Faces of FOSS: Casey Fogerty

Casey Fogerty
Director of Field Operations, Missouri Region

How long have you worked for FOSS?
I’ve been with FOSS since June 2012, a month after graduating from Taylor University and a month before I got married.

What is your favorite part of working for FOSS? 
Enriching people’s lives and having my own life enriched! Whether it’s causing a hesitant swimmer to laugh and forget about their fears, helping an instructor advance their skills and career, or just make a family smile as they enter our doors for lessons, I count it an amazing gift to do this work every day. They even pay me for it!

What is your favorite FOSS story?
I recall a preview lesson with a too-cool-for-school 12-year-old who did not want to be there. His mother was determined to get him into lessons to improve his skills, but he had objected all the way into the building. I asked him to just show me what he could do and we would be done. After encouraging him and complimenting his abilities with each stroke, he asked his mom if he could join a swim team on his way out of the pool. He did swim with us and eventually graduated from our program, swimming the 300-yard Freestyle milestone enthusiastically. A little encouragement went quite a long way!

What is your favorite level to teach and why?
I love teaching Little 1’s because they are hilariously unscripted, unfiltered, have the MOST potential for growth.

What is your favorite skill to teach and why?
I will never tire of teaching Water Adjustment skills to the young ones. There’s so much creativity involved and so many laughs to be had from just goofing around with some cups and a holey bucket!

Can you recount a student of yours who experienced a major breakthrough moment when you were with them?
I remember a tough 3-year-old girl who told me I have a big nose the first day of class and swore she would never listen or swim or get her face wet. She eventually gave in and learned to swim independently without even realizing it (we were just co-princesses on a quest to free a frightened prince fishy-pants, not swimming, of course!) Her mother and I exchanged looks of disbelief as her confidence took over!

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