There are hundreds of possible jobs that go into making a school a healthy and safe community, especially with modern ideas and issues. There’s principals, teachers, custodians, and more. However, a librarian, or media specialist, does a lot more for schools than you might believe. The media specialist at Edison Intermediate School (EIS), Mr. Andrew Cusumano, does a ton for the school all year round, like running the Student Government Association (SGA), and organizing fundraiser events for everyone a part of the EIS community. Around this time of year, Mr. Cusamano helps a lot with preparation for the New Jersey State Learning Assessment (NJSLA).

With NJSLA testing, Mr. Cusumano revealed that the job was difficult, but it got done. “I’m very happy it’s done. It’s been a long two weeks, and we just have makeup testing left.” 

Two weeks of non stop computer issues, lines down the hallway leading to the media center doors, and he still managed to get every child a working computer in time. The amount of time and energy he put into NJSLA. Seventh grader Liam Washbourne stated, “When my computer mouse wasn’t working he gave me a mouse and it’s the whole reason I can do testing.”

On top of just being a media specialist, Mr. Cusumano does a lot more for our EIS community. Along with Social Studies teacher Cailtlin D’Angelo, he runs the SGA. Mrs. D’Angelo had some amazing remarks about working with him. “He always has a positive personality, always upbeat. He brings so much excitement to SGA, and he is just a pleasure to work with.” 

The two are such a powerful duo within the EIS community and really always make a positive impact for the students, the school, and even beyond that, with all of the fundraisers put together. The SGA President, eighth grader Madeline Yong had a lot to say about the way the SGA is run and maintained. “I can not imagine what the SGA would be like without Mr. Cusumano. He helps organize school activities we do, including fundraisers, school spirit, and many other things. He keeps the whole school informed about the events, and helps us out when we have no clue how to move an idea forward. He does an amazing job at running the SGA. We meet every Thursday morning to discuss school events. He is really organized and he has a lot of good, clear ideas. He is also really efficient with his planning.”

As hard as it is to imagine teacher’s outside of school, Mr. Cusumano has a whole separate life. He’s married with two kids, Mateo (9) and Alessandra (7), and coaches the high school soccer team in his free time. Before Mr. Cusumano found his passion working at EIS, he worked in public relations for four or five years at a medical company. As much as Mr. Cusumano loves his job, his dream job is something completely unrelated to education and computers. “If I wasn’t involved in education, I would probably own an Italian restaurant. I also would have loved to be a sports commentator or writer,” Cusumano disclosed.

Lastly, Mr. Cusumano leaves a lasting impression much more meaningful than a repaired Wi-Fi error. He develops and creates relationships within the student body daily. He does this in many ways; fun conversations, bonding over books, and fun activities. Sixth grader Audrey Sewald exclaimed, “I like the boo grams because they are fun to give to your friends, and I feel really happy when I receive them.” 

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