Mallory Cusic

Fayette County
Breckinridge Elementary

I am the oldest of three siblings. My brother is nine years younger than me and I was always a natural caretaker. When I started college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew I loved kids. My dad wanted me to be a nurse so that I would have an income I could support myself on. I ended up getting a side job at the elementary school my brother worked at for after school care, and my first week there, I called my mom every day to tell her about the kids I was working with. She told me teaching was what I was supposed to do because of how much joy it brought me, and that it was OK that my path was different than what she and my dad thought it would be. I was thankful for that affirmation. 

Breckinridge Elementary is where I’m meant to be. It’s extremely diverse, and we love kids the way they are.  I started here as a classified employee with a crazy schedule, but I took the position, and two weeks later, it turned into a Kindergarten position. I now teach English Language Learners, and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. Working here has made me a better teacher, because our principal invests in teachers and embeds our PD, including trauma-informed care, but it has also made me a better person. Teaching at Breckinridge Elementary has helped me learn how to love people better.