District 131 Celebrates the Administrative Promotions of Maritere Wise and Stephanie Evensen

East Aurora School District 131 is proud to announce two exciting administrative promotions for the upcoming school year! Following their official introductions at the Board of Education meeting, we are thrilled to celebrate Ms. Maritere Wise as the new Principal of Gonzalez Child Center and Ms. Stephanie Evensen as the new Dean of Students at East Aurora High School.

Both leaders bring years of dedicated service to District 131, bringing deep roots, proven instructional leadership, and an unwavering commitment to the East Aurora community.

Meet Our Promoted Administrators

Ms. Maritere Wise – Principal

Location: Gonzalez Child Center

Ms. Maritere Wise steps into the role of Principal at Gonzalez Child Center after 15 years of dedicated service to District 131 students and families. Her career with the district began as a bilingual preschool teacher before she advanced to become a Preschool Instructional Leader. Most recently, Ms. Wise served as Assistant Principal at O’Donnell Elementary School, where she led key school improvement initiatives focused on literacy, attendance, social-emotional learning, and family engagement.

Fluent in both English and Spanish, Ms. Wise is deeply passionate about early childhood education and creating welcoming, inclusive environments for young learners. As an instructional leader, she has supported educators through hands-on coaching, professional development, and collaborative data analysis to ensure every child builds a strong foundation for lifelong learning.

• Educational Background: Ms. Wise earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Puerto Rico and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from North Central College.

Ms. Stephanie Evensen – Dean of Students

Location: East Aurora High School

Ms. Stephanie Evensen has been promoted to Dean of Students at East Aurora High School, where she has served as a standout educator and student advocate since 2019. During her tenure at EAHS, Ms. Evensen taught AP Seminar, working closely with multilingual learners and partnering with families to ensure all students have access to rigorous academic opportunities.

Beyond her classroom responsibilities, Ms. Evensen has actively served on the School Leadership Team, facilitated professional development for her peers, and mentored students through extracurricular activities. During her administrative internship at EAHS, she gained extensive hands-on experience in instructional leadership, school safety, crisis planning, and student support systems.

• Educational Background: Ms. Evensen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Education, a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, and recently completed her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership at Aurora University.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Wise and Ms. Evensen as they begin these exciting new chapters in their leadership journeys!