On a cool September day, Casey Long ‘24 was working in her third-grade classroom when she felt her watch buzz with a notification.
“I looked at my para with wide eyes and quickly looked at my phone,” she said. “I won’t lie, I got really emotional.”
Long, a 2024 Newman graduate, discovered she was one of two people to win Newman University’s Kansas 2024 Teacher of Promise Award.
“I’m a single mom, and winning this award meant so much to me,” Long said. “It showed my daughter why I worked so hard while taking classes. She was with me at the dinner when I received the award and she told me, ‘Now I get why you worked so hard. You sacrificed a lot of time with me and this is why. I’m proud of you.’”
Ramona Nance, outreach education liaison for Newman University in western Kansas, was one of multiple Newman faculty members who nominated Long for the honor. “We all agreed she exhibits the qualities we most want to see in future teachers: dedication, determination and caring,” Nance said.
Long is still in disbelief of the award’s significance.
“I’m beyond humbled to have won the Kansas Teacher of Promise for Newman,” she said. “I’ve never been the type to win awards or be recognized for my hard work. And I still don’t think my mind has fully grasped that I am good at what I do.”
Taking the teaching path
As a 5-year-old, Long told everyone she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up.
“When I went to college the first time, it was for education,” she said. “After years working in other jobs, I was pulled back into education. In 2019 I was given the opportunity to be a long-term sub for fifth grade. It was that opportunity that made me remember why I was in love with teaching at age 5. It really is all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
In 2022, Long decided to return to college and finish her degree. She knew several teachers who completed Newman’s program, so she enrolled. For one and a half years, Long taught full time as she took classes through Newman, graduating in May 2024 with her elementary education degree.
Today, as a teacher at Northwest Elementary in Dodge City, Kansas, — the same school she attended for third through fifth grade — Long fully trusts in the training she received from Newman.
“I really think writing Newman lesson plans, as tedious as they were, helped me so much as a teacher,” she said. “I am able to write better plans for myself and for any subs that enter my room.”
Nance got to know Long early on in her studies at Newman and even observed her student teaching.
“It was especially inspiring to watch Casey interact with students in her own classroom,” Nance said. “She was well-organized and passionate about her teaching. She displayed tremendous respect for her students and they in turn showed they respected her and loved being in her class.”
A promising future as an educator
Now as a fully fledged teacher, Long’s favorite aspect of teaching is “making meaningful relationships and connections.”
She added, “Watching students come out of their shells because I am a safe place is just the best.”
Nance and fellow Newman faculty members have “no doubt” that Long will continue to impact her students for the better.
“I think Casey is a fantastic candidate for furthering her education by pursuing a master’s degree in education,” Nance continued. “She is a difference maker.”
Find your degree fit at Newman University
Newman University was founded in 1933 with the purpose of training future teachers. Today’s mission continues to empower graduates to transform society for the better in the classroom and beyond.
