In South’s parking lots, one man in neon yellow attire stands amidst the organized chaos of teens making the morning commute. Signaling them to stop, turn, and waving them forward, Paraprofessional Frank Stankowicz starts off his day bright and early at 7:30 a.m., directing traffic and then returning to the building and assisting wherever people need help. Now, after years of work and bonding with students in all grades, only a few more months are left for Stankowicz, as he is in his final year at South, Stankowicz added.
Sophomore Lea Kirkos is sad to see Stankowicz go this year, as his connections are cherished by many throughout the school, Kirkos said.
Her first encounters with Stankowicz were simple hallway chats, but she now talks to him almost twice a day. Stankowicz is always open to talk and give advice when she needs it and is genuinely interested in hearing what she has to say, Kirkos said.
“[When] I was a freshman, he helped me feel more comfortable in the school; that’s how we started talking and now we’re friends,” Kirkos said.
Stankowicz’s first year at South was in 1991, as South’s first Student Resource Office (SRO), he said. During sophomore Oyuka Battulga’s first year, Stankowicz provided directions and a friendly face, she said. Now, as a sophomore, Oyuka still is happy to see Stankowicz, she added.
“[Frank is] the embodiment of the Titan spirit,” Battulga said. “[He is] very welcoming, very inclusive with everybody [and] is a pleasure to be around.”
Even students being disciplined stay on good terms with Stankowicz because he believes that a student’s actions, not who they are as a person, are what is being judged, Stankowicz said.
“I’ve learned that even if I have to write kids up, they still get along with me,” Stankowicz said. “[It is because] they felt like I treated them with dignity and respect. I always lived by the golden rule: treat others how you want to be treated. That [rule made] me successful in life.”
Additionally, Stankowicz treats people with kindness and develops a sense of belonging, sophomore Maurice Smith said. Smith was one of the students that had been corrected by Stankowicz, Smith said.
“My freshman year I was a bit of a trouble-maker, [but I] started to mature now after he corrected me a little bit,” Smith said.
Stankowicz began simultaneously working as a mechanic and taking classes at Oakton College from 1975 to 1979 to become a policeman, he said. After passing his police tests and some more training, Stankowicz eventually started his 34-year career as a policeman for the Glenview Police Department (GPD). He then became South’s SRO until 2000, returning to police work, but ultimately returned to South in 2014 as a paraprofessional and officially retiring from the GPD, Stankowicz explained.
“I always said, if I ever get the chance, I’m coming back to South,” Stankowicz said. “I love the community, I love the energy, [and] I love the atmosphere [here].”
Now that his time at South has come to an end, during his retirement, Stankowicz plans to spend more time with his grandkids and family, going on walks, gardening with his wife, or watching sports. While he has loved his time at South, he looks forward to spending more time with the people he loves, Stankowicz said.
“The energy of the kids is unbelievable.” Stankowicz said. “I learn a lot from the kids [and] we learn a lot from each other.”
