From an early age, around 5th grade, Ms. Cassidy Davila knew that she wanted to be a teacher.
She shares, “Even when I was young, I was always helping to tutor my peers. I also had several amazing teachers that all inspired me to hopefully be like them when I grew up! Coincidentally, most of my favorite teachers were also my math teachers!”
Growing up in San Diego, Davila joined an elective pathway at her high school called “Educators Development Pathway,” which is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in education. She later got recruited to play softball at Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma City, where she played for four years.
In college, Davila originally pursued a degree in Elementary Education, but quickly realized that she wanted to work with older students and share her love of the complexities of math with them.
Davila graduated with a degree in Mathematics Education and then taught Algebra I at Bethany High School in Oklahoma City, where she was also an assistant softball coach and the school’s freshman class sponsor.
Davila’s career in teaching has been successful and rewarding because of her passion for helping students be successful both inside and outside of the classroom. She remarks, “I love seeing students’ faces when they finally understand a concept they’ve been struggling with or when they tell me something they’ve accomplished in another class, in their sport, or maybe something outside of school!”
Now that she is at Paschal, Davila says that her favorite thing about teaching here is “the diversity of the students and the passion they bring for the things they care about.”
Additionally, she mentions, “I also love how connected everyone is here in the community. Several times I’ll make small talk with a stranger at the airport or the store and every time I say I teach at Paschal, they either went here themselves or know someone else that did!”
In her free time, Ms. Davila enjoys being creative with miscellaneous projects, hanging out with her college friends that live in the area, visiting and exploring new cities, and cuddling with her cats at home. She especially enjoys running, a hobby she is picking back up after running cross country in high school. “It has been a great stress relief and continues to remind me that our bodies can do more than we realize we can do,” she exclaims.
So far, Ms. Davila has run in three half-marathons since 2023; she plans to run two more half marathons this spring, including the Cowtown, and is training for her first marathon this June in San Diego.
Ms. Davila says that if she could give her students any piece of advice, it would be something her parents instilled in her and her sisters: “For them to not be afraid to step outside their comfort zone!”
She admits that after moving away from home and living in two new states, she has gotten to experience much more life than she would’ve, had she stayed in San Diego. She explains, “While I miss home sometimes, I am truly thankful for the opportunities, adventures, and friends I’ve found from being willing to try new things and take risks.”
Davila encourages her students to “dream big, pursue playing that sport in college, explore technical schools in different areas, look for opportunities outside of [their] home city or state, and take them while [they] can!”
“You have your whole life ahead of you and if something doesn’t work out, there is comfort in knowing you can always go home,” she supplies.
Ms. Davila’s encouraging presence makes her the perfect addition to Paschal’s community; she looks forward to getting more involved here at Paschal in whatever way that may look like. Welcome to Paschal, Ms. Davila!
