Malden High School welcomed a new staff member, Kayla Morello to be the new Big Study teacher. Morello had looked forward to the rest of the year and meeting more students as well as learning from them but unfortunately the opportunity was cut short.
Before joining Malden High, she helped assist with the musical “Fame” that Play Pro put on in the auditorium. For Morello, working as the technical director was “great” and the kids were extremely “welcoming and accommodating.” She loved working with the kids and really enjoyed the experience altogether. Morello had invited her niece to go see the show and she loved it as well. Morello also enjoys the creative aspects behind working in theatre and has been interested in it for a while.
For college, she attended New England College located in Henniker, New Hampshire. From that point in her life, she has thought about working in schools and now she does. She has always been involved in theatre throughout her life, seeing as though she has a BA degree in theatre. Morello works in Boston sometimes and has helped out with dance competitions in the past. Her family is from Malden and most of her family still live around the area. Although she doesn't live in the city, Morello has been involved with the area and community for most of her life meaning she is very familiar with Malden
Morello’s best friend is an English teacher, Leanne DeRosa, who helped her in getting hired to be the TD (technical director) for the show and that is how she got the job for the musical. Morello has always been involved with theatre, which is why she works as a stage manager on the side. As a matter of fact, she is a residence stage manager for a company in New Hampshire. She still works as a special effects makeup artist where she completes some very fantastic work that I took a look at. Morello also has a very small retail job on the side. Additionally, in her free time outside of work, Morello enjoys watching crime documentaries and loves to cook and bake.
After working on the musical “Fame,” she decided to apply to be the new Big study teacher since there was a spot open and she was already here. As she already became a vital part of the Malden High community, Principal Christopher Mastrangelo. He said that for the job he was looking for someone who was “organized” and “good at connecting with kids.” Morello already knew the school a little bit. The references he got from people were “outstanding”. The plan was “aligned” and she hit every box he was looking for.
With one week into the job, Morello already described the students as “really nice” and that she was already getting to know certain kids. She has gotten to know the Play Pro kids very well and has a close connection with them, seeing as though they were a part of the musical she helped with. With this job, Morello hopes to “learn from the students” about the world and try to understand their point of view in this new generation. Hearing student’s voices and contrasting experiences as teenagers nowadays is “important for her.”
