Cassidy Reddig is a 25 year old from Ephrata with a passion for pushing herself in all fields. This past year, she joined the teaching staff of McCaskey High School as an honors and IB history teacher.

In high school, Reddig took every higher level class available to her, participating in swimming and soccer, but her main focus has always been teaching. “I wanted to become a teacher because of my passion for history, my love of learning, and my desire to be a positive influence and supportive figure in the lives of my future students,” she said.

Ms. Reddig emphasized the importance of her position in her students’ lives: “I had high school teachers who influenced my career choice, and I’m fortunate I consider them my mentors today.” 

Ms. Reddig, as a person so devoted to becoming a teacher, must have had a strong opinion about where she wanted to grow her career. So one has to ask, why McCaskey? “McCaskey features the characteristics of my dream school,” said Reddig. “I wanted to find a district and campus that was diverse, inclusive, and representative of the future of Lancaster and the world itself.” 

Coming out of West Chester University, Ms. Reddig faced many challenges in her search for a job. “There are few social studies positions available each year, so the application and interview process have been very competitive. I’m happy and fortunate to have this opportunity at McCaskey,” she said. 

Despite being a work-oriented person, Reddig never forgets that her family comes first. The Ephrata native missed the first week of school this year to go to her brother’s wedding. When she arrived in class, she was with bubbling nerves and residual excitement, but still set the tone of a relaxed and comfortable classroom.

Ms. Reddig is not one to shy away from admitting to flaws and faults—it allows for an environment where kids are allowed to learn from their mistakes, rather than be shamed for it. Reddig explains how she came to create this environment because of the pandemic. “Teaching in a new district, at the high school level, and during a global pandemic means I need to be flexible and able to shift focus when the inevitable sudden change occurs,” she said.

There are many things Ms. Reddig brings to the table with her background. Being a young and new teacher allows for the unique opportunity of having students choose some of their coursework. She takes notes on what students are interested in learning and topics they are less knowledgeable about, and most importantly, being able to see someone around students’ age work through similar obstacles and achieve her goals is beneficial to the population of unsure students.

Reddig is currently working for her Masters degree at the American College of Education, and mentions her ongoing training to be a difficult but rewarding trial. So far, she has been settling into her roles at McCaskey as a teacher and a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance club) advisor and mentions her interest in becoming a swim coach in the future. She describes her feelings as, “Awkward? Yes! Comfortable? Also yes!” 

Like the students of McCaskey, Ms. Reddig is still just beginning her journey. We should look forward to her growth and achievements, and continue to support her in the years to come.