New Role, Familiar Face: Meet The MAS Leader — Ceema Guyadeen, M.Sc.

This week we’re shining the spotlight on an MAS team member who spent the past three years guiding eighth-graders through complex texts and persuasive essays, and as the 2025-2026 school year gets underway, is stepping into a new position as our Secondary School Reading Coach / Instructional Leader. As she steps into her new role coaching colleagues and developing curriculum for every reader and writer in grades 5-8, this team member reflects on her journey from a rural village in Trinidad and Tobago to a leadership seat at MAS, and the lessons she carries forward. Meet Ceema, in her own words…

MAS: Many in our community know you as an eighth-grade English Language Arts (ELA) teacher, but you’ve worn a few hats here. How has your MAS career unfolded so far?

MS. GUYADEEN: I joined the team in July 2022 and spent my first year on the Yale campus, teaching eighth-grade English Language Arts. The following year I moved to the Old Coors campus, where I’ve taught eighth grade for the past two years. Those classrooms gave me an up-close view of MAS culture, which is grounded in high expectations, relentless data analysis, and deep relationships with students and families. Beginning this July, I’ll transition from full-time classroom teacher to the ELA Lead for our secondary students, supporting and coaching our entire ELA team while still staying closely connected to students.

MAS: Your resume shows an impressive academic climb. Can you walk us through it?

MS. GUYADEEN: Teaching was spoken into my life. My grandfather, during Sunday visits in our small rural community in south Trinidad, would tell me, “You will become a teacher and help your parents.” Those words took root. I earned a Diploma in Education from Corinth Teachers’ College in 2006 and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. Curious about global systems, I completed a Bachelor of Science in International Relations at the University of the West Indies (UWI) in 2015. Most recently, in 2020, I finished a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership and Management, also at UWI. Each degree sharpened a different lens: pedagogy, policy, and leadership.

MAS: You recently completed MAS’s Aspiring Leadership Program. How did that experience prepare you for your new role?

MS. GUYADEEN: The Aspiring Leadership Program was an immersive mentoring journey built around MAS’s core values. I interacted with experienced leaders who pushed me to connect every decision to our mission and to see each classroom challenge as an invitation to refine my practice. We dissected real data, modeled coaching conversations, and were continuously reminded that true leadership is service that involves removing barriers so teachers can teach and students can learn. Just as important, the program cultivated a relentless desire to learn: every reflection, every reading, and all the feedback reinforced that improvement is a daily, deliberate choice. By the end, I not only had new tools for instructional leadership but also a renewed sense of purpose and the courage to improve my pedagogy, knowing MAS will keep nurturing my growth as I nurture others.

MAS: What motivates you as an instructional leader for the 2025-2026 school year?

MS. GUYADEEN: Our students sit at the crossroads of childhood curiosity and young-adult complexity. My objective is straightforward: every student scholar will read, write, and speak the expected level for their grade. To reach that goal I’ll collaborate with our exceptional and hardworking teachers to align curriculum, model data-driven planning, and make sure we celebrate incremental gains just as loudly as major benchmarks.

MAS: For someone unfamiliar with MAS, what sets this school apart?

MS. GUYADEEN: MAS never settles. We evolve systems every year to reflect new research and the evolving needs of students. Professional development is constant, our Choose Love social-emotional program threads courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion through every classroom, and we keep college-and-career readiness at the center. At MAS, we pride ourselves in creating holistically well-adjusted human beings who will be productive citizens.

MAS: You’ve called Trinidad home, but you also spent formative years in New York. How did those stateside adventures influence you?

MS. GUYADEEN: My brother was a police officer in the Bronx, so every summer I stayed with him. We made a tradition of road-tripping to a new state: Maine’s quiet harbors, Washington, D.C.’s monuments, Manhattan’s skyline that left me speechless when I emerged from the subway for the first time. Those trips taught me adaptability, curiosity, and the joy of discovering communities beyond my own… qualities that translate directly to a multicultural classroom.

MAS: What is something about you that might surprise colleagues or others who read this profile?

MS. GUYADEEN: Although I love cooking at home, I occasionally indulge in BJ’s Restaurant solely for their Crispy Jalapeño Burger. And yes, despite the seriousness I bring to my role, I’m still the road-trip enthusiast who has logged visits to more than twenty states, with Maine, New York, and D.C. occupying my current top three.

MAS: Any final words for students and staff as you step into a leadership role?

MS. GUYADEEN: High achievement is never accidental. It is the result of purpose, planning, and passion. I promise to lead with all three, and to keep learning alongside you every day.

Please join us in congratulating Ms. Guyadeen on her new position. Her thoughtful mindset and unwavering belief in students will drive our student scholars and our teachers to even greater heights in 2025 and beyond.