WOODBURY — Nonnewaug’s new media production teacher believes that she found the place where she belongs: Nonnewaug High School.

“I went many different directions over the years, and I feel like I’ve finally come to a place where my roads merge together,” said Katie Blake, who started at Nonnewaug in August.

Blake began her journey through the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants wishes of children facing adversity, whether they want to go to Disney World or want to meet their favorite superhero.

After college, Blake saw a Make-a-Wish news story while working as a sports reporter. Her love for their mission convinced her to apply for a job. She was hired as a wish manager, helping to grant 65 wishes in Connecticut. She said she realized the more she got involved with families and young children, the happier she was.

While living in Southbury, Blake felt a connection with the Woodbury community. She believes that moving to Nonnewaug was the best decision for her.

“My uncle was a first responder,” Blake said. “I know how much he loved this community and how passionate he was about the people that live here.”

Blake found Nonnewaug through her son, Brayden Blake.

“I became familiar with Nonnewaug because my son was interested in the school,” said Blake, “so we came to an open house last year and we toured the ag program and the school.”

Working as the video production teacher at Nonnewaug isn’t all that she expected. Blake envisioned a typical news anchor desk and making a regular news broadcast.

“When I first came in, I envisioned making something like a morning news or weekly news, but I’m finding that students are really interested in these individual or small projects,” Blake mentioned. “The new anchor desk may work for some schools, but I feel like our students are so unique and special, and they’re so creative, and I like the ability of really building the learning based off of their engagement and what interests them?”

Blake also has confidence that her first few years here at Nonnewaug will benefit her to get a good grasp on the way that students like to learn.

“I have to get to know what programs are offered here, what our students need, and how we can change it,” Blake said. “I don’t plan to make any major changes, but I do plan to start rolling some assignments in next year that will focus on some specific lessons.”

Zodie Smith is a senior in Blake’s Video Production II class. The assignment in her class is to film a video, but there are no specific guidelines on what to film. Smith decided to make a video about the news.

Smith really enjoys Blake as a teacher because “she’s very positive, and she always inspires people to keep working on what they’re working on,” Smith said. “She pushes them out of their comfort zone to do things that they might not like to regularly do themselves.”