Everybody knows Ms. Casquarelli as the beautiful, kind, and caring math teacher standing in front of our classrooms.  But what many people forget is that every person who leaves an impact on others has a story as well. Before she became the teacher students know and admire, Ms. Casquarelli was once a teenager just like us, figuring out who she was and who she wanted to become. Through different experiences, challenges, and life lessons, she quietly grew into the person students look up to today. 

As a kid, Ms. Casquarelli followed one rule more seriously than most people around her: “It takes more energy to be mean than it does to be nice to people”. While some people may not have thought much about that mindset, it is something students can still see reflected in her character today. Whether it’s through her warm presence in the classroom or her welcoming smile in the hallways, Ms. Casquarelli carries this energy that makes people feel understood.

Like many teenagers, Ms. Casquarelli also believed something about the world that wasn’t true. When she was younger, she thought people were always paying attention to what she did, but as she grew older, she relaxed. Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to constantly judge others. That realization changed the way she carried herself and helped her grow more comfortable in who she is now.

Ms. Casquarelli is a woman of many talents, but math was something that came naturally to her from an early age. Students today are grateful she continued to pursue that passion because it is clear how much knowledge and care she puts into her classroom every day. She says that if you saw her walking through the hallways in high school, you would have viewed her as quiet, responsible, and well put together. However, she admits she was simply navigating through high school the best she could while discovering the person she wanted to become. 

The person who influenced her the most was her own math teacher, who focused not only on creating good students but also on creating genuine people. That lesson stayed with Ms. Casquarelli long after graduation and can still be seen in the way she treats her students today.  

Like many people, she also experienced moments of self-doubt and loss while growing up. However, she used those experiences to shape her into someone stronger and more compassionate, and more understanding towards others.  

Talking to Ms. Casquarelli reveals something students often forget: teachers were once teenagers too, learning and growing, trying to figure themselves out just like us. Maybe that is what makes many students have such a connection with her, because she remembers exactly what it feels like to be like us.

Interview Questions & Answers with Ms. Casquarelli 

1. Was there a personal rule or value you strongly believed in as a child that still stays with you today?
   It takes more energy to be mean than it does to be nice to people.
2. What is something you believed about the world when you were younger that changed as you grew older?
   When she was younger, she believed people were always paying attention to what she did. As she got older, she realized most people are focused on themselves.
3. What was something that came naturally to you at a young age and made you realize you had a talent for it?
   Math came naturally to her from a young age.
4. Was there ever a moment in high school when you had to choose between what was popular and what you believed was right?
   She chose to stay true to herself and avoid doing things that would disappoint her parents.
5. Did you ever have a teacher who changed the way you saw yourself? What made them so impactful?
   Her math teacher, whom she had for two years, focused on creating good people and not just good students.
6. What is something you struggled with in high school that most people would not have guessed?
   Confidence.
7. Was there a specific moment in high school when you began thinking differently about your future?
   During senior year, watching her older friends leave for college made her think more seriously about her own future.
8. What is an experience from your younger years that was difficult at the time, but ultimately helped shape you into the person you are today?
   Losing her grandmother.
9. Have you ever felt misunderstood as a student? If so, what happened?
   Yes. In college, she had a professor who undermined her abilities and made her feel underestimated.
10. What is a personality trait you had as a teenager that you still recognize in yourself today?
    Not following the crowd and making her own decisions.
11. How would adults or teachers have described you as a student in high school, and do you think that description was accurate?
    She was viewed as quiet, responsible, and a people pleaser, and she believes that description was accurate.
12. What is a decision you made in high school that seemed small at the time but later had a big impact on your life?
    Staying disciplined and committed to sports like volleyball and cheerleading.
13. What was a moment during school where you surprised even yourself?
    When she applied to colleges and realized she was getting accepted into schools she was proud of.
14. If someone followed you around for a day in high school, what would they have misunderstood about you?
    They would have thought she had everything figured out, even though she didn’t.