VAL-Windham Director, Cathryn Hayes, is retiring in December after eight years at our organization. We appreciate Cathryn’s many contributions and, although we will miss her, we are excited for what the future holds for her in this new chapter.
Cathryn grew up on the U.S.-Canadian border in Massena, New York. It was across-cultural community where educational, sports and entertainment activities were accessed equally between New York and Ontario. Crossing the border was easy. You simply waved to your friendly border guard!
She attended SUNY Potsdam, earning a degree in Psychology. She holds an M.Ed. in Counseling and Human Behavior from St. Lawrence University and a CAS in Educational Leadership from the University of Vermont. Along the way, Cathryn owned and operated Willow Island, northern New York’s first vegetarian restaurant in Canton for 15 years. Cathryn spent 20 years working as a school counselor and principal before coming to VAL.
“I was really attracted to the personalized options available to VAL students and the holistic approach VAL teachers are able to take when developing plans for students who have experienced challenges in their educational journeys,” Cathryn said.
What’s something she learned from our students? “To focus on the future and what can be!”