Faculty Advisor and Editor-in-Chief Giselle Kendall sat down with Keila Cage, Marissa King, and Casie Mann—the women behind the Be The Change campaign—to speak with them about their history at PHS, what's happening on campus, their hopes for Be The Change, and why it's needed.
All interviews were conducted from February 20-27th. Interviews are shared in edited, transcribed form.
Kendall (to Ms. Cage): Today you were named Teacher of the Year. What a privilege to be there to see that and be part of a standing ovation from your peers. What does that mean to you?
Cage: Oh my gosh, to me teaching is not just about textbooks and lessons. It's about making connections with students. I've always spoken to them individually and in groups, not just about education, but also about themselves, their mental wellness and what to do outside the walls of PHS. So something that I do innately is I connect with my kids. I like to be there for them as a listening ear, and if they're going through their problems, I'm always there for them.
So, being teacher of the year is so humbling because I do realize that there's so many teachers on this campus that are doing so much for our kids. And we just do it because we are called to. As a Christian, I know that I’m called to teach because teaching was not something that I wanted to do all my life. I am glad I listened to my calling and I am very honored to get that award today. I feel very proud.
Kendall: Congratulations, it fuels me just to listen to you. February is Black History Month. What does that mean to you? How do you celebrate it?
Mann: Celebrating Black History Month is about taking the time to honor those who came before us. Throughout history, people of color have made remarkable contributions, and this month allows us to pause, reflect, and recognize their work.
Cage: It means getting people to understand what black culture is. It gives time to celebrate who we are. Sometimes being in a school where you're a minority, you kind of get lost in the crowd and at times, even get treated less than human beings with feelings.
King: I think anytime we celebrate any Heritage month, and specifically Black History Month, for myself as a member of the African-American community, it's a time to pause. We spend so much time in the hustle and bustle of life. Historically, there are a lot of people in history whose experiences have been left in the margins, like in textbooks and curriculums, and also in films and the media that's created. So for me it's a time to pause and to say, wait, this community that we don't talk about enough has done phenomenal things in their time and experiences as members of the greater American society and history. Whether we talk about it from the birth of the United States or the land mass that has always existed here or just to honor them and give them credit for the things that they've done, it is connecting the past to the present. And that's what's really important.
"Turning a blind eye to our history has not saved us from its consequences." — Cicely Tyson
Kendall: Tell me of someone you celebrate, not just this month, but someone that resonates with your experiences and has influenced and shaped you as a person.
King: I would say, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Not to be stereotypical, but he has a special place in my heart because one, we share the same initials, and two, because he was my introduction to intentionally studying people in our society. My grandmother gave me a chapter book when I was five years old. I couldn't read it yet, but I could pick up some things from it. It was the biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It was one of the first texts that allowed me to really examine what people can do to support their community and how to create change in their environments. That has been a steady inspiration for me as I study his life, the people connected to him, those who supported him, and those who were his inspiration to do the work that he did.
I also admire his complexity and his duality. A lot of times, on Martin Luther King Day or during Black History Month, we talk about all these wonderful things that he did, but he was a man of his times. He had a mission that was not easy to obtain. And the more that I spend time studying him for myself, and sharing him with my students, the more that I learn about his life and his journey. It helps to validate all the challenges that most Americans face trying to live life and to survive within American ideals that were established so many years ago.
Cage: First, there's my mother because my mother dealt with segregation. She came from a past where she used to pick cotton when she was younger. She lived in those eras where we were separated from everyone else. She worked in a restaurant where she wasn't able to sit in. And so she would tell us those stories upset because she said, “I can serve them, but I can't sit with them.” So my mom had to deal with that until she was in her forties.
She was my rock. My mom raised three daughters by herself, and when she passed away from dementia, it was hard to watch. She didn't deserve that, I even questioned my faith. But she also showed me how to be strong for my kids, like she was for hers. I got a strength tattoo because it reminds me to be strong for my kids and my students. You get to practice resiliency when life is tough. Coming back from COVID and seeing my students struggling, my mother-in-law passing, my mom passing, I needed to be strong for all of them. So I have the word faith on my hands, and strength on my forearm. I look at them every day and remind myself why I'm doing this. Definitely helping other people is what got me through my pain and grief.
Mann: I have a social justice timeline in my office, and every time I look at it, I’m reminded that it’s part of who I am. I’ve been fortunate to encounter these pioneers in person—like Rosa Parks at a women’s event. That experience was exhilarating and ignited my passion for advocacy. Her presence radiated strength and conviction. That moment has stayed with me.
