Meet the staff of Kentucky Teacher
Joe Ragusa grew up in the Chicago suburbs and originally moved to Kentucky in 2019 to continue pursuing his TV news career. Ragusa has spent the last decade working in journalism, most recently as a political reporter for Spectrum News 1 Kentucky. Before that, he spent time in southern Illinois working as a TV and radio reporter. He graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2012 with a degree in Radio/TV journalism and a minor in political science. Outside of work, he loves going to concerts around Louisville and following all his favorite sports teams from Chicago.
Wallace Caleb Bates grew up in Shoulderblade, a rural community in Breathitt County. He is a Breathitt High School graduate and holds an associate’s degree from Hazard Community & Technical College. Bates is currently studying communications at Eastern Kentucky University. He is a steadfast supporter of public education stakeholders. He also serves as a school communication coordinator with Aspire Appalachia, Inc., and is a former employee of Highland-Turner Elementary (Breathitt County).
Cassidy CornettCassidy Cornett grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky. She was homeschooled and holds a bachelor’s degree in strategic communications from Boyce College in Louisville. In the summer of 2022, she joined the KDE communications team for a two-month internship. She is thrilled to be invited back this year for another summer internship. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, playing video games and visiting zoos around the state of Kentucky.