“Our mission is to ensure that every student, regardless of their circumstances, is provided access to a high-quality, rigorous, and deeply supportive educational environment,” said John K. Jonak, Regional Superintendent for Kane County. “The work at the JJC is central to that commitment. It is about meeting students where they are, sustaining their education during a critical time in their lives, and connecting them to a future they can work toward. We are eager for Jacquelyn to guide those efforts.”

The JJC academic program is operated through a long-standing partnership between the Kane County ROE, St. Charles School District 303, and the Chief Judge. Licensed teachers provide year-round daily instruction in language arts, math, science, and social studies. The program also places a strong emphasis on career exploration and development, including through Transfr, a virtual reality (VR) training program in which students use VR headsets to explore hands-on career paths and build vocational skills. The goal is not only to keep students on track academically, but to help them discover viable futures and make a successful transition back into their schools and communities.

As Instructional Facilitator, Messick serves as the program’s primary administrator—overseeing daily operations, communicating with the students’ home schools, and working in close coordination with Regional Superintendent Jonak on the center’s educational programming.

“Jacquelyn brings an exceptional blend of classroom expertise and collaborative leadership to this vital position,” said Jonak. “Managing the educational pathways for students at the JJC requires someone who is both a skilled administrator and a dedicated student advocate. We are thrilled to welcome her to the team, and we are confident she will strengthen our program and ensure our students receive the high-quality instruction they deserve.”

“I am extremely excited to step into the role at the JJC. The team is phenomenal, and I am looking forward to both working with them and learning from them,” Messick noted. “The draw to this position for me was the unique population of learners the JJC serves. While yes, these are students in juvenile detention, we have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students who really need it. I have built my entire career around working with marginalized populations of learners and am excited to continue to bring my skill set to the JJC.”

Messick brings a robust background in specialized and adaptive education to the position, beginning her career as an Instructional Reading and Resource Teacher at Hilltop Elementary School in 2015. Throughout her career, she has worked with students K-12 across a wide variety of educational settings. Her extensive experience includes teaching in instructional frameworks, behavioral classrooms, functional skills programs, and co-taught classrooms, as well as serving as an administrator during extended school year programs.

She received her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership with Principal Endorsement from Aurora University. She also earned a Master of Science in Literacy Education with a Reading Specialist Endorsement, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, both from Northern Illinois University.

“My goal for the students at the JJC is to help them realize that everyone, no matter their circumstances or how they came to be a resident at the JJC, deserve a chance to learn and better themselves. All students are capable of learning and all students are capable of understanding their choices are their own,” said Messick. “My hope is that these students leave the JJC with new skills, understanding, and knowledge to help guide their future choices. I look forward to implementing new career exploration and training opportunities with the team to help students gain valuable skills to use in their future careers.”

Messick officially began her role on Tuesday, May 26.