SEPAC Team

Julie Galloza

My name is Julie Galloza. I have a 10 year old daughter, Julissa. She is in 5th grade and attends Terrace Elementary.

Julissa was diagnosed on the spectrum at the age of 2 while also having Hip Dysplasia and Juvenile Arthritis. She received Early Intervention from 2-3 years old and has been receiving Special Education ever since Preschool. Currently, she has transitioned into Gen-Ed classes for Reading and Math. She loves to read and make her own books. She also loves playing with her peers and listening to music. Julissa was non-verbal until about 4 years old and with ABA in addition to OT and Speech therapy she was able to learn how to build her words into sentences, and then conversations. School was also a big part of building her social skills.

When I learned about SEPAC I appreciated the idea of bringing families together who have children in special education, and wanted to be able to be a resource to others as others have been for me. 

aasia farooqi

My name is Aasia Farooqi, and I have two children, Saaiq and Shifaa, who attend Jane Westerhold Early Learning Center.

Saaiq is 4 years old and has speech and developmental delays, along with a diagnosis of Autism requiring moderate support. He receives Speech, Occupational Therapy, and social work services at school, in addition to Speech, Feeding, and ABA therapy outside of school. His vocabulary has improved significantly, and he is beginning to use verbal communication more. 

Shifaa is 3 years old and has a speech delay. She receives Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapy, along with social work minutes at school. She recently graduated from Occupational Therapy and has become quite talkative and is progressing towards meeting all other program requirements, with hopes of completing them by next year. Both of my children love spending time outdoors, especially in parks and on trampolines. 

I joined SEPAC to learn more about how to best support and advocate for my children, ensuring they have the best opportunities to grow, learn, and thrive. Connecting with other families and sharing resources is essential, and I want to contribute as much as I learn. 

angela smilovici

My name is Angela Smilovici, and I have two children. My daughter is currently in 2nd grade at Cumberland, while my son, Azariah is in the 4th-grade special education life skills program at Cumberland.

Azariah has a rare genetic condition in which he is missing his 7th chromosome and a large portion of his 8th chromosome. Due to these chromosome deletions, he was born with many complex medical conditions, including microcephaly, prolonged QT syndrome type 2, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (for which he uses hearing aids), and renal hydronephrosis. As he has gotten older, he has been diagnosed with a muscle tone disorder impacting his mobility, epilepsy, cortical visual impairment, optic nerve atrophy, sensory processing disorder, and Autism. He uses mobility aids, such as a posterior walker. 

Since he was just six months old, Azariah has received many therapeutic interventions. He would not be where he is today without the wonderful therapists and educators who have dedicated their time and heart to helping him and I am utterly thankful to them. He continues to receive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, vision therapy, and hearing therapy. Azariah shows strength and determination in his everyday life to accomplish tasks that many take for granted. He inspires me to find joy in all things and to never lose hope. Azariah loves all things Mickey Mouse, stuffed animals, buildings, music and going for car rides. He is such a friendly boy who loves to say hello to everyone. 

I joined SEPAC because I was excited to see that our district truly wants change and the best for our children, not just to tell us that change would happen. It has been wonderful to partner with the district and with other parents of children with disabilities. It has made this journey feel less isolating. My life has been dedicated to advocating for my son and all children with disabilities, so I am eager to contribute to SEPAC in any way I can. 

maggie martin

My name is Maggie Martin. I am a mom to boy/girl twins. They are in second grade at Terrace Elementary.

Mary Kate attends the general education program at Terrace, while Mikey is in the STEP program. Mikey was diagnosed with autism, ADHD and anxiety at 5 years old after many years of pandemic induced waitlists to be evaluated by specialist. Mikey receives OT, ST, and Social Work at school as well as ABA, OT and ST after school during the week. Mikey loves the STEP program at Terrace and likes to be able to do small groups with his peers as well as push into general education classes for specials. Mikey loves Star Wars, Legos, Hockey, and Disney Cars.

