A former janitor at a California elementary school has become its newest principal. After graduating from high school, Mike Huss got a job as a janitor at Ione Elementary School in Amador County about an hour southwest of Sacramento. He says he could never see himself having a career in education, but others who saw how he interacted with the kids thought otherwise.
Family and friends of Huss urged him to go back to school to get his teaching degree, which he did. He also saw it as an opportunity to teach his own son about working toward your goals. “I wanted to show my young son that if your dad can do this,” Huss explains. “If your dad can be the school janitor coaching youth sports, maintain a good grade point average and become a school teacher, you can accomplish anything in this life.”
Huss has formed a strong connection with the students at Ione and they’ve witnessed first-hand his inspirational journey from janitor to teacher and now principal. He hopes that he can be the motivation for them to achieve their own goals. “I’m trying to help students believe in themselves that they can accomplish great things if they just stay the course,” he says.
Source: NBC Bay Area