Mrs. Kristina Cudgma, an experienced Speech and Language Pathologist and Senior Class Advisor, has been teaching at EHHS for twelve years. She works with students who require additional support with their receptive or expressive language skills. With younger kids, speech and language pathology is more about articulation, which is how people are actually producing sounds. Since she is working with older kids, she also focuses on how they use their language socially. In the Transition Academy at EHHS, Mrs. Cudgma works with students to teach them social language, interview skills, and job skills to prepare them for the real world. She’s got 12 years of experience at EHHS, and 3 years prior at a hospital in New Britain.
Aside from being a Speech and Language Pathologist, Mrs. Cudgma is the class of 2026 senior advisor who manages events like fundraisers, homecoming, prom, senior trip and luncheon, graduation, and more. She works alongside Mr. Neil Merola, science teacher and the senior class co-advisor, who describes Mrs. Cudgma as a, “Life Saver.”
This year is the third year in a row that she’s been a senior advisor. The first time she was a class advisor, Mrs. Cudgma and English teacher, Ms. Caturano, worked together. This year and last she stepped in after previous advisers left during the year. Her main roles as the class advisor are keeping things on record and organizing senior activities like prom and the senior trip. Mr. Merola focuses on the communication aspect. He contacts venues, staff, or students when needed, and speaks to people on Mrs. Cudgma’s behalf.
Being both a SPL and class advisor, the pressure rises as the year goes by and many senior events happening close together approach. Mrs. Cudgma says, “This time of year it gets really busy. It’s a little stressful but it’s manageable.” Mr. Russell and Ms. Pompano, EHHS assistant principals, also help out. Mrs. Cudgma is not alone in her tasks but her hard work does not go unnoticed! Diana Melnyk, the Class of 2026 Treasurer, describes Mrs. Cudgma as super organized, thoughtful, and understanding and considerate. Mr. Merola describes her as charismatic, fun, and laid back while knowing how to get the job done. Mrs. Cudgma enjoys working with and meeting different students. She always gets their name and tries to match a face to a name. She says, “I really like working at the high school. I like interacting with you guys.”
Outside of school, Mrs. Cudgma has two young children and a husband. She’s very family-oriented and often volunteers at her children’s schools. She and her family enjoy traveling as much as they can and during the summer, she works as a travel agent. Mrs. Cudgma started working as a travel agent last year and focuses on the job while she’s not working as a teacher during summer break. She has exceptional organizational skills and her ability to work proficiently in all of her jobs speaks volumes about her. Mrs. Cudgma is a hardworking teacher that always gives her best efforts to the EHHS community and her loved ones.
