All Faculty Profiles

Kyleigh Leddy

by Hayley York

Gotham teacher Kyleigh Leddy knew from an early age what she wanted in life.

"In the first grade, I realized I wanted to be a writer,” Kyleigh says. “I wasn't even sure I could fully read. I would make these books out of construction paper and staples and have my mom laminate them."

But, like most writers, she grappled with self-doubt and the need for stability. These challenges often tested her resolve to pursue her writing. She fostered her other interests, keeping practicality in mind, and studied psychology at Boston College before completing a Master of Social Work at Columbia.

She saw the potential to integrate psychology into her writing, a connection that she finds compelling. "The common ground between psychology and writing is so clear to me,” Kyleigh says. “If you're interested in people and stories and what motivates them, that is the same to me."

While the writing seed had long been planted in Kyleigh, the encouragement of a college professor in her creative nonfiction class propelled her forward. In her senior year, she entered the New York Times Modern Love College Contest and won, a testament to her writing ability. In her essay, Kyleigh writes about her relationship with her sister, who passed away in 2014. She found out she won the contest the week of her sister's birthday, a powerful sign indicating she had a valuable story to tell.

Kyleigh expanded on her essay in her memoir The Perfect Other: A Memoir of My Sister, published in 2022, a book that marries her personal experiences with her knowledge of psychology.

Kyleigh has continued to write since then, having her Notes app ready whenever creativity strikes. She says she tries to "stay within the lines of working hours; otherwise, I'll keep writing late into the night."

Kyleigh finds memoir writing challenging because it requires bravery, self-reflection, and vulnerability. And she's aware that this also poses a unique challenge to students, saying she is "super impressed by the people that come into class; they are so talented and interested."

As a teacher, Kyleigh strives to act as a motivating guide. She aims to instill the same confidence in her students that her professor once did in her. "I've often held onto moments when a teacher would give me a little glimpse that writing was a possibility for me, and I try to give my students the same validation that they can pursue it."

Now, Kyleigh is embarking on a new chapter in her career, delving into fiction. “With fiction,” she says, “I find it so freeing and not restrained by facts. I can pull from that bravery and vulnerability but use it differently."

"When I was younger, I felt like I had this secret,” Kyleigh says. “I'd be at sleepovers and say, ‘I have a confession; I want to be a writer.’”

Well, the secret is out.