Upper School
#14 Private High School in Illinois
Pursuing Excellence in All We Do
Our Upper School provides a supportive, values-aligned community where all students have access to robust programs that help them realize and fulfill their potential.
By the time they graduate, Hilltoppers are:
- Secure in their abilities
- Disciplined in their thinking
- Creative in their collaboration
- Compassionate toward others
- Dedicated to achieving their goals
To provide a holistic education, we combine high academic standards with expectations for involvement in the arts and sports in an environment where it is just as important to learn from failure as it is to flourish.
Nearly 100% of our graduates matriculate to their desired college or university to cultivate their interests, pursue meaningful careers, and make a positive impact on the world.
Meet Our Upper School Faculty & Staff

Doug Sept
BS, Missouri University of Science and Technology
Students must feel comfortable before they can learn. I expect my classroom to be an environment where students are allowed to take risks. I look for situations when I can look at a problem for the first time with students and model for them how to try and potentially fail in finding the right solution, only to rebound and try new ideas.
-Doug Sept

Jorge Sanchez
MFA, University of Michigan
BA, Loyola University Chicago
If a student fails to enjoy any piece of literature and minimally improves their writing, but manages to grow as a human being, I feel I have been successful. If a student masters every text and writes beautifully, but has not changed at all since the first day of school, I have failed.
-Jorge Sanchez

Dan Raffety
BA, Connecticut College
When I first meet with students at the beginning of the school year, I make it a priority to understand them as individuals. The more I know about their strengths & weaknesses and more importantly their interests, the better I am able to relate historical material to them and help them hone the skills involved in social studies.
-Dan Raffety

Anna Przybylski
Mother Teresa said: "Do little things with a big heart." My role as registrar / administrative assistant is to assist students, faculty and staff, in addition to maintenance of student records and files. It’s a pleasure to be a part of the Elgin Academy family and an even greater pleasure to help them everyday.
- Anna Przybylski