LifeChanger of the Year Nominee Profile

Cassandra Shannon was nominated by a colleague, Betty Borto.

"I am writing today to tell you about my colleague and truly wonderful friend, Cassandra Shannon," said Borto. "Mrs. Shannon has been an Elementary English as a Second Language Teacher for 18 years. Her teaching style, leadership, and overall altruistic nature have impacted the lives of hundreds at Hillsborough Elementary School and the Hillsborough community. Her kindness, commitment, leadership, and determination make her a true LifeChanger!"

"One thing I can say about Mrs. Shannon is how much she has helped her students and families over the years. Our school is a Title 1 school, and Many of the ESL students in our school are of a lower socioeconomic background. They come from difficult family situations and are not always ready for learning," said Borto. "Mrs. Shannon does whatever she can to ensure the students are ready for learning. She organizes and distributes donations to students throughout the school year, including school supplies, winter clothing, and holiday items such as costumes and Valentine's. In addition, she works with the school nurse and local eye doctors to obtain free eyeglasses for students who would otherwise be unable to afford them."

"She has also applied for and received multiple grants over the years. With these grants, she has been able to buy supplies, fund special projects, and even stock snacks in the classroom for anyone who needs them. One grant, in particular, made it possible for all of the ESL students in our school to go on a field trip to a play and have a pizza party afterward. This experience was truly enriching and exciting for the students, as many of them cannot afford such a trip on their own," said Borto.

"Another instance of how she goes above and beyond is when a new student arrived at our school a few years back. Their mother was a single mom with four kids and no car. Soon after, the mother found out she was pregnant with twins. Mrs. Shannon truly went above and beyond for this student and their family. She was a school advocate and translator for the mother. Mrs. Shannon was able to assist in coordinating gift donations for the family around the winter holidays. In the spring, she assisted in collecting donations for the twins that were soon to arrive and showered the expecting mother with gifts," said Borto. 

"One day that same spring, her student was very quiet. Mrs. Shannon knew that the child was unavailable for learning that day, so she invited her to talk about what was bothering her," said Borto. "She told Mrs. Shannon how sad she was because her cat got loose and ran away. Mrs. Shannon took to social media and located the unchipped cat within a week! She drove the mother and her student to pick up the cat so that they could be reunited! This is the kind of person Mrs. Shannon is."

"This is just one story of many students and families she has helped. She also helped with home-schooling one of our ESL students who was out because of surgery for a good amount of time. As I write this nomination, she is seeking assistance for that same student and her mother, who traveled abroad for the summer and are currently unable to leave the country they traveled to. That is the kind of teacher Mrs. Shannon is," said Borto.

"Over the years, Mrs. Shannon has been a proven leader amongst her colleagues. She has taught several professional development classes over the years. Mrs. Shannon also served as a technology turnkey teacher and taught classes after school to colleagues. She has been a school fire safety captain, assisting in assuring the safety of our students and staff. Mrs. Shannon provides video multicultural Monday announcements to the whole school," said Borto. "She gets students involved weekly and educates the school on holidays and monthly celebrations. She has also served and continues to serve on various committees for the school and is now joining the strategic planning committee to serve the community."

"She is also a pillar in the community," said Borto. "Mrs. Shannon teaches Sunday School in town and helped quite a bit during the pandemic. Mrs. Shannon assisted in coordinating meal deliveries for people without transportation to pick them up. She also collaborated with a local farmer to create a virtual field trip for our ESL students. In addition, Mrs. Shannon participated in the NJTV 'Learning Live' initiative by creating a one-hour-long lesson for ESL students, which aired on PBS in the tri-state area multiple times and can still be found online today."

"Mrs. Shannon is truly a LifeChanger! She goes above and beyond for so many, always lends a hand, and never expects anything in return. She is a wife and a mother of two and still makes time for everyone else. I truly hope that you consider Mrs. Shannon," said Borto.