Ms. Kascia Williams teaches AP US History and African American and Latinx Studies at Common Ground. She is also the 11th grade lead, and a guide for members of the Class of 2024.  

Ms. Williams has worked at many different kinds of jobs in her life — from food service, to retail, to working as a site director for New Haven Reads — but she always found herself returning to work with children and young people. Education was something her parents always focused on, which instilled in her a commitment to build education equity from a young age. Ms. Williams believes the best way to fix our broken education system is from the inside, so when she finished her Master’s in Secondary Education, she decided to seek work as classroom teacher. Common Ground was the first school she applied to, and Ms. Williams got the job. 

Ms. Williams is motivated to work at Common Ground because of the school’s enormous potential. She feels like we are good, but we could be really great.  That vision is what has motivated her to continue at Common Ground.

Her favorite quote comes from The Color Purple, “Folks don’t like nobody being too proud or too free.” She loves this quote because it is spoken from intersections she identifies with. According to Ms. Williams, being black and a woman, sometimes people can be put off if you are proud and free — but that doesn’t mean you should stop.

Ms. Williams has varied interests. She is open to doing most things, as long as heights aren’t involved. She loves being an aunt and godmother. She love languages, as well, and learning about different countries and cultures. She is a big fan of Korean entertainment, whether it is K-pop or K-dramas. She loves watching Bollywood and learning the songs. She has been getting into a true crime podcasts lately, as well. She enjoys reading and just making memories with the people she loves in life.

Ms. Williams is a first-generation American; her parents were born in Jamaica, and she loves having a Caribbean background.

This bio is written by Educational Change Intern Jayden Carty, Common Ground Class of 2024.