Who’s the Bright, Friendly Face in the Hall?
Updated: Oct 6
By: Gia Killilea
Mrs. Carah Casler is a jubilant, compassionate teacher who truly cares about her students. As Watkins Memorial High School's German teacher, Mrs. Casler is the smiling face you see in the hallway; you will often hear her saying, “Good morning!” or “How is your day?”
Mrs. Casler is an enthusiastic, joyful teacher who makes her job not just about teaching German, but also about teaching life lessons. This year marks Mrs Casler's 35th year of teaching, and her 7th year teaching German here at WMHS.
She grew up in Tiffin, Ohio. Tiffin is a small town located 1 hour and 56 minutes northwest of Pataskala. Her father was a mathematics professor, and her mother was a talented craftsperson. She grew up with a sister and a brother.
Her mother wanted her to experience the world and get out of her small town, so she encouraged her to sign up for an exchange program to step out of her comfort zone. During her sophomore year of high school, she was assigned to a school in Hannover, Germany.
When asked, “How was your first exchange year?” Mrs Casler described her first
exchange year as “having a massive impact” on her life. She says she returned to the U.S. with a renewed interest in German.
Mrs. Casler’s exchange year had such a large impact on her that she decided to double major in German and History at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. After 2 years at Allegheny, she decided to do another exchange program and went to Philipps Universität Marburg in Germany, where she spent a year studying and finishing her degrees.
Once she graduated, she got a job at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus, teaching Russian and Ukrainian immigrants English. She also taught at Hocking College for one year. Soon after that, she got a job offer as a German teacher in Reynoldsburg. She taught in Reynoldsburg for 19 years before moving to Licking Heights, where she taught English for 7 years. Then Mrs Casler came to WMHS, where she said, “Watkins has the best students of my career.”
Mrs Casler has always taken her students' education very seriously. She not only shows this through her teaching but also through her school-led German trips that she plans. Mrs Casler has taken 7 groups of kids and their parents to experience the culture and the beauty of Germany firsthand. When asked why she likes doing these school trips, Mrs Casler states, “I love exposing students to Germany over a 10-day trip; I hope that they will travel back and experience more of it”.
Just this summer, she took a group of students to Berlin, Germany, Freiburg, Germany, and Lucerne, Switzerland. When asked, “If you could tell the world something, what would it be?” Mrs Casler states,”90% of life is showing up”.
Whether it is taking her students on school trips or being passionate about getting her students involved in German, Carah Casler is a bright and loving teacher who loves her students and loves her job.
Under the first picture (Mrs Casler on her German trip, summer of 2026)
Under the second picture (Mrs Casler on her German trip, summer of 2026)
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