District News

Tom’s father was a teacher, coach, principal, and administrator in School District 129 for many years and is the namesake of Herget Middle School. His mother was a homemaker and substitute teacher, also having served in School District 129. Tom attended Freeman Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and in 1968, he graduated from West Aurora High School. It was there that he participated in football, wrestling, and band, all while being a member of Quill and Scroll as well as National Honors Society. Tom went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Actuarial Science with high honors from the University of Illinois and spent most of his professional career as a senior executive at PolySystems in Chicago, an actuarial software and consulting firm. Tom is an author, having published three internationally recognized texts and has served as a member of the board of directors of both the Society of Actuaries and the American Academy of Actuaries.

It was while at Jefferson Middle School in the ninth grade that Tom Herget first met Sonni Hunt. During her time at West Aurora High School, Sonni served as Pep Club Chairman, secretary of the Girls’ Club, and participated in both the Pom Squad and Concert Choir. Sonni went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts from Bradley University in Elementary Education and Spanish and later obtained a Master of Arts in Teaching from Aurora University. Now retired, Sonni had a seventeen-year teaching career that included serving in Oswego Community Unit School District 308, Los Angeles Unified School District, Batavia Public School District 101, and West Aurora School District 129. Tom and Sonni have been married for 38 years and share two children, Bob Herget and Theresa Herget Candler, both of whom are third-generation Blackhawks. They also have two grandchildren, ages four and two.

Both Tom and Sonni are known for their volunteerism in the West Aurora School community. Tom is an avid A+ Foundation and West Aurora Sports Booster supporter and has donated his time at Freeman Elementary School, Herget Middle School, and West Aurora High School. Sonni was elected to the West Aurora School Board in 1999, where she served for twenty years, stepping down to spend more time with their grandchildren in April of 2019. 

Tom and Sonni remember their time as students in West Aurora School District 129 fondly. Sonni comments that “being Grand Marshal is certainly a huge honor. Homecoming brings us all together: young, old, and in-between, current students, alumni, and community members. One can't help but be extremely proud to be a Blackhawk, even 51 years later!” Tom adds that “the last time I was in this homecoming parade I had to march in it. It's much better to ride as a Grand Marshal!”

The Homecoming Parade will take place on October 3, 2019, and will start at 3 pm. The parade route will travel south on Calumet to Garfield, east on Garfield to Fordham, south on Fordham to Kensington, west on Kensington to Calumet, and north on Calumet to Downer Place.