But where was she at 25? That’s something you might not know.

She was just a few years out of college (she got both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Chicago) and was working as a history teacher in Englewood.

At the time, she figured she would continue teaching for the rest of her career. Maybe she’d become a principal, but she thought she’d stay in education.

But life took her in a different direction. 

President Preckwinkle joined Rick Kogan and WBEZ Producer Lauren Chooljian on the Afternoon Shift recently to talk about how teaching, though not a life-long career, has informed who she is today.

Year 25: Sharing stories from a milestone age.