Pam Ferdinand graduated from Illinois State University in 1968 with a B.A. in French and a Spanish minor and in 1971 with an M.A. in French. She taught French and Spanish from 1968 to 1970 in Taylorville, Illinois where she had also student taught. She taught French at Kaneland High School from 1971 to 2003 and Spanish from 1980 to 1986.

At Kaneland High School, Pam had a very active French Club which hosted many activities including progressive dinners, French immersion weekends at Aventure Francaise in Wisconsin, a program that she helped develop with Reid Lewis, visits to the Art Institute and 27 consecutive annual Mother’s Day breakfasts which served 250-300 community members each year.

Pam was also the advisor for the AFS International Exchange Program for 25 years which included monthly meetings with student members and their parents, recruiting host families for foreign exchange students at Kaneland, assisting Kaneland students for their foreign exchanges abroad and hosting an annual Halloween Party for 20-30 area AFS students.

From 1998-2003, Pam was the advisor for the Future Educators Association (FEA) Club at Kaneland. This responsibility prepared her for her retirement job as Future Educator Coordinator at Aurora University where she currently works part time. In this position, she coordinates activities for 15 high school FEA Clubs as well as an FEA Club at the University. She has also done FEA advisor training on a national level through Phi Delta Kappa.

In addition to her club activities at Kaneland, Pam was also President of the Kaneland Education Association for 6 years, chairperson of the Fine Arts department, chairperson of the local professional development committee, District chairperson for NEA’s Read Across America Initiative, chairperson of the Professional Excellence Committee, chairperson of the Teacher Morale Task Force and a member of many other committees dealing with school policies.

Outside of Kaneland, Pam was a member of the Illinois State Planning Committee for Globalfest, an annual foreign language festival and an advisor to Scott Foresman Publishing Company. She has done statewide training for new teachers for the Illinois Education Association and block scheduling training locally and at the state level.

One of the many highlights of her career at Kaneland was the 20+ trips that she chaperoned for students and adults to France and other European cities. To this day, those trips are among her fondest memories of her time spent with students. If asked what she like most about teaching, her reply has always been, “The students…next to my family, they are my greatest love in life.” She is so grateful for all of the wonderful memories that she has with her French and Spanish students both in and out of the classroom and considers herself very lucky that her current job allows her to continue to work with young people.

Pam would like to thank her family for their on-going support of her busy lifestyle. She is extremely proud of both of her daughters, Coye and Kelly, who are both phenomenal teachers and she is happy to see them carrying on the tradition!