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Before he played Pete on “The Bear,” Chris Witaske was a 13-year-old taking classes at Second City in Chicago and doing improv at Steel Beam Theatre in downtown St. Charles.
On Nov. 5, the St. Charles East grad joined three other alumni for a special ceremony and reception, where they were honored as St. Charles School District 303’s Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026.
Here’s what to know:
Chris Witaske (East, 2001): In addition to “The Bear,” Witaske has TV and film appearances in “Love,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Arrested Development,” and “New Girl.” He’s also known as Tom Pritchard in Progressive’s Dr. Rick ads, and he created the Netflix animated comedy “Chicago Party Aunt.”
Dr. Melissa Byrne (East, 2002): Byrne spent 15 years in D303, starting as a language arts teacher at Haines Middle School and later leading curriculum and college and career readiness. She’s now assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Barrington 220. She’s also a proud foster parent.
Dr. Jessica Cohen (North, 2006): A former Vanderbilt swimmer, Cohen worked for the Atlanta Dream, Portland Trail Blazers, and Milwaukee Bucks. She returned to the Chicago Sky in 2025 as director of health and human performance, where she oversees player health and recovery.
Jordan Jones (East, 2008): Jones started the company Packed Party in 2013 from her San Francisco bedroom with five products. It grew to more than 6,000 products sold through Neiman Marcus, Whole Foods, and 3,900 Walmart stores before Bioworld Merchandising bought it in 2025. She was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list and as one of NBC’s Top 100 Women-Owned Brands in 2019.
The day after the reception, the honorees visited St. Charles East and St. Charles North to talk with students and staff about their personal experiences and careers.
St. Charles D303 formed its Distinguished Alumni Committee in 1997, and 79 graduates have received the honor since then.
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