Educator Crosses Paths with Teacher Who Inspired Her Many Years Ago

By Kate Anslinger

A well-known fact is that if you’ve lived in Winthrop for long enough, you are bound to bump into a familiar face at a community event or around town. But, this small-town feel spans beyond the local gatherings, and is often felt in the classrooms of the district.

Middle-school math and science teacher, Daniela Foley, is a perfect example of someone who was greatly influenced by a teacher so many years ago.

Born and raised in Winthrop, Foley is no stranger to the district, and in the fifth grade she made her decision to pursue education, thanks to the help of her teacher, Robert Cuddi, who always made her feel smart and like she could tackle any problem.

As luck would have it, Foley would later cross paths with Mr. Cuddi again, except this time, it would be as her colleague at the middle school. The two were reunited and worked together for a few years.

Foley’s father, who also grew up in Winthrop, was the second youngest of 10 kids, eight of whom served in World War II. And her mother hails from Italy. After graduating from Winthrop High School, Foley went on to attain a bachelor’s degree in interior design from UMass Amherst and her masters of education from UMass Boston.

 

If you weren’t a teacher, what type of profession do you think you’d pursue?

If I wasn’t a teacher, I think I would like to do some kind of artwork or creative job.  I also enjoy knitting very much, so I might like to design knitted clothing.

 

Do your students inspire you?

My students inspire me every day, because I see kindness and compassion in them for their classmates.  I think that kids have a very strong sense of right and wrong, and they stand up for each other when they see that someone is hurt.  Kids who try something new also inspire me.  They can be very brave!