Robina Button:

Previously a science teacher, new librarian Robina Button takes a different approach to her teaching.

“I do miss teaching science, so a lot of the time I’ll try to incorporate my science into teaching [my students] how to do research,” said Button.

Originally, Button became a science teacher because she was interested in the topic, but wanted the students to have more fun while learning the subject.

“Honestly, I found [science] really boring,” Button said, “I wanted to become a science teacher to teach it in a fun way.

Button has previously worked at Truman Middle College and Lincoln Park High School, but observed a difference with the students attitudes here at ETHS.

“I find the students are way more serious about their schoolwork,” Button said. “I think because they are serious, I try to get them to laugh, smile, and have a little fun.”

Although being a librarian is largely contrasting to her other job in science,  Button loves working in the library and the schedule allows her to spend time with her family.

“I had a kid, and so it was way easier to be a librarian,” Button stated. “[The job] is really busy when I’m here, but when I go home, there’s no grading.”

In addition,  one of Button’s goals at ETHS is to incorporate technology into her lessons.

“When I [taught] at streamwood…they remodeled the library and I got a lot of Makerspace equipment and so I used that to create more technology integrated lessons,” Button said. “Hopefully I could convince [ETHS] to buy some Makerspace things.”

Christian Saenz:

After previously working at four other high schools, Christian Saenz joined the staff at ETHS just seven months ago, as a new counselor.

“When I was looking to get a new opportunity, Evanston really stood out to me as far as the diversity… the range and the spectrum of all the different types of students here is what drew me in,” Saenz said.

As a student, Saenz struggled through school, which drove him to become a counselor.

“I was a super senior, and just having that experience myself, I think it was natural to gravitate towards helping students finding their way,” Saenz said.

Saenz finds the support system for students at ETHS to be encouraging, which is not something he had always found at the other schools he worked at.

“The way this school wraps around students in need and supports them in teams of psychologists, social workers, counselors, teachers, and support staff… is one of the biggest differences.”

Similarly, Saenz believes ETHS has successfully created a school where everyone is supported no matter their racial ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.

“They do a lot of summits for the students, supporting the students in their affinity spaces, and they do that similarly with the staff,” said Saenz “[the staff] have spaces that we can feel comfortable in voicing opinions and stuff like that.”