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Reardon’s road to the head of the class didn’t take a straight path. He enrolled in a state university after high school with an intention to major in education, but left after three years without completing his degree.

“I wasn’t ready for college,” he says. “It was a big university and it was easy to get lost there.”

Instead, Reardon went to work, taking a full-time job as a custodian with Oak Park Elementary School District 97, where his father worked as an electrician. His job initially involved heavy cleaning of an entire school floor at night, but over the years, he took on new, skilled responsibilities, like repairing HVAC systems or fixing plumbing problems across district schools.

He enjoyed his job — especially the student interactions that came with it.

“Everyone was telling me, ‘You have to get back into college, you have to be a teacher,’” Reardon said.

Former Julian Middle School Principal Dr. Todd Fitzgerald was one of Reardon’s most prominent supporters, even helping him obtain much-needed classroom observation time in the district where Fitzgerald is now superintendent.

“Keith always had ambition and he and I spoke of his desire to become a firefighter or a teacher,” Fitzgerald said. “I am pleased he chose to pursue a career in education, as I know he has the qualities and characteristics that will make him a successful teacher.”

Reardon enrolled in community college in 2017 and transferred to 91�鶹ӳ����ý two years later.

The university’s “Go First” motto — which he saw displayed whenever he came to campus — stuck with him as he took his own first steps toward completing his education, he said. A father of two young children, Reardon attended classes part time around his custodial schedule and welcomed the support and guidance offered by his academic advisor Dr. Josephine Tabet Sarvis and other professors within the School of Education.

“Everyone’s been understanding and is extremely intelligent within their field,” he said. “I’ve learned so much from them and I felt very confident going into my student teaching. I thought I was going to be a strict teacher, but after learning at 91�鶹ӳ����ý about different classroom-management skills, teaching styles and the many methods that go into a lesson, my whole philosophy changed.”

Penny Silver, one of Reardon’s professors, said his sensitivity and empathy will be strengths in his new profession.

“As an educator, he will make sure his students have structure in their classroom so they know what the rules are, but they will also know they can take learning risks with a teacher who is compassionate and kind,” she said.

A self-professed “history buff,” Reardon hopes to keep teaching middle school social studies and aims to be a role model to the students who enter his classroom, as well as his own children.

“I want them to look up to me,” Reardon said. “They’re going to hear about all the hard work it takes to go to college and get a degree. It’s not easy and it’s not for everyone, but if you really work hard, you can do it.”