Mike Huss is the new principal of Ione Elementary School in Ione, California, but this is not the first time he has worked for the school.
The 55-year-old teacher used to be a part of the school’s workforce, but he was not in charge of teaching back then. The first time he set foot in the school was as a student in the elementary department.
When Mike graduated from high school, he returned to Ione Elementary to work as a janitor. While working there, everyone around him saw that he was good at interacting with the students and people in the school.
Friends and family encouraged him to pursue a career as an educator.
He eventually found the heart to go back to school, finish his degree and teach. And guess where he taught? At Ione Elementary School!
For 19 years, Mike has taught students and become part of their lives. He feels blessed for having such a fulfilling career.
“I am blessed. I truly am and I don’t do anything special. I just show up and work hard. I show up and try my best,” the former janitor turned teacher shared with Good Morning America.
And now, he takes on a new role in the same school that built his character.
From being a student to a janitor and to a teacher, Mike has received another duty and that is to lead the school workforce and student body as its principal.
It has only been a couple of weeks since his assignment was given, but Mike has earned major support from his school district. Everybody knew Mike and people are happy to have him lead the school.
“They give me hugs and say, ‘You’re doing a great job,’ and it’s really cute to see a first grader tell you that. ‘You don’t even know what I’m doing. But thank you very much for saying it.’ But they see me out and interacting so I think to them, that’s all that matters,” Mike shared.
Mike has a lot of memorable moments at the school and they all were part of who he is today.
While he was still a janitor, Mike would often hear teachers tell him about how he had the potential of becoming a great educator.
“A lot of teachers here at Ione Elementary kept saying, ‘You’re wasting your time. Look at these kids. They are attracted to you … and they want to be around you and they learn from you. You need to go back and became a teacher,'” the newly assigned principal recalled.
Mike took the job as a janitor in 1989 so he could save enough for his college education. He also wanted his wife, Karen, to go to college as well.
It was when they had their first child that Mike made the decision of his life.
He was unsure at first whether to follow everyone’s advice but eventually decided to give it a try. Years after that momentous decision, Mike is now the school’s new principal.
“When my son was about 3, I said, ‘You know what? I want to show my son that you can keep growing in life,'” Mike told Good Morning America. “I know he was young but between the encouragement from the teachers on campus and the motivation to do something to show my son [that] nothing’s impossible, I went back to school in the late ’90s to get my teaching credential based on those inspirations.”
He did his best to juggle his job, family, and school for the next four years until he finally graduated. It was an amazing achievement that Mike will always be proud of.
A new challenge he is ready to take on
When asked about his new responsibility, Mike knows he can do it because of the support he has been receiving.
“I really think that I can do this job … because I have the support of everyone,” he said. “I have to try my best every day for them. And at the end of the year, I’ve told many people if the worst thing I say is, ‘I tried my best and fell,’ I’ll try my best again next year and hopefully be even better. And I try to keep that perspective.”
Watch the video below to see KCRA News’ interview with the inspiring principal!
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