Cathy Gregory

I’m gonna make this a little bit about me. I have to because Cathy Gregory is my friend. And you don’t know this but I have the best friends in the whole wide world. And it’s not that easy to be a good friend of mine. The bar is set really high. I love Cathy G. Cathy and I started our chapter at Collegiate seven years ago. We hit it off that first week of orientation. Cathy was hired as a part time learning specialist.

Cathy went from part time learning specialist to, now at the end of her Collegiate career, a full time administrator. Cathy has made a difference in our lower school.

How did this happen you may ask? Cathy is a talented educator. She has a true gift when working with young children. She connects with them. She knows just the right way to reach each student. And they love her.

Now that I have been teaching for 100 years and asked for advice - which isn’t often - one of my main points is always this. Being an excellent teacher is not only about delivering the goods in the classroom. It is about nurturing ALL relationships. Cathy is kind and caring with everyone. She is a worker. She always has a smile on her face. She treats all with respect. She likes to laugh. She is fair. She is humble. I know she has won many awards for her work but I don’t know them because she does not advertise. Cathy is fun! She has a rich life outside of school. She has a sailboat, she takes oboe lessons. She enjoys time with her mother, her girls and granddaughter. Cathy has many friends who are looking forward to her retirement!

In summary. Cathy is MY friend and I am excited for her as she begins this next chapter. It will be full of grand adventures! As I said before - she is lucky to be one of my friends? Well let me tell you - I am the lucky one because Cathy has let me become one of HER friends.

– Rives Barksdale