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Back when I was in High School, I remember telling friends and teachers that my only career choice would be to "teach and coach." Little did I know, years later what I meant by "teach and coach" was to impact lives and provide resources for that to happen. Upon High School graduation, I was fortunate enough to attend Ferris State University on a football scholarship however, most importantly, began my journey in education. It is during this time I met my future wife, Katie. In 2006, I graduated with my degree in education and got married shortly after.
As with many, in 2006 the job market for educators in Michigan was slim. I attended a job fair and was fortunate enough to meet Tony Steen, Principal at Cibola High School in Yuma, Arizona where my older cousin was teaching. Katie and I never considered moving before meeting Mr. Steen however, we eventually decided to move to a few days after we were married (Yes, our honeymoon was to move....). It was here that I was fortunate enough to meet some great mentors who pushed me into educational leadership. I had the opportunity early on to work on curriculum, design common assessments, teach Advanced Placement courses, and coach multiple sports at various levels. As this work was enjoyable, I decided to pursue my masters in Leadership through Northern Arizona University. It was during this time that we were blessed with two healthy and amazing children, Elijah David and Peyton Genevieve.
After completing my leadership program, we decided to pursue that passion. Shortly after, I was named Assistant Principal at Yuma High School where I had the honor of serving a diverse population of students and staff. I continued to work and gain experience with Freshman Academies, 504 Plans, Special Education, the importance of student voice, collaboratively developed a School Action Plan with the International Center for Leadership in Education, among others. Most importantly, I was fortunate enough to continue to be surrounded by individuals who mentored and supported me. As we moved, most of our family remained in the Midwest and we decided to move closer to family.
In 2013, I was fortunate enough to continue my craft as an administrator at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where I have served as Associate Principal. During my time, I have primarily focused on PBIS and its implementation, MTSS, Alternative Schooling for at-risk students, implemented a School Resource Program, developed a competency based student leadership program, assisted with standards-based grading and personalized learning for students, among others. As with previous stops, I have been supported by those around me.
On July 1st, 2019 I was officially named the Principal of Cascade Jr/Sr High School in the wonderful town of Cascade, Iowa. The school, which serves approximately 370 students in grades 7-12 is part of the Western Dubuque School District.
While nobody knows what the future holds, I look forward to spending time with my family and continuing to grow as a person as well as professionally
