nbeknownst to Carrig, this would not be the first time he had met his mentee.
All new instructors at Somerset County Vocational & Technical High School are paired with an existing instructor as a mentor to help with the adjustment to their new school environment.
So, it was no surprise when last year's Teacher of the Year, Rob Carrig, was selected to become a mentor to one of the new Social Studies instructors. Unbeknownst to Carrig, this would not be the first time he had met his mentee.
During the 2005-06 school year, in his World History class at Hillsborough High School, Carrig taught a freshman student named Meghan O'Reilly. Ten years later, that same student has now become Carrig's mentee at SCVTHS.
After high school, O'Reilly went to James Madison University, graduating with a bachelor of arts in History and a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in Secondary Social Studies. She spent the past year in Louisiana teaching eighth grade students for the Teach For America program, before returning to Somerset County to continue her teaching career closer to home.
O'Reilly spoke of how she has already come to enjoy SCVTHS, as there is a sense of comradery she did not previously have in her other teaching experience and her new colleagues have been very supportive. Through the mentorship program, O'Reilly and Carrig meet on a weekly basis to discuss lesson plans, methods, and strategies which has proven to be beneficial to both mentee and mentor.