“EPIC pushes you hard.  They want the best out of you because they believe students are smart and can be the top.  They believe we can do our best.  There is no 'we can’t.' They only believe in 'we can' so we can be successful.” ~ Amber, Class of 2013
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Educator Bios
Jennifer Cuculich - Freshman Mathematics Instructor
Jennifer Cuculich's work for the community started long before she stepped into the classroom.  Before her career as a teacher, Jennifer's used her skills as a bar-certified lawyer working for abused children and pro boon to secure political asylum for refugee families.  She's brought her positive "do whatever it takes" attitude in service for others to her classroom now to benefit our freshmen with math.  Having taught law at Chicago State and math and geography in Padua, Italy, Jennifer now works with EPIC's incoming classes to give them the math skill each student needs for success.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology from Boston College, a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from National-Louis University.


Andrew Derks - Freshman Fitness Instructor
Going the extra mile has been a passion of Andy Derks for many years and he brings to our staff the experience of an expert in fitness and health.  An avid runner and a former personal trainer and coach, Andy is a Level 2 Certified Coach for USA Track and Field.  He has headed Track and Field and Cross Country teams in Illinois since 2004.  As a teacher, Andy has brought health-related concepts into his fitness, sport and leisure instruction.  A versatile instructor, EPIC Andy's expanded his course to include the 21st Skills of teamwork, personal training profiles and goal setting, sex education and nutrition.  Andy is an alumnus of Eastern Illinois University from which he holds both his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education and a Master of Science Degree in Athletic Administration.


Brett Nelson - Special Education Case Manager and Instructor
Brett Nelson works to ensure that all of EPIC's students get the instruction they deserve.  Having worked with people with special needs since 2006, Brett has orchestrated events for adults at the Circle of Friends Day Care and taught a self-contained class reinforcing positive behaviors and creating modifications and accommodations for 8th graders in Urbana.  Brett holds a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.


Lysa Scott - Freshman Language Arts Teacher
When Lysa Scott talks to her students about the skill sets and dispositions they will need in their studies and careers, she speaks from experience.  Lysa brings diversified resume including work as a lawyer advocating for children on her caseload, a business analyst and recruiter, and a teacher with a reputation for success.  She has recently transplanted from Florida where she brought Title-I students with the lowest of reading levels to grade-level in one year using a balanced-literacy approach.  Her high expectations for students along with her charismatic demeanor create a learning environment where students learn to read and write to learn.  Her students learn writing from a master of many real-life genres she learned while earning and employing her Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Florida A&M University, her Master of Science in Business Management from Troy State University and her Juris Doctorate from Florida A&M University's College of Law.


Jennifer Vaughn - Freshman Social Studies Teacher
A part of the design of EPIC Academy since its inception, Jenny brought to the team the time-tested skills and abilities of a six-year veteran of Chicago Public's Dunbar Vocational Career Academy.  Her dedication to her students has been shown time and time again - from fundraising for her team to attend debate camp at University of Texas to winning curriculum design awards for integrating economics into her history classes to coaching girls softball.  Experienced teaching AP Comparative Government, US History and World Studies, Jenny's freshman history course focuses on the multiple perspectives of several case-studies of US History - Industrialization in Chicago, Methods of the Civil Rights Movement and Immigration.  She has her Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College in Education, History and Scandinavian Studies and is months from gaining her Master of Education in Instructional Leadership focusing on Language, Literacy and Culture.