Teacher Kate Cerri said Joliet West ‘a place I love to come to every day’

Joliet West High School teacher Kate Cerri loves Joliet.

She has never lived anywhere else and does not plan to leave town.

“Joliet is that nice hybrid,” Cerri said. “It’s one of the bigger cities in Illinois, but it still has this small-town feel. I love being part of the community.”

Cerri is the daughter of retired Will County Judge Vincent Cerri.

Growing up in Joliet, meeting people through her father, and getting to know more people as a teacher, Cerri said she tends to run into acquaintances whenever she is out and about.

“Growing up, everybody knew my dad,” she said. “I feel like now I’m that person.”

Cerri’s enthusiasm for Joliet and Joliet West High School contributed to her being named Tiger Fan of the Year by the school in 2024.

“Beyond her official roles, Ms. Cerri’s presence is felt in numerous aspects of school life,” Joliet West Principal Tecara Parker said in an email. “Whether coordinating fan buses for athletic events, managing event lighting, or preparing hospitality rooms, she consistently demonstrates a commitment to enhancing the student experience.”

Cerri is so involved in extracurricular activities that some people at the school think she works for the athletic department.

“I love teaching literature and grammar, but I’m also able to work with students on life skills.”

“If you’ve been to a basketball game, I’m the one who turns on and off the lights,” she said. “I do scoreboards and the books.”

Cerri’s roles at Joliet West include being a former assistant coach for the dance team.

Working events is something she both likes to do and views as important.

“The students don’t stop being students here when the bell rings at 3:15,” Cerri said.

Before the bell rings, Cerri teaches English and special education.

She came to Joliet West in 2002 after teaching a year of junior high school in Beecher, living in Joliet for that year.

“I knew I wanted to be back in Joliet,” Cerri said. “And, I like the high school level. I’m kind of sarcastic, and high school students can relate to that.”

Cerri obtained her bachelor’s degree in English and education from North Central College in Naperville, commuting from Joliet while in college.

About five years into her teaching career, Cerri recognized that she also liked to work with special education students and went to Lewis University in Romeoville for a master’s degree in that field.

She teaches English in a blended classroom that includes special education students and provides opportunities to go beyond academic learning.

“I love teaching literature and grammar, but I’m also able to work with students on life skills,” she said.

Cerri foresees teaching at Joliet West until retirement. The school has become as special a place for her as the city she loves.

“I think I bring a love of teaching and enthusiasm for the subject,” she said. “I think the students can tell that I love teaching and that I love being at Joliet West. To me, it’s not just a job. It’s a place I love to come to every day.”