Erickson retires after 39 years

After 39 years, Monica Erickson is retiring from her role as a speech pathologist at the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton school district. She worked with K-12 students from JWP as well as the neighboring Trinity Lutheran School.

Erickson was a graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in speech therapy. She later acquired certifications for working with students with autism and teaching drivers’ education classes for community youth.

She taught drivers’ ed for about a decade, with class sizes that averaged about 50 students; she still works with about 40 in speech therapy each year. Erickson would not be surprised if the total number of students she has taught is “over 1,000.”

Though she said that teaching speech and driving are very different in practice, Erickson noted that both are incredibly valuable life skills.

“Talking helps them get through an interview, while driving gets them to the job,” she quipped.

Erickson said that her favorite part of working at JWP was hearing the stories kids told her about their families. 

Erickson lives in Janesville with her husband Bill and is a mother of two, stepmom of three, and has six grandchildren. She plans to spend time with her family, read a lot of books, travel, and garden during retirement. 

From her first year as a speech pathologist in 1984 to retiring in 2023, Erickson has witnessed many changes at JWP, including technological ones. She said that when she started, the school used ditto machines, which have now been replaced with digital printers.

For someone who has touched so many lives, taking a step back and retiring is also a dramatic change.

“Retiring from JWP is like walking away from family; it’s hard to do,” said Erickson, adding that she wants to come back as a substitute teacher to see everyone again when possible.