I also met Tommie Smith while traveling in Monaco. Being around someone like that challenges you to grow and pushes you to a new level of awareness.
Kendall: That reminds me of a question I have for myself with my own Hispanic heritage. How do we go from celebrating one month of our heritage to a consistent and deep awareness of the progress that still needs to be done? What happens in March for the black community?
King: That's my question also and it drives me all the time. I would say that as we move out of any heritage month, to keep persisting in our investigation of knowledge. I think that when we get to a point where we feel like we've learned everything about a group, it limits our ability to connect to one another. Our connections to each other are the key to the progress, sustainability, and survival of all of us. I know that I'm privileged to have this opportunity to teach and have a platform. My goal is to find as many ways to show our interconnectedness, so that we may feel encouraged to support one another regardless of our differences.
"Our connections to each other are the key to the progress, sustainability, and survival of all of us." — Marissa King
Kendall: Why is understanding intersectionality an important concept to show interconnectedness?
![Source: Duckworth, S. (2020, Aug 19). Intersectionality [Infographic]. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/2jy46K4. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2d901d_764c841cdee148539be63fb2fc805afe~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_980,h_980,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/2d901d_764c841cdee148539be63fb2fc805afe~mv2.jpg)
King: In Ethnic Studies we talk about this idea of intersectionality and that there are more than just one or two aspects of ourselves, whether it is ethnicity, ancestral heritage, our religion, or even our ideas of expression, that make us who we are. There is truly connectedness because we are not just one thing. So continuing those conversations will help raise awareness or help break down barriers and restrictions we put on ourselves. If all we have is “knowledge” from the news, social media, or the movies that we watch that may tend to be stereotypical it creates this idea that “Oh, I know this group of people”. Sentences get filled with words like “blank people do this” or “all blank people do that’, and the reality is that you most likely have a connection of some sort to that group. When we not only celebrate our uniqueness but also our common human experiences then we create the world that so many of us say we want to live in.
Kendall: Do you think being biracial is part of intersectionality?
Mann: Definitely. My world is both Black and white—I love and support my family on both sides, each with their own experience’s shapes who I am. But it hasn’t always been easy for those worlds to intersect, especially in today’s culture.
For example, as a society, we struggle with defining what it means to be a “true American.” There is no single indicator of what defines an American. I have white family members who are veterans and Black family members who are veterans—both fought and sacrificed as true Americans. That’s a shared experience.
The key to bridging these divides is communication, education, and respect for each other's experiences and challenges.
Being biracial has its challenges, especially in this current climate, however, it is also one of my greatest blessings. Since I live in both worlds, I can speak from experience which provides a pathway for meaningful conversations.
Kendall: How do we move from celebrating Black History Month to recognizing the challenges happening on our own campus?
Mann: Education needs to go beyond basic knowledge—it requires a genuine commitment to research and understanding the human experience without fear. Asking questions like, “Why was it so difficult for people like Rosa Parks and Tommie Smith?” and digging deep to find the answers is essential.
I take pride in my faith, and this is the same approach that I take when studying my Bible. It requires reading it within its proper context and considering its cultural backdrop within ancient history. I enjoy digging for answers to find meaning in the scriptures. The same approach applies to understanding the complexities of racism and discrimination—it takes time, effort, and a willingness to ask hard questions.
"I enjoy digging for answers to find meaning in the scriptures. The same approach applies to understanding the complexities of racism and discrimination—it takes time, effort, and a willingness to ask hard questions." — Casie Mann
Kendall: What is your thought about the word “woke”? What does it mean to you?
Cage: It simply means to care about everyone, not just a certain group of people. It means listening and empathy for others.
Kendall: It’s an awareness, isn’t it? It’s a deeper understanding that goes beyond the word itself.
Cage: Yes, it really just means being aware of an issue and acting on finding a solution that will benefit the community. It has the power to unify. Caring for others should not be divisive, no matter what the term is.
Kendall: Building a connected community means understanding each other’s struggles and successes. The shared human experience is powerful, isn’t it?
Mann: Absolutely. As a teenager, I started learning about these experiences through literature. Langston Hughes' poetry resonated with me deeply because, like him, I’m biracial. I didn’t fully recognize that part of my identity until I saw it reflected in his work. That realization sparked my interest in researching historical figures, writers, and poets who had similar experiences.
Kendall: Is there power in sharing stories of struggle?
