Sarah Polnitz | Peoria, IL

Sarah Polnitz believes that joy and high expectations can live in the same space. As the Principal of Whittier Primary School, she sets this belief in motion in her students, teachers and community.

Born and raised in Edelstein, Illinois, Sarah grew up in a tight-knit family that did everything together. She initially studied Health Science at Bradley University. “After completing my degree, I worked at Daruul Uloom teaching Pre-K and it changed my whole life. I realized the impact education has on students and went back to Bradley to become a teacher.”

Sarah spent six years teaching preschool, kindergarten and second grade at Whittier before becoming the principal at age 29. This transition to leadership at a young age is one of the greatest challenges Sarah has faced. “I really learned to lean on the people around me, learn as much as I can and try my best each day. I became a better listener, a more intentional communicator and someone who models the expectations I set.” Sarah also models lifelong learning as she pursues a doctorate in Educational Leadership (K-12) at Illinois State University.

Sarah’s leadership has had a profound impact on the community. “Over the past five years,” writes Peoria City Councilman Andre W. Allen, “I’ve seen her guide Whittier Primary through immense challenges, including the shift to online learning during COVID-19 and the tragic loss of a third-grade student to gun violence. In both moments, she provided compassion, stability and hope, ensuring students and staff felt supported and valued.” Sarah has implemented systems and programs that have led to higher engagement, stronger attendance and deeper relationships across the school. Of her students, Sarah says, “I admire their resilience, their joy and their ability to grow through hard things. They remind me why the work matters.”

Such impact on children’s lives inevitably extends beyond the classroom. Allen notes that Sarah’s “compassion, authenticity and commitment to positive change ripple beyond Whittier’s walls, inspiring others to lead, serve and invest in the success of Peoria’s youth.” She’s passionate about mentorship, highlighting the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters. “Supporting BBBS means investing in our community’s future, one relationship at a time. It’s the kind of impact that doesn’t just change childhood. It changes adulthood too.”

Sarah has been married to her husband, Frankie, since 2021. “We met at a local boxing gym and were pretty inseparable from the moment we survived our first workout together.” Fitness remains important to Sarah who believes that taking care of herself helps her take care of everyone else, including her son Qais, whom she calls her “most favorite thing. He is now a Peoria Public Schools kid and I am beyond proud!”