College class changed her life
Tinley Park-based school psychologist named best in state
A psychology class Kelly Eastman took as a student at Trinity Christian College changed her life.
The South Holland native and graduate of Illiana Christian High School in Lansing said she became fascinated with learning the science of the mind.
“In high school, I was in my typical classes of English and math and all of a sudden I had an opportunity once I got to college to go outside the normal academic realm and took a psychology class and honestly, it instantly clicked with me,” she said. “My interest in the field just grew from there.
“It’s a chance dive into ourselves — our strengths and our weaknesses and how to build off of that and how to make our weaknesses strengths. It was a huge learning experience for me. I wanted to figure out how to spread the word to other students.”
She is still doing that. She is in her fifth year a psychologist with Bremen School District 228 and went through several changes in 2020, including having her job description change and dealing with the challenges from the coronavirus pandemics.
Through it all, she was able to keep spreading the word and helping out in other areas and the Dyer, Indiana, resident was named the 2020 Psychologist of the Year by the Illinois School Psychologists Association.
Eastman was nominated by District 228 Director of Special Education Lisa Giglio-Byczek,
who said Eastman goes above and beyond her duties.
“Kelly is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met,” Giglio-Byczek said. “She doesn’t give up until she finds the answer. She gets back to everyone she needs to get back to. She goes above and beyond everything that she does.”
Some of the things that she does that is not in the job description of a psychologist includes going to students’ homes and helping their parents fill out registration forms, as well as providing masks and clothes for students who need them.
“I don’t see my job as being within four walls,” Eastman said. “I see my job basically as trying to knock down any barriers that families or students have to be able to access their education. If it’s registrations or support of registration, I’m there for you.
“I just kept in mind how hard it was this year for freshmen,” she added. “They are coming into a brand-new school, a brand-new staff and a brand new environment. I focused a lot of time connecting with students, family and teachers to see their areas of need where they feel comfortable and confident in assessing their education.”
Speaking of brand new, Eastman’s job changed for 2020-21 as she was an out-of-district psychologist working with specialized programs and special needs who traveled from two main buildings and 10 placement locations for four years. Now she is based at Tinley Park High School.
COVID-19 concerns and remote learning made the adjustment challenging.
“It was hard at first because you can’t build a rapport with staff or students as much as you can in person,” she said. “Instead of sending emails, I would do links and hold Zoom meetings. That way people can connect the face with a name.”
Administrators throughout the state sent nominations, and after Eastman was named a finalist, she received plenty of support. The selection committee received more than eight letters praising her work from her colleagues, and the district said it was told that it was the most letters received for a nominee by the ISPA.
“She didn’t know I sent initial application to nominate her,” GiglioByczek said. “I told her when she was a finalist and I cast the net wide for letters of support from her colleagues. I told her ‘I don’t know if you are going to win, but just being a finalist is a great accomplishment.’”
Eastman went one step further and won it all.
She was humble about winning the award.
“I couldn’t win it without the collaboration of teachers and administration and service providers,” she said. “I’m only one person and without them, I wouldn’t be capable of going above and beyond so I’m grateful of the team that I have to work with. This is a very difficult time and without the right people behind you, you wouldn’t make it that far.”