Heather Smith Named Conrady Assistant Principal

For Heather Smith, it’s a homecoming of sorts. The Hickory Hills’ woman is returning to her roots as she recently was named an assistant principal at Conrady Junior High School.

Mrs. Smith grew up in Hickory Hills and attended neighborhood schools through community college before transferring to Northern Illinois University where she received her bachelor's degree. She received her M.A. from The New School in New York and she received her Professional Educator License in Administration from Capella University in Minnesota. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in Educational Leadership.

Mrs. Smith will serve as one of two assistant principals at the junior high school where her son George, 12, will be a seventh grader when school begins in August. Daughter Josephine, 7, will begin second grade at Glen Oaks.

“I can't tell you how excited I am to be back home and to join such an amazing team of staff, teachers and administrators in North Palos District 117," Heather said. "George and his friends are really excited. In fact, they are almost as excited as I am."

She and her husband Jonathan - both avid travelers - spent six years in Central America where they helped design, build and open an English school in Nicaragua while organizing numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the community.

Heather was co-owner and Director of Operations for an International Teaching English as a Foreign Language Academy in Nicaragua for five years before moving back to Illinois. The couple were doing all this while raising their two children. George’s first language is Spanish. Josephine, who was born in Nicaragua, has dual citizenship.

Mrs. Smith said her decision to pursue a career in education was heavily influenced by her mom, Deborah Ferrero, who worked as a vocational coordinator at Stagg High School when Heather and her brother attended.

After graduating from high school where she ran track and cross-country, Mrs. Smith said she returned to Stagg with her mom to spend a day as a teacher's aide. "I just loved being in that environment. I knew then that I wanted to be an educator and have a positive impact on kids' lives."

When she met Jonathan the two continued to travel. Both outdoors people, they enjoy ziplining, rafting and backpacking. "We started backpacking when George was a year old.”

Heather said the family is pretty adventurous and has added whitewater rafting in Denali, which she called “the most beautiful place on earth.” Her brother is the owner of New Wave Adventure Whitewater in Denali.

When the family left the United States for Central America, the first country they visited was Nicaragua. So enamored with the people and the culture, they remained there for six years while Heather taught English and trained and certified more than 350 people to teach the language.
The Smiths have spent time in Costa Rica, Colombia, Honduras, Italy and Iceland.

Heather and Jonathan are also involved with their children’s sports: George plays soccer and baseball while Josephine swims, dances and plays softball.

Upon their return to the states, Mrs. Smith worked as a special education supervisor in Cicero and was a teacher in both elementary and junior high schools in Cresthill and Summit and was a special education supervisor in Cicero.

Heather describes herself as a “free spirit who is very direct.” “I don’t shy away from much.”

The Smiths also have a 9-year-old pitbull mix named Lula whom they rescued four years ago. “She’s our baby.”

Heather said she loves spending time with family and enjoys going on walks, cooking and traveling. Mrs. Smith said she also likes hearing from former students and colleagues about how they are doing. “I hear a lot of those stories,” she said. “I love to hear of their successes.”