Cage: Absolutely, yeah! I remember our student Sterling interviewing me. As we talked, we began sharing our grief and her and I connected in a way that I didn't know that we would. We cried, hugged, and it had a healing effect. So sharing stories of struggle is what then connects people that have been through the same thing.
Kendall: So is sharing stories part of the educating piece? For example, should we share some of the unwanted and hurtful behaviors that have happened to our staff and students on our campus?
Cage: Right. We need to listen to what’s happening and educate people because it hurts when people say things that are disrespectful. Put yourself in that situation sometimes. What if someone called you or your family, this word or that word? Also listening to what people tell you that you should call them; it’s a basic form of respect.
The word that kids are using nowadays that is very disrespectful is the N-word. We really need to educate our kids on what that word means, where it came from, and why it’s hurtful. And while it is saturated within the culture of songs/music or whatever, it doesn’t mean everyone likes it. So when anyone says, “I don't like that”, it should be respected. And that's our goal in this Be The Change committee. We just want kids to respect each other. Unwanted comments or unwanted behaviors go against the core values of our school.
"Caring for others should not be divisive." — Keila Cage
Kendall: Let’s bring it to the microlevel. What are the challenges that our African-American population is currently facing on our PHS campus?
King: One of the biggest challenges that we're all facing as staff and students is there has been an increase in racial tension. Not just in terms of language, but also in terms of behavior towards students and staff of African-American descent. For example, last year, I had the N-word, the most hateful derogatory version written on my floor, within a week of our class finishing the Unit on Reconstruction which highlights what America was like at the end of the Civil War. We talked about really challenging concepts like lynchings and the challenges that recently freed African-Americans were experiencing. I thought the unit went very well. Students were very receptive, so to have that happen was very unexpected and harmful for me and students who are multiethnic. As an African-American mother, I tried really hard to downplay it and not give it the attention. I think that leadership on our campus did a good job of responding and supporting me.
I know since then, we've had students within the community who have talked about experiencing similar situations over the course of their entire PHS career, which was really heartbreaking for Mrs. Cage and I to learn about, because these students have carried that burden on their own. Through more conversations and subsequently, a student/staff survey, we have learned of other incidents on campus of derogatory language and behavior.
Cage: There was an incident that happened to my daughter in class. One of the students wrote the N-word on another student’s arm. Immediately she knew this was not okay, but students kept laughing and not understanding what this truly was. The conversation began with, “Do you know what this word means? Do you know what it represents?” When students said no and kept laughing at what they thought was a “joke”, then I knew that education needed to start.
It is not okay on a school campus not to know that to dehumanize others with language or actions is wrong.
Also I kept having more conversations about unwanted incidents of the same kind. The use of the N-word, being called a “black bug” as kids walk by, Hispanic, LGBTQ, Asian, and students with disabilities being called other names. So I started thinking, what can we do here, at PHS? I was thinking if my kids went here, what would I want the change to be? I even asked my family if they had ever experienced this? Because when I was younger, I never experienced it. That was way back in the 80s. No one ever called me the N word. So I asked my sisters, did that happen to you? They said no. So why is this happening in 2025?
I have discussed this issue with other Black Student Union (BSU) advisors in the Inland Empire and they said they are seeing the same things happening on their campuses. I could see that some feel defeated, and others are feeling numb to it. You should not take on that burden. I wanted to empower our students, so through our BSU Club we have taken our students to student-led conferences where African-American students share and celebrate their blackness. I have taken students to a Black College Expo where black colleges empower students to be successful. So that was my goal at first.
But the other part is changing our campus. I don't want kids to feel disrespected or unsafe. So we're giving a voice back. When we tell these stories that are more than just disrespect, we can combat it specifically. These are incidents that contain racist, derogatory language, and/or hate speech.
"It is not okay on a school campus not to know that to dehumanize others with language or actions is wrong." — Keila Cage
Kendall: What is the biggest challenge you see on our campus regarding these issues?
Mann: A lack of sensitivity when it comes to listening. People often dismiss others’ experiences simply because they haven’t personally faced the same struggles. Having your experiences invalidated is beyond discouraging. So, listening for understanding is an important step moving forward. There are some students and staff that suffer in silence because their experiences are discredited.
Kendall: It speaks loud and clear when we're saying that the Be The Change campaign is a response to incidents that have been hurtful and more disrespectful than others.
Cage: Yeah, these incidents carry an intention behind it, and it is to dehumanize the person receiving the language or behavior. And so this is a response.
Kendall: What's the impact and damage to our school when these instances happen?
