Goodrich- Stephanie O’Dea must be a good sport.
In one day O’Dea went from being Oaktree Elementary principal to the Goodrich High School assistant principal in addition to taking over the duties of the district’s athletic director next year’a move she’s ready to accept.
‘I’m very excited to start my new job. I love all kids, but I especially enjoy working with teenagers,? she said. ‘I think it’s very important for teenagers to have appropriate role models in life.?
Over the next year she will slowly replace the current athletic director, Al Martus, as he eases into retirement. Martus’s pay and responsibility as athletic director will decrease by 25 percent each semester. O’Dea will also switch roles with Michael Ellis, who will now become the Oaktree Elementary principal. The changes became effective Aug 24 following approval of the school board.
‘It was just a natural move, what with my secondary background and Mike’s experience as an elementary level teacher. The switch will play on both of our strengths as educational leaders,? said O’Dea.
O’Dea was not always on the fast track to becoming an assistant principal for a high school. In college she majored in biology and minored in chemistry, aspiring to become a doctor. Soon after she graduated, however, she got a teaching job in Cheboygan as a biology and life science teacher. O’Dea then transferred to the high school in 2005 to become their freshman biology teacher. O’Dea went back to school to receive her masters in educational leadership, which she finished in 2007.
In the fall of 2008, when current Goodrich High School Principal David St. Aubin was deployed to Iraq and Ellis, the assistant principal at the time, moved up to take over his position, O’Dea was the first choice to temporarily take the responsibility of assistant principal.
O’Dea not only has had prior involvement with being an assistant principal, she also has great experience with taking over the job of athletic director. She had an internship with retiring athletic director, Al Martus, in 2006, where she gained a great understanding of what the job requires. O’Dea has also coached basketball, volleyball and track in the district and in Cheboygan and has helped put on many volleyball tournaments with Al Martus since she has been in Goodrich.
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