A new addition to McIntosh staff, Peter Cassels is a math teacher who worked as a teacher’s assistant at University of Georgia. Before his start in teaching, Cassels participated in extensive community service that fed into his love of service.

“I was on a mission trip with my church and it was a really great opportunity to go to some underserved communities in Roanoke, Virginia, and then North Arlington, Virginia. So in Virginia, I worked at a Feeding America warehouse for a week. And then in New Jersey, I was part of a team that built flower pots for a school for disabled children,” Cassel said.

Cassels believes that it is important for students to work together to support their community.

“Nobody wants to be doing community service alone. You want to be part of a group that can bond together, and that when you’re building something, or you’re doing something, you can talk and you can laugh. So I always say find a group of people, and then find an agency or an organization that needs help, and then all go together. They’ll appreciate the extra hands and the work will feel a lot more fun if you have a group doing it,” Cassels said.

Along with being a new teacher at McIntosh, he has taken the responsibility of being a sponsor of a community service club inspired by his love for service.

“I’m the sponsor for the Beta Club. It’s for students who are sophomore and higher, who have a 3.7 GPA or above, and just want to help out in the community. Already, we’re sponsoring a food drive. So if you have any non-perishable items, bring them to my classroom, they’ll go to a nice home.”

Beta Club’s food drive is just one example of how students can get involved in their community. This kind of service is what brings Cassels joy and as the head of Beta Club, he is passing down this joy to the next generation.

“Community service has always been important to me and I’m happy to be serving Fayette County,” Cassels said.