King: The damage becomes this questioning of “Is what I’m doing enough?” “Is the way that I'm teaching effective?”
Kendall: How do you combat those questions? What are the things that remind you to keep going? Because it can be overwhelming and at times tiring.
King: I know that there are students listening who are receptive, and that for others, maybe the change is ahead. I have to remember that I am also up against some bigger challenges, like the media, the internet, and conversations being had outside of our classrooms. And so it's a tough fight to fight.
"When you can’t find someone to follow, you have to find a way to lead by example." — Roxane Gay
Kendall: To change something, there must be concrete steps to do it. What has been the response, in terms of concrete actions to change this behavior on our campus?
Mann: We recognized that these weren’t just isolated incidents—these issues were happening more frequently than we realized. In response, we launched the Be The Change campaign, which directly addresses the use of racial slurs and fosters a more inclusive environment.
Students who felt disconnected or unheard now have a platform to be part of the solution. The campaign includes Advisory lessons focused on education and behavior, encouraging students to take an active role in creating a more respectful school culture.
King: Using some strategies that we've borrowed from other school districts—because this is not a PHS or Jurupa Unified isolated problem, this is a larger community problem—we are beginning the conversation as a part of that solution. Some may want to ignore or avoid it, but that creates more pain than healing. Just because it's not happening to you or you're not hearing about it, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist. I don’t want people to feel sorry for me or our students, what I want is people to understand that is not acceptable to invalidate those experiences just because you didn't see or hear or know about them.
So the first step is to have those honest conversations. Through our PHS Advisory Committee, the Be The Change campaign began. Getting direct feedback from staff and students was key. It began the process of awareness of each other’s experiences at our school, and to address aspects of our shared identity as a PHS community. It began the conversation about what racism and intolerance looks like in our larger society and at PHS.
"Some may want to ignore or avoid it, but that creates more pain than healing." — Marissa King
The goal after that is to find opportunities to build unity, to connect with one another through the things that we all love, like food and music and celebrations because when we look at the histories of all of those aspects in our lives, they are more multicultural than we think they are. Just because you're a member of the Hispanic/Latino community, doesn't mean that there are not African and/or European influences in the ceremonies, cultural practices, food or any other aspects being lived. And that goes for every culture. There are also students or staff who may not biologically identify as a certain race or culture, but they have people in their lives with those cultural supports, like a father/mother, stepfather/stepmother, or close friends who honor and celebrate those cultural practices. It’s important to address the challenges for what they are.
The ultimate goal is to identify the use of unwanted language, not just the N-word, but other derogatory remarks at particular groups of people, educate and communicate how damaging this language and behavior is, and begin to document this behavior for reference and further action. Through the Be The Change campaign and support from our administration and in conjunction with our district, this is a work in progress.
"The other part is changing our campus. I don't want kids to feel disrespected or unsafe. So we're giving a voice back." — Keila Cage
Kendall: What are some disciplinary ways we can support this campaign?
Cage: Well, let’s not forget that there is a law against hate speech. There's an Ed Code in our schools that protects against it. So the question is, are we using these resources that are already in place? Are we documenting properly, under a specific category for reference and for proper steps?
Kendall: You mean, like we have a place to document “sexual harassment”?
Cage: Yes, because systemically, we need to find a way. Ed Code specifically says that we are not to use hate speech against other students and make them feel unsafe. So now when we hear it, we shouldn’t ignore it or block it out because the Ed Code is already in place and now campus teachers, any staff, and even students can use their voice to say, “This is not appropriate.”
That's part of discipline to me, to intervene in unwanted behavior by addressing it for what it is. If it goes further than that, then our administration will take care of it. I believe that it also begins with an apology so that resentment doesn’t grow and healing can happen. I also believe parents should be notified of this behavior and language because if you attend our PHS campus then you must respect others. It is one of our Core Values.
"Campus teachers, any staff, and even students can use their voice to say, 'This is not appropriate.'" — Keila Cage
Kendall: Some of the most powerful connections I've had with students is when I have taken the time to “discipline” behavior followed by a deeper conversation. Some would say that we don't always have the time to do that. What do you say to that?
Cage: Discipline by talking is a powerful connecting tool. You may not have time to do it today, but even if you did it once in a while, it is adding to the collectiveness of “discipline”. I'm not even an administrator, but I just feel like the conversations I have with my students about behavior are powerful in promoting change. Change will not happen unless we address it and we address it for what it is.
Kendall: What concrete steps can we take to combat this issue as individuals?
