As the 2024-2025 school year continues to unfold, Ben Jurgonski is excited to channel his passion for geography and teaching into the special education classroom at West Chicago Community High School. Now in his fourth year at WEGO, Jurgonski is not only teaching, but also coaching pole vault in the school’s track and field program.

Jurgonski’s journey into education was not a straight line. After graduating from Wheaton Warrenville South High School, where he participated in cross country and track, he pursued a degree in geography at the University of New Mexico.

“Geography was something I always excelled at and really enjoyed, but I was not sure how to turn that interest into a career,” Jurgonski said.

After college, he briefly worked in real estate with his family, but it didn’t feel meaningful to him.

“I hated it,” Jurgonski said. “About a year after graduating, I realized I needed to do something that felt worthwhile, so I went back to school to get my master’s degree in education at DePaul University.”

That decision led Jurgonski to the special education department at WEGO, where he initially started as a program assistant.

“Working with students with disabilities showed me that this was the field where I could really make a difference,” Jurgonski said. “I realized that their disabilities shouldn’t limit them. It’s about helping them discover their interests, whether it’s geography, sports, or something else entirely.”

Jurgonski’s enthusiasm for education is clear when he talks about his students.

“The students here are fantastic, and so are the staff,” he said. “This is such a welcoming community, and it’s been a rewarding experience from day one. I definitely feel like this is a place I could stay for a long time.”

One of the many teachers Jurgonski has been able to work with over the past four years is Mitch McKenna, Social Studies teacher.

“Mr. Jurgonski is a really nice guy.  He is laid-back, has an incredible knowledge of history and cinema, and is great to work with.  He is friendly towards students, looks out for their best interest, and does his best to serve them … with some loafers and a cardigan,” Mitchell said.

In addition to teaching, Jurgonski has taken on a coaching role with the track and field team, focusing on pole vault.

“It’s great to combine my love for athletics with coaching here at West Chicago,” Jurgonski said.

He honed his skills as a pole vaulting coach two years ago.

“Jurgonski was one of the best coaches I’ve had! I first met him my junior year when I was very new to pole vault and so was he. It was his first time coaching pole vault so it was definitely a learning experience for both of us but that is what made our coach-athlete relationship so much stronger. We had to learn and grow together,” former student Maggie White said.

“He was willing to put in hours each week to learn new drills and do all he could to help me get better and hit new PRs. He even stayed late on practice days and came on off hours during the weekend to help me get more reps in. He was always willing to hear out my thoughts on certain corrections or drills that might help, which I really appreciated. Ultimately, Jergonski was the one who helped me reach my goal of setting the school indoor record for pole vault. I can’t wait to see who else he coaches next and all the achievements to come,” White said.

Outside of school, Jurgonski keeps active by cycling and, like many of his fellow teachers, enjoys reading in his free time.

This year, Jurgonski is particularly looking forward to teaching geography and history, subjects that have always been close to his heart.

“I’m excited to pass on my passion for these subjects to my students. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them engage with material that I’ve loved for so long,” Jurgonski said.

For Jurgonski, finding his path to education wasn’t immediate, but now that he is here, he cannot imagine doing anything else.

“Helping students—especially those with disabilities—discover their own passions is what makes this job so fulfilling,” he said.