Madison Skala is a new face this year at East Hampton High School. Not only is she a geometry teacher, but she is also the girls’ JV soccer coach. Ms. Skala carries her passion for teaching everywhere she goes – in the classroom and on the field.

When I recently spoke with Ms. Skala, she recalled feeling excited when she saw a job opening in East Hampton, because she knew this was a school where she wanted to teach. Ms. Skala remembers, “It was something I really wanted to do and I really wanted to work with the students here.” After she got the job, she brought that enthusiasm with her, traveling over an hour each way from her home in East Quogue to teach her students at EHHS. Ms. Skala’s commitment was evident when I asked her why she decided to become a teacher; her reply reflected a desire to teach from childhood. She said: “I wanted to become a teacher because it was something I was passionate about. Both my parents are teachers [and they came] home every day [with] so much joy and happiness [that] it made me want to do it as well.”

Ms. Skala is also a committed athlete. In high school, she played basketball, soccer, and softball – a sport every season. Ms. Skala has a particular love for soccer, which she has been playing since she was three years old as a member of various soccer teams. As she explained it, “I was on school teams and travel teams… I did indoor and outdoor soccer… I love playing soccer.” This love of soccer led her to eagerly agree to coach the JV girls team this fall. During our conversation, Ms. Skala shared that she really appreciated the return to in-person sports, noting: “Coaching soccer was awesome! It was just great to have everyone back together, playing outside, getting to know each other and everyone had so much fun”.

Ms. Skala hopes to follow her passion for teaching to a TESOL certification, which will enable her to teach students math while they learn English, so she can reach even more students. Overall, she says, “I hope to keep learning, learning about teaching, being certified in different areas, being able to be the best educator I can be to help the students succeed.”