuine pursuit of knowledge and their desire to continually challenge themselves. Her own academic achievements include earning a bachelor of arts in anthropology and film studies from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s degree in elementary education from DePaul University, where she was selected to the Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society. In addition to her work at CTD, Hutchen and her husband are busy raising their young daughter, a prospective Leapfrog student in summer 2012. |
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| Deborah Lee |
| Spectrum Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development |
| When asked in high school to be a teaching assistant for one of Spectrum's Chemistry Honors classes, Deborah Lee had no idea what an impact the experience would make on her career. She has never ventured far from the Summer Program since, teaching in public schools in the Chicagoland area and then serving as Equinox program coordinator. In her current role as coordinator of the Spectrum Program, Lee works with Summer Program teachers and staff to develop high-quality programming for gifted students completing grades 7 through 8. She enjoys seeing students excel and appreciates the opportunity to further the education of tomorrow’s leaders. Lee holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and an advanced teaching credential, all from Northwestern University. Ever an educator, she spends free time teaching drawing and painting at a local community center. |
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| Cassie Sparkman |
| Equinox Program Coordinator, Center for Talent Development |
Cassie Sparkman is thrilled to be the Equinox Program Coordinator. She comes to the Summer Program after working as the Director for the Hands on Stanzas program at the Poetry Center of Chicago, and more than 10 years as a teaching artist in classrooms in Seattle and Chicago. After having the privilege of creating and teaching a course for the Spectrum Program in Summer 2009, Sparkman knew she wanted to pursue a full-time position serving the gifted and talented community. Sparkman has an MFA in poetry from the University of Washington, has been published in literary journals including Cimarron Review, 32 Poems, American Poetry Journal, The Laurel Review, Story South and Pebble Lake Review. Her poems have also appeared on the Verse Daily website. Her work has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes, and she is currently working on her first full manuscript. In her free time, Sparkman loves spending time with her infant son, her husband and her loveable black lab.
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| Andrea Steffan |
| Coordinator, Summer Program, Center for Talent Development |
Andrea Steffan’s educational and career journey has taken her around the country. After growing up in the Chicago area, Steffan went to Florida to earn a bachelor’s degree and then to California to earn a master’s. After earning a degree in curriculum and instruction from UCLA, she studied for a second masters at Pepperdine University and then earned an EdD in educational leadership, administration and policy. Steffan put this knowledge to work as an English teacher at Woodrow Wilson High School, assistant principal at Gertz-Ressler High School and as a principal at Design High School – all in Los Angeles. At the Design High School, a free public charter school, the concepts and practice of design were used to deliver a rigorous and relevant college preparatory and career-oriented curriculum. Recently Steffan returned to Chicago. But the experience she gained in California comes into play in Steffan’s position as Summer Program Coordinator for CTD, where she oversees a program that serves almost 4,000 students each summer. Responsibilities include hiring and training staff, overseeing curriculum development and ensuring logistics are handled, she explains, “so kids can show up, be challenged and have a great time!”
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