It’s safe to say Teasia Peña will never forget where she was when she was offered her dream job.
“I was in labor, at the hospital, when I got the call,” she said. “And yes, I took the call. That’s when they offered me the position. They were like, ‘We know you’re going to have your baby soon.’ And I said, ‘Well, I’m actually in labor right now.’ ”
The School District of Lancaster was on the line, calling Peña to officially offer her the job as McCaskey’s athletic director back on July 30. In between contractions she said yes, becoming the first woman to step into the role.
She was inducted into McCaskey’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
And now Peña has come full circle. She’s back at her old stomping grounds behind the AD’s desk in the place she has called home for a big chunk of her life.
“Not many people can say they get their dream job,” Peña said. “I can honestly say that I’m at my dream job. I believe this was my calling. It’s McCaskey. It’s where I’ve always wanted to be. When I got the call, I was ready. I wanted to get in here right away.”
After she gave birth to daughter Melia, of course.
Peña took over the AD reins at McCaskey from Jon Mitchell, who was a longtime instrumental figure in Tornado athletics. His fingerprints are all over that office, and so many of McCaskey’s athletic programs and facilities — not to mention Lancaster-Lebanon League wrestling and especially the advancement of girls wrestling as a varsity sport.
He retired earlier this summer, leaving the door open for Peña to come home.