A profile on Ms. Casanova

By Nomtai Kurmi & Mariam Sultani

Ms. Casanova, a dedicated and experienced educator, brings knowledge and passion to her role as a teacher at Oakland Mills High School. During an interview, she shared insights into her teaching journey, engineering insights, and personal experiences. 

With eight years of teaching experience, Ms. Casanova has worked with elementary students and high schoolers. She started her teaching career as a volunteer at Thunder Hill Elementary, noting that she’s “been seeing some [Oakland Mills students] that I last saw in kindergarten, and you all got so much taller over the years.” Following Thunder Hill, she worked for a year at Long Reach and is currently split between Howard, where she teaches digital electronics, and Oakland Mills, where she teaches foundations of technology.  

However, she didn’t initially intend to be a teacher. Her teaching journey began with a background in engineering, where she initially pursued a career, “I really didn’t know what I wanted to do for a job, but I knew that I liked my engineering classes.” However, her passion for teaching emerged, leading her to pursue a teaching certificate and merge her love for technology with her dedication to education. 

Ms. Casanova’s commitment to her students goes beyond teaching them; she strives to leave students “more well-informed citizens and consumers of technology.” She emphasizes the importance of making ethical and informed decisions in a world where technology plays a big role. 

Her previous professional experiences in engineering are fascinating. She worked as a Network Engineer during a period called the “.com boom” when the internet was just starting out, then moved to Universal City, California, and had companies such as Paramount Pictures and Warner Brothers as clients. Interestingly, she interacted with individuals on set “in the commissary with all the other people in costume trying to stay clean because they had to go back on set,” and “even lived in the same building as…one of the actors from…an old TV show called X Files. Sometimes when you open the elevator, he’s standing there, so I have to play it cool.” She reflects, “That’s what made it extra fun, too.” 

Beyond her professional encounters, Ms. Casanova’s journey from a first-generation Filipino American who was a student in the free and reduced meals program to a passionate educator and an exciting engineer inspires and serves her students, showcasing the value of perseverance and the pursuit of one’s true passion. She enjoys watching shows at Merriweather Post Pavilion in her free time.  

She’s an alumnus of Oxen Mills High School in Prince George’s County and is the oldest of four younger siblings. Ms. Casanova is married and has four children; all Oakland Mills graduates. She’s excited to see the teachers that her students and her own children had. She was looking forward to “… say hello and reconnect that way,” and to getting to know them.  

Since she teaches Foundation of Technology at OM, her students use different machines and learn about their parts. Her favorite part of teaching her students about machines is when students say, “I can’t do it; it’s too difficult; I don’t know how,” but once they get to use the machine, they realize they are actually better… When they take the risk and do something that’s scary or raise their hand…” even though they are not 100% sure. 

Ms. Casanova’s journey from engineering to teaching, coupled with her diverse experiences and unwavering dedication, embodies the spirit of an exemplary educator. Her impact on the educational landscape and her students’ lives highlights her profound influence as a teacher.  

Stop by room 507 during 5th or 6th period and say hello and welcome Ms. Casanova!