welcome to kasie sullivan!

We're thrilled to introduce you to our newest staff addition - Kasie Sullivan! Kasie will be serving as our Mills Kids Director beginning in June. We also welcome her husband Bryce to the Riverside Family! Below is a brief bio that will help you get to know them. Please be praying for Kasie and Bryce as they make the transition and as Kasie joins us in helping kids to find and follow Jesus. 


KASIE'S story

I was born in Painesville, Ohio and shortly after my fifth birthday, my family moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania. I grew up with my mom, dad, and brother and we began attending New Life Church in New Wilmington, PA where I truly fell in love with kids ministry and feel like I began training for this kids director role.


My mom worked as the preschool director at our church in Ohio, then the kids pastor’s assistant at our church in New Wilmington, and just a few years ago took over as their kids director. I was always at the church, and although I am not a pastor’s kid, I always felt like an “honorary PK” because of how much time I spent in the church. From a very early age I began helping in kids’ ministry and I never stopped. It became a huge passion of mine and I loved getting to watch all the kids grow more and more in their faith each and every year.


I never had a “falling-out” with God, and I honestly cannot remember the exact moment that it all clicked for me. I had always had a love for God and wanted to do everything I could to honor Him, but one day it all changed, and I had a deeper understanding of who He was and what He had done in my life. I asked Him into my heart and decided to get baptized when I was eleven years old. Since then, I have fully been on God’s team and strive to give Him my all in everything I do.

Part way through my sixth-grade year, our new worship pastor moved to the church and with him came Bryce. We were the same age, so we got to grow up in the same small groups, we were in the worship band as teens, and we even went on multiple mission’s trips together. Over time our friendship grew and before we knew it, we were dating. We grew deeper in our own relationship with each other as well as our relationship with the Lord. I have always said that what makes our relationship so special is that we got to be friends first.


We graduated high school and I was 100% certain I was supposed to be an elementary school teacher. Growing up I played school in the basement and even asked for “teacher supplies” many years on my Christmas lists (I was SO happy to get my “teacher pens”). I went to Grove City College to major in Early Childhood Education PreK-4. I was a commuter because I loved being with my family and being at New Life, but there were some pretty awesome walks that I had around Grove City’s campus from time to time as well.

Bryce and I did not go to the same high school or the same college. Through high school, we saw each other many days throughout the week at the church, and through college we made many weekend trips to see each other. There were weekend walks, FaceTime dates, and LOTS of texting to get us through. After almost 6 years of dating, Bryce proposed in the midst of quarantine at the same park where we had our first date (our Jr. year homecoming). A few months later we were married and moved to Plum, where I started subbing at Pivik Elementary.


I learned about the kid's director position at Riverside and at first, I just thought “why not” and applied, but the more I started to think about it the more I felt like this was where God was calling me to be and I knew God used all of my early experiences to prepare me for this moment right here. I am so excited to see what God is going to do in our life as we begin our new journey and cannot be more excited to be a part of the Riverside team!



kasie's experience

Certifications

Pennsylvania Instructional I: Elementary Education: PreK-4

 

Education

Grove City College - Grove City, PA

B.S. in Elementary Education


Classroom Experience

-Kindergarten

-First Grade

-Third Grade


Church Ministry Experience

-VBS (Teacher, Campus Coordinator, and Curriculum Co-writer)

-Children’s Discipleship (Third to Sixth Grade)

-Coordination of Various Child-focused Ministries and Outreaches

 

Additional Qualifications

-Youth Mental Health First Aid

-ALICE Emergency Training

-Mandated Reporter Training

-Stop the Bleed Training

-Caring Well for the Abused Training

-PSSA Administration Training