Michael Cermak, 38

By Lorna Collier

Twenty years ago, Michael Cermak’s job after high school involved making color proofs for printers. That job, he points out, no longer exists as he did it back then — new technologies have replaced the process.

This is but one example showing how today’s high school students need to learn “a flexible set of skills, which will help them navigate change,” Cermak said. He hopes to provide these skills to students through the school he leads (as principal) and helped develop — Rockford’s year-old Academic Career Education (ACE) High School.

Cermak is a Villa Park (Ill.) native who earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial technology education from Illinois State University and his master’s degree in educational administration from Western Illinois University. He taught high school for six years, worked in the business world as a salesman for two years, and worked for Rock Valley College for six years — first as a graphic arts program instructor/administrator and then as director of the engineering and technology division.

ACE High School educates sophomores, juniors and seniors in both core curriculum (Mondays through Thursdays) and workplace experience and career exploration (Fridays). In planning ACE, Cermak modeled some of its elements on other schools, but the workplace and career involvement concepts he developed on his own.

“Not too many times in your life do you get the opportunity to feel you might make an impact,” Cermak said. “Some days I think I’m nuts, but when you see the positive things happening, you feel it’s all worth it.”