So in the beautiful sunshine today i felt the need for another 4 hour jaunt. I ended up on some roads I have never been on, or it has been a great while. My journeys took me down to my alma mater, The Berm. Bermudian Springs High School. The institution of higher learning, where there were more people in FFA & FHA than college prep. BTW, FFA is Future Farmers of America & FHA is Future Homemakers of America. I am giggling as I type that. Yessiree boys and girls, I could not make that shit up.
On to my title. As I stopped at the BERM to fill my water bottles, I noticed my friend and Berm teacher, Brian Oswald. Brian is in the weight room, so I yell down the hall to get his attention. He comes down, we chat, and he says "Greenholt is in there lifting, you should go say hi."
Russ Greenholt started at the Berm back in '83, I believe, when I was a Junior. He started not as a teacher, but as a football coach and STAP (in-school suspension) supervisor. He never taught while I was at the Berm. Later on he obviously finished up his teaching degree/accreditation and taught. He then moved to an Asst. Principal, and now he is the Principal. I knew all of this, and it never ceases to amaze me how wrong I was about this fine gentleman after my brief time with him while at the Berm.
We did the pleasantries of how each other are doing, he asked about Big Boy Pullin', etc... I then said, "You run this place now don't you." He was always a humble dude, from my recollection, and said that he has been the principal for the last three years. I congratulated him on his achievement and how I felt it was awesome. He did not stop there, however. He told me that he is now working through his Doctorate, and has two years to go. He is in an off-site program from Immaculata with 14 other administrators who are local. It sounds like a great program where local administrators with the same goals and passion for education get together to achieve their Doctoral degree.
He obviously had a plan and he has worked it for 23 years now. That is dedication.
If, in 1983, someone would have said Russ Greenholt would be the principal of the Berm and have his doctorate 25 years later I would have laughed at them. This brings me to my point, finally. Russ Greenholt is someone you should model yourself or your children to be like. He started at the entry level of the education ladder, and has never settled for the next step that he has achieved. Now at the top, he is striving for yet even more.
My hat is off to you, Russ Greenholt.
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My funny Greenholt story. My SR year Russ was the Vice Principal. I had a knack for getting caught sucking face/grappling with a chickie or two.
First time I got caught I was issued the dreaded “pink slip”(by none other than Dixon) and sent to the office. I was told the next time was an automatic three day suspension. Whatever.
Two days before the Districts meet for Track I succumbed to my hormones and got nabbed a second time. This time Geist got me.
Next morning I was called to Russ’s office and told why I was there. Shit, I’m toast. He had a stack of pink slips and told me if he found my name in that stack besides the freshly issued offense I would be history. I sat there knowing full well my name was in there and he went thru that stack one by one. Must have taken 5 minutes. And he never “found” that other slip. He told me to knock off my habit and get back to class.
I was too dumb to realize it right then and there but Russ let me skate. I was able to run Districts. He must have really enjoyed watching me turn pale waiting for him to find that slip. Good guy. Much respect for all that he’s accomplished.
Now, where do we start with The Berm’s favorite gym coach? Oz
Why am I NOT surprised that you had this sucking face/groping thing going on in high school? Glad to see you've changed.....
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