Sam Andrew

It is amazing how opportunities come to us and change the course of direction that our life is following. For Sam Andrew, what began as a one-year term has turned into a successful 37 years of teaching in the Highlands School District.

Sam is currently the Curriculum Manager of Technical Education and teaches Computer Graphic Design and Humanities at Highlands High School. After completing undergraduate work at IUP and his graduate work at Ohio University, Sam worked for the National Teachers Corporation. He also traveled to places such as Belgium and the Netherlands and studied art education. His initial plans were to come to Harbrack School for a year term and then move along to teach at IUP. The community and school support of the arts as well as his experiences at the school helped him determine to stay. So far, it has been an exciting and fulfilling career; one that he wouldn't change for a minute.

Besides his responsibilities of teaching, Sam is a co-sponsor for the prom and has been in charge of the school's musicals for seventeen years. And, up until last year, he was the chairman of fine arts at the high school. He has used these opportunities to develop relationships with the students and become someone that they can come to for anything. "It takes time to polish yourself as an educator. It doesn't happen in college or in three to five years of teaching. It takes time and you need to get involved. The more involved that you are the more exciting it gets." His mentor, Mike Kensek, told him years ago to always keep his door open to the students and welcome anyone that walked through those doors. This practice certainly has made a difference in his teaching career.

The biggest change that Sam has seen in the past 37 years in education has been the effects of technology. You can do so much more, faster and better than you could do and it is continuing to change every day. There are so many options opening up with online education. Schools will be able to develop and offer courses without tying up resources.

Sam is looking forward to what the future holds for education. He's sure that it will be as exciting if not more than the past thirty-seven that he's seen. Outside of school responsibilities, Sam does some graphic design work and sculpturing. He used to own a sign graphics business but sold it several years ago. He also used to be involved in various community arts related organizations. Right now, he spends most of his time in providing a quality education to the students in the Highlands School District. Sam lives in Natrona with his wife Rebecca.