At the age of 13, Casey Cuny was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. Cuny remembers his teachers as his source of hope in that difficult time, helping him realize what he was capable of. They inspired him to pursue a career in teaching — to give back and honor their impact on his life. 
 
Cuny teaches 10th grade honors English and senior mythology and folklore at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, California. He serves as English department chair and the school’s instructional coach. He also teaches at National University in the Master of Education program — working with teachers from all over the country. 
 
In February of 2014, Cuny’s article What is the Value of Life? … And Other Socratic Questions was published in Educational Leadership magazine. The article led to district and statewide professional development seminars on how discussion can be utilized to scaffold critical thinking. In 2019, he hosted a Summer Social Emotional Learning Institute with more than 100 teachers from Southern California. He has served as English language development coordinator for a decade and instructional coach for 15 years. 
 
He strives to create an inclusive environment for his students, to teach them the power of growth mindset and to champion their growth as individuals. He uses the synergy of social, emotional and academic intelligence to push students to levels of rigor not possible without this concerted approach. 
 
Cuny earned his Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Arizona and his Master of Arts in education from the University of Phoenix.