Mann: On an individual level:
Understanding language. How we communicate matters. One major issue on campus is the use of racial slurs, including the N-word, but it doesn’t stop there. Slurs targeting the Hispanic and LGBTQ+ communities are also a problem. Racism and discrimination don’t single out just one group.
Education. Too often, offensive terms are used as a joke or dismissed as “just words.” But once we educate people on the impact of these words and make it clear that they won’t be tolerated, we set clear expectations for respectful behavior.
Intervention. As teachers and staff, we have a responsibility to speak up when we hear something inappropriate. Ignoring it allows it to continue. When we step in and say, “That’s not okay here,” we reinforce our school’s values. At PHS, we live by the Warrior Way, and this kind of language is the opposite of that.
"Revolution is about change, and the first place the change begins is in yourself." — Assata Shakur
Kendall: Changing a school’s culture can feel overwhelming. What do you want people to take away from this?
Mann: I want PHS to understand that we all depend on each other. If one person is struggling, we can’t reach our full potential as a community until we lift them up. That’s why I have this quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in my office that says:
“We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” When I succeed, you succeed.
Kendall: Thank you all for chatting this morning; what a refreshing and energizing conversation.
I am really proud of the work that you and many others are doing in making our campus a welcoming place for all and upholding our school’s vision: Pursuing excellence in learning and character within the Patriot Community.
Get to Know the Team Behind The Change
Keila Cage - Teacher of the Year 2024-2025
Keila Cage started at Patriot in 2011 as a Triple teacher. This intervention program was offered to students from the middle school who were struggling academically. She taught and developed the curriculum for the intervention math courses at the district level.
After four years, she joined the PHS staff in the AVID program. Under the mentorship of Ms. Biggs, she became her co-coordinator due to her passion for the program. She has taught 10th Grade AVID, and currently teaches eleventh grade AVID. She has been an AVID Coordinator for 9 years. She loves teaching math intervention classes because she is really good at connecting with students that struggle in math and loves those “aha” moments. She currently teaches Math 2 and 3.
She has been on the advisory committee since its inception and has joined the Week of Welcome Committee, which aims to have every PHS student feel welcomed the first week of school.
She is also an advisor for the BSU Club on campus and this year, started the Be the Change Committee because of some of the incidents that have taken place on our campus.
Marissa King
Marissa King attended and graduated as a student from Patriot High School. During her high school years, she excelled in academics and was part of the Volleyball and Track team on campus, as well as other clubs. Marissa began her PHS career by coaching along with her dad, Coach King, on the track team, since 2016. This is one of her favorite things to do because she learns every day from him as an amazing coach. She became a resident sub on campus in 2018.
She currently teaches US history, has taught Ethnic Studies Foundations, which she helped fine tune through a district committee. She teaches Mexican-American Chicano Studies as a single semester class (not to be confused with Mrs. Fuentes's year long Chicano Studies Dual Immersion class), and has taught the Ethnic Studies Seminar Course, which is a course that was designed by the ethnic studies committee.
She is very intentional about how she teaches all of these courses to make sure that she is including all students in the room, the local histories, and advocating to share the stories of what it means to be an American at various time periods.
She is also a member of the African-American parent advisory council (AAPAC) at Stone Avenue Elementary. As a parent of a TK student at Stone, she wasted no time getting involved as a parent to make sure she uses her teaching background, her passion to continue to educate the community on the African-American experience, not only in our district, but in the history of our society and our country.
She is currently a BSU advisor on our PHS campus.
Casie Mann
Casie Mann has served at PHS since the school opened in 2007. She spent the first eight years as a Physical Education Department teacher and Head Track Coach. She continued her PHS journey by obtaining a counseling degree and for the last 10 years has served as a Student Management and Accountability (SMA) counselor.
She heads the Youth Equity Stewardship (YES) Program on campus. The YES organization partners with school districts to create diverse student groups focused on creating a sense of belonging by highlighting student voices on campus. At PHS, she has formed a group representing various clubs and communities on campus. After attending training, she has brought what they learned to our administrators and staff.
One key takeaway was the "In My One Beat" poem—based on the idea that within the single beat of a hummingbird’s wings, there is space to pause, reflect, and create change.
She says: “Our students embraced this idea, using poetry to express their thoughts on unity and awareness. These poems—written in English, Spanish, and more—can be shared at rallies, sporting events, and school announcements. They serve as a reminder that every voice matters, and that real change begins when we take a moment to listen and understand each other.”
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