School Leader Spotlight: Susan Work on Challenges and Successes in Chicago Education

Susan Work is the President of Holy Family Ministries (Holy Family Lutheran School) in Chicago, IL. She likes to think of her school as “the school for go-getters.” At Holy Family, the daily message is that life is all about personal responsibility and never giving up. Susan is passionate about educating inner-city children. She knows that kids coming from impoverished areas need to learn more than academics, so the school offers programs that teach spiritual and emotional development, social skills and character education. The result? She believes her school is turning out the future leaders of the community. In this interview from our Forum, Susan discusses her biggest challenge: financial resources to keep the doors open. Holy Family Ministries charges one of the lowest tuitions in Chicago, leaving it with a gap of $5,000 per child per year. She also discusses some ingredients for success, including a vision: never give and always persist towards your goals. Quote: “The important thing is to turn out confident, assertive graduates who will continue to “go-get” the skills and experiences they need to succeed.”