Story by Kaden Bessent

Since first grade Cassi Millican knew teaching was her calling. During one summer as a student at Early High School, Millican was a school bus aide for students in special education. 

“I connected with the kids, and loved being a small part of their growth. That’s what led me to become a teacher,” she said.

Millican just completed her eighth year as the Behavior Specialist at Early ISD. Growing up in elementary and middle school, Millican lived in Texas and Virginia before graduating from Early. She then went on to graduate from Howard Payne and is now working on her master’s from Capella University.

There were multiple educators and coaches who influenced Millican. She said, “My first grade teacher, Mrs. Cannon, at OC Taylor Elementary in Colleyville, Texas was who gave me the vision. Mrs. Beverly Hohertz, Coach Lori Eason, and Mr. Mike Tumlinson were a few of the teachers and coaches I had at Early High School that also influenced me. They pushed us to do our best, but they also made us feel supported and believed in. I wanted to have that kind of impact on kids.”

Over the course of her 15-year career to date, Millican has stayed local to Brown County. She began at Victory Life Academy before moving to Brownwood ISD and eventually went to Heartland Special Education Co-Op as the Behavior Specialist. There she served for the school districts of Early, Bangs, Santa Anna, Zephyr, and Blanket. She has been with Early since the dissolution of the Co-Op. 

As for why she is a behavior specialist, Millican said, “I found my niche in helping students with behavioral needs to shape their behaviors in a positive manner while I worked for Brownwood, and knew this was my calling. Dr. Ross Green, world renowned Psychologist, says, ‘children do well when they can.’ What he meant by that was, if a child is lacking the skills they need to navigate hard situations in a positive and socially appropriate manner, then it is our duty as parents and educators to help fill those skill gaps.”

As for what Millican finds most rewarding about teaching, she said, “Though I am no longer in a traditional classroom setting, the rewards are still the same. Watching a struggling student realize their inner potential, and learn and grow – not just academically, but emotionally and behaviorally, is incredibly fulfilling. Knowing I played even a small part in helping them find success and confidence – that’s the real paycheck of the heart.”

Looking into the future of teaching, Millican said, “Early Elementary Principal Julie Schafer and I are overseeing some exciting behavioral and social emotional programs in development, as well as some community outreach mental health initiatives for Early ISD. I’m very excited to be a part of not only helping develop the academic needs of our students, but also those vital social, emotional and mental health needs. Approaching the whole child is key to truly impactful education. It’s exciting to be part of a shift where Early ISD is prioritizing not just academics, but the overall well-being of students, helping them grow into confident, resilient individuals both in and out of the classroom.”

Cassi and her husband of 21 years, David, have three adult children: Abbi, Ella, and Jayden Millican.

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BrownwoodNews.com will highlight one Brown County educator per day in the month of July, based on nominations received on our Facebook page, for our Teacher Feature series.