Renaissance Student Personal Statement

To the Committee,
I am interested in pursuing a graduate degree in the field of school administration. I am

in my 11th year as a classroom teacher at St. Stephens High School in Hickory, NC.

Throughout my time in education I've worn an abundance of distinct hats and carried out

many roles at St. Stephens High School. I consider myself to be a bit of a "Renaissance Man."

Obviously, the most important of these roles is a classroom teacher. Over the years I’ve grown

from a roving 22 year old who only taught regular World History into one of the most tenured

staff members in the building. Interestingly enough, during my first Homecoming I suffered a cut

on my head playing a carnival game. The school nurse mistook me for a student

Currently, I teach regular,

honors, and AP classes. In addition, I have taught most of the social studies classes that we

have to offer and have a good rapport with students and staff alike. However, I’m too old to be

mistaken for a high school student these days. As time passed, I continued to mature in the

teaching profession. I served on the BLT where I was able to get a glimpse into the inner

workings of school improvement and play a pivotal role in instructional planning and execution

at the school level. One of the most exciting aspects of my day is being a team member of the

bus duty crew where I’ve been for ten years both before and after school. Over the years, we’ve

dealt with weather, late buses, fights, traffic direction, and all matters of the unpredictable.

Athletically, I’ve served as an assistant baseball coach and basketball coach. Currently, I am in

my 7th year as head men's basketball coach where I am tasked with organization, budgeting,

culture-building, communication, and supervision in addition to the stressful job of coaching the

fundamentals and strategy of the game. Presently, I have the duty of assistant athletic

Chris Penley, my mentor, shared

that the aspect of administration that he relished more than others was his ability to

impact more people on a broader scale as an administrator than he ever could as a teacher.

Consequently, the experiences I've listed previously have provided me with ample opportunity to

observe and participate in numerous meetings, social activities, discipline discussions, and

school level academic decisions. Fortunately, I’ve worked alongside a handful of great principals

and assistant principals who have impacted me greatly as a professional and a person.

Currently, I'm at the point where I am prepared to have more responsibility and accountability.

Years ago, my first principal imparted in me during my second year of teaching that I should

consider school administration. Mrs. Taylor’s simply stated words of wisdom were,“If you can

envision yourself running a school, then it is time to begin your administration degree.” At this

point in my career, I understand what she meant. My long term goal in administration is to be a

principal. Short term, I would like to begin the process of working towards that goal. I enjoy the

classroom, but I am ready to take on a new