Emily Cacace, Waterford’s newest school counselor, may have come here from East Lyme High School, but she knows the Waterford community well. The decision to take the job at WHS was an easy one, Mrs. Cacace says. She added, “I’m a Waterford graduate so I was excited to reinvest myself in the community that was so important to me in my upbringing.”
During her time as a high school student, Mrs. Cacace had no idea what she wanted to do in her life. “I was undecided in high school. During my senior year at the University of Connecticut, I did an internship at a local elementary school and the kids had a special guidance class while I was there,” Mrs. Cacace explained.
Mrs. Cacace realized that she had a calling to school counseling: “I realized that I really wanted to help kids who had been in my shoes in high school, not knowing what they wanted to do.” Back at Waterford, the place where she struggled to find her path, Mrs. Cacace is able to help students like her navigate their lives after high school.
Becoming a school counselor seemed like her perfect fit. Cacace had always had a natural tendency to relate with students: “Whether it was babysitting or volunteering, I always loved working with kids, so school counseling was the perfect plan for me.”
After graduating from UCONN with a degree in business management, Mrs. Cacace earned her Master’s in school counseling at Central Connecticut State University.
Mrs. Cacace spent 12 and a half years of her career working at East Lyme High School before making her way back to Waterford. She noted that while there haven’t been many major changes that she’s had to overcome, one of the biggest differences was Waterford’s school bells. They don’t have bells at East Lyme, Cacace says: “There is a mutual respect between all of the students and teachers to abide by the daily schedule, and it works well.” After 12 and a half years, the bells are unsurprisingly something she has to adjust to. “The bells caught me off guard at first, and I’m still not completely used to them” she laughed.
Outside of school, Mrs. Cacace stays busy with her family. “I am a mom of three kids who keep me very busy outside of school with all their sports and activities.” Since Mrs. Cacace spends the majority of her job talking to students about themselves and their personal plans, it’s important to know about her as well. Mrs. Cacace added that she is genuinely very happy to be here, and has had a very warm welcome from teachers and students alike. “I’m so excited to be a part of the academic community and the greater community at Waterford,” Mrs. Cacace shared. If you see Mrs. Cacace around, make sure to wish her a very warm Waterford welcome!
