PNN Spotlight: Ivy Tech English Teacher Sarah Dwigans adjusts to a new class of students

For the first time in four years, Penn English Teacher Sarah Dwigans is teaching a completely new grade of students. From 2021 to 2025, Dwigans followed a group of the Early College students from freshman year to graduation.

Over the years, Dwigans has faced a lot of change. She joined the Early College program with the start of its second year cohort, around the same time she faced the devastating loss of her late daughter, Piper.

When Dwigans and her family went to honor her daughter at her funeral, she was amazed to see a sea of her students, old and new, dressed in her daughters favorite color, pink. This group helped Dwigans through a heartbreak where she questioned her purpose and worth in a whole new way.

“Teaching those students gave me a reason to get up each day, a reason to keep living rather than just existing,” Dwigans said.

Dwigans found her way to the field of education, and therefore this comfort, in an word way. She grew up with a grandmother who was a devoted teacher for over 25 years who always encouraged her to pursue a career in education. She finally gave in to her calling when her dream of becoming a pilot didn’t pan out.

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” she said. “I chose to teach English not just because I loved reading, but because stories connect us to history and the human experience from so many perspectives.”

Over the last four years, Dwigans has been titled the “Mom of Early College.” She was with the class of 2025 throughout their most influential years, and she had the opportunity to watch them grow from anxious freshmen to involved seniors.

“Getting to know my students over those four years has given me so many great memories,” she said. “It also let me tweak my classes to include things I knew they’d enjoy, and hopefully take with them as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.”

Despite being able to take solace in the fact that the classes she teaches are full of people she truly knows, Dwigans’ career can be mentally draining for her at times. However, she’s taken the challenges she faces as a learning opportunity.

“It’s taught me to find the beauty in the ugly, to be thoughtful, generous, and forgiving in a world that isn’t always kind,” Dwigans said.

Outside of teaching, Dwigans spends most of her time cheering on her daughter Peyton who started playing softball at Eastern Illinois University this year. She still has a 7 year old son at home who keeps her on her toes, and she loves to spend time in nature whenever she can.