He is also a part of the Chicago Storm Special Hockey program and plays hockey with other children and adults with developmental disabilities. He recently met his hockey idol, Connor Bedard during a Storm Special event! 

I am an early childhood educator and assistant supervisor at the Park Ridge Park District in their Nature Preschool Program. I also oversee nature based early childhood camps during the summer. I think it’s important to always advocate for our children and help get them the resources they need to be successful at school and beyond. I work closely with MNASR to ensure my students and patrons are supported and are included in all of our programs.

I am excited to be a part of our districts SEPAC. I look forward to helping bring resources, changes, and education to other families with children with and without disabilities. 

monika tusnio

My name is Monika Tusnio, I’m a mom of two boys: 13- and 10-year-old. Matthew is in 7th grade at Chippewa Middle School. He was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 10. 

He is receiving an IEP program by which he is in general education with adequate for his needs help. The support he is getting from a special education group helping him to improve social, emotional skills along with executive functions. 

Matthew loves to hang out with his friends and rides on a scooter at the local skate park, records scooter tricks and makes short clips. He also plays basketball and rides a mountain bike. He plays on saxophone and piano, as well as draws and paints. His recent hobby is fingerboarding and building mini skate parks out of cardboard and wooden materials. 

I joined SEPAC because I see it as a community supporting each other, exchanging experiences and sharing the resources. Someone said: “We need a village to raise a child.” I feel, having a child with special needs, we need at least two villages to support parents and children! That’s why I want to be a part of SEPAC to give and receive support to assist other parents to create support groups. As a parent for whom English is a second language, I also want to give courage to other parents like me, to advocate for their children. I’m looking forward to cooperating with the district and families to help our children thrive. 

Roza Brizkovic

My son Matthew is a 2nd grader at Cumberland Elementary School. He is in a general education classroom with an IEP, and a great caring team to help him with several supports.

Initially at age 2 he was considered a late talker and received early intervention services. Today he can definitely speak his mind and he has come a long way. I look forward to seeing his continued growth and I am so proud of all he has accomplished. He is a super happy kid, funny, sweet, smart, silly, brave, and loves Legos, Brickworld conventions, riding his bike, swimming, trampolines, pools, slide pools, being with children, reading, video games, summer camp, anything and everything about vehicles - learning about them, watching them, reading about them, playing with them, washing them, testing driving them - especially police and fire; he loves waterparks, spending time with his grandparents and cousins, shopping for toys, going to shows/plays (such as Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus, Blippi World Tour, PAW Patrol Live, Disney Jr. Live on Tour, Bluey’s Play, Hot Wheels Monster Live Glow Party, Hot Rod shows, Corvette & Muscle Car shows, Chicago Auto Show, car museums, holiday light shows and seasonal events, Park District events, Childrens’ museum shows/events/programs, Blue Man Group, etc. etc.), and he loves stay-cations in hotels with large indoor pools! 

I joined SEPAC to build a community for my son. In order to help students succeed, parents are the primary and most important resource in nurturing the seeds of growth. Strengthening the support of parents ultimately leads to a strong community and brilliant future for our students. This partnership with other families and the District is exceptional, and I commend D62 for their progressive ideals and desire for collaboration and inclusion. 

susan chavez

My name is Susan Chavez, and I am a mother of four children.

My daughter Bella was born with with brain abnormalities that caused her to have over 100 seizures a day. She underwent a hemispherectomy at 9 months old, which stopped her seizures but resulted in life long disabilities. Despite these challenges, Bella is a joyful and determined child who works hard in therapy and school. She loves music, dancing, and making people smile. Her resilience and kindness make her a light in any room. 

As a mother of a child with disabilities, I am passionate about fostering inclusion and accessibility in schools and the community. I actively advocate for children with disabilities and work to connect families with the resources they need.

I joined SEPAC to help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students. I want to ensure that families of children with disabilities feel empowered, heard, and connected to valuable resources. By working together, we can make meaningful changes that benefit our children now and in the future. 

Linda Nguyen

Biography coming soon!