WiNK

While a student at Wooster, Tess Cicala always had a good experience and loved the community which drew her back. Ms. Cicala was a student at Wooster from Kindergarten to when she graduated in June, 2017. She then went on to Providence College where she graduated in the Spring of 2021. She loved her college experience because of the similar community and school spirit that reminded her of her time at Wooster.

Then, and now: Tess Cicala in Kindergarten at Wooster; Tess Cicala as a member of Wooster's Faculty/Staff

Now, I know I speak for many when I say that lucky for Wooster, Ms. Cicala found her way back to here as part of the faculty, as an Advancement Intern and as the Middle School/JV Volleyball Coach.

As a student, Ms. Cicala was the Student Ambassador Prefect which sparked an interest in the business side of education and administration. Instead of doing the tours this time around, she now gets to help organize them and even run some aspects of the instagram accounts. She says that being back has been amazing, and that getting to see old teachers and reconnect with them has been her favorite part.

Tess and her friends in a WiNK promo photo in 2016

Since she is now faculty, she is allowed to call old teachers by their first names which she says felt a little weird at the beginning of her job. Now it is getting much easier since she feels like they are peers and she fits right in.

Ms. Cicala played on the Varsity Volleyball Team while she was a student here and now she is coaching the JV Volleyball Team. Now that she is watching the varsity games instead of playing in them, she saw how seriously this year's team takes things versus her silly team that didn't take things as seriously. At college, Ms. Cicala never wanted to play competitively but every year brought her wooster volleyball with her in case she decided to play on the intramural team or just for fun. Also, Ms. Cicala was a captain of the varsity lacrosse team her senior year, and was given the Coaches Award at the end of the season. She and Ms. Thaler, and her teammates, actually predicted that one day she would come back and work and coach at Wooster.

Tess and the Varsity Volleyball Team in 2016 (she now coaches with then-and-now volleyball coach, Jeff Carone)

It's also nice to hear that everyday, Ms. Cicala and some of her fellow Wooster teammates/classmates talk, and they hang out together during the summer or on the weekends.

When asked to share some advice with this year's senior class, Ms. Cicala wants you all to remember to keep an open mind about everything, even if it might seem scary and to always be accepting of new people or new things.