Susie An is a reporter for WBEZ and covers state and suburban education.
She also serves as an occasional news anchor and show host on WBEZ. She’s directed shows like, Schools on the Line, a past WBEZ call-in show focusing on education in Chicago. Her work has also been heard on NPR, CBC and BBC. Susie joined WBEZ as a news desk intern in September 2007. Prior to joining WBEZ, Susie worked at the Peoria Journal Star newspaper and worked as an acquisitions editor for Publications International, Ltd.
Susie’s work has won awards from the Associated Press and Chicago Headline Club. She has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Susie has been a Chicago resident since 2006.
Susie An

Stories by Susie An
A mother looks to the friends of her slain child for a dose of healing and hugs
“It’s like my soul left my body,” said Chanell Holliday during a visit with classmates of her son. He was fatally shot on Saturday near The Bean.
Illinois’ strong anti-bullying law was ignored at Latin School, according to parents of teen who took his life
The parents say the boy was relentlessly bullied but Latin didn’t inform them or investigate, as required by law. Latin strongly denies wrongdoing.
A 6-year-old asks: Why is there war in Ukraine?
WBEZ is talking to kids, parents and experts about the tough questions young children ask. Today, we take on the war in Ukraine.
Cash strapped schools are spending federal COVID-19 funds on textbooks and playgrounds
For underfunded Illinois districts, the $7.9 billion infusion means finally giving students essentials that wealthier areas take for granted.
Chicago teens open up about race, stereotypes and dating
Five teens talk about whether stereotypes affect their relationships and how schools can help students from different backgrounds relate.
The great mask debate continues on CPS’s first mask optional day
Monday was the first day Chicago Public School students were allowed to go without a mask in more than a year.
A suburban principal gave a personal lesson during Black History Month
A principal reflects on sharing his experiences as a Black man with his mostly white student body at Huntley High School.
School districts across Illinois are going mask optional
A state appellate court ruling is upending Gov. JB Pritzker’s COVID-19 school rules. Chicago Public Schools is sticking with masks.
A ruling on the order blocking the mask mandate in some schools could come as soon as Thursday
Gov. JB Pritzker argues the state’s school mask mandate remains in effect and says students should keep their masks on.
Families brace for whiplash as Illinois’ school mask fight continues in court
Some say districts should have held off on going mask optional since the rules could change again as the legal process plays out.