by Madi Short/Staff Writer

A vital staff member and teacher of GCHS is William Henderson, or as some students and staff know him, Sarge. Mr. Henderson, before he ever became a teacher, was in the military, and decided after seeing the amount of soldiers who hadn’t been prepared for life out of high school, to become a teacher. “When I was in the Army, I saw so many soldiers come into the Army that were not prepared for life after graduating high school. Many of these young soldiers lacked firm, fair and consistent role models and leadership in their lives. I thought I could assist in helping the youth of our society become more prepared for life after they leave the protection of their parents’ home.”

    Mr. Henderson has many great stories and memories with other staff, including Mr. Will Bolden and Mr. Eric Robertson. When asked what was your best memory of Mr. Henderson, Mr. Robertson replied, “When he interviewed me for a job in my driver’s education office some 10 years ago.”

    Mr. Henderson’s advice to teenagers would be, “The concept of working hard is a fallacy. You should strive to work smarter. Hard working people fail every day because they do not accomplish their goal, mission, or job. Working smarter will allow you to maximize your time and allow you to find a healthy work life balance.” 

    Many people learn from Mr. Henderson, and that includes students and staff. Mr. Bolden described some of the things he learned. “I’ve learned several things from Mr. Henderson. A lot of those things stem from his direction for a new teacher: how to set up Google Classroom, structuring lessons, communication with parents and students, connecting with students, etc.” Mr. Roberson, though he did not get into detail, stated he has learned many things from Mr. Henderson, however many he couldn’t put into writing or discuss.

    Mr. Robertson, when asked what he thought Mr. Henderson’s greatest quality was, he stated, “His care and compassion for all; he truly cares about everyone.” Mr. Bolden shared a similar thinking, as he said, “Connecting with students and communication.” Another similar statement from Mr. Robertson and Mr. Bolden was when asked what their favorite thing about him was, Mr. Robertson replied, “He is so funny. His one-liners are the greatest ever.” Mr. Bolden replied, “His no nonsense approach but it’s paired with a sense of understanding and humor.” 

    Family means a lot to Mr. Henderson. When asked what his inspiration was, Mr. Henderson said, “My wife inspires me. She inspires me to be the best I can be.” The greatest advice he’d ever received was, “to marry my wife. My father gave me that advice and like most advice he gave, he wasn’t wrong.” And when asked about his greatest accomplishment, Mr. Henderson replied, “Being a father to two outstanding young men. I have held a lot of titles in my life, but none as great as Dad.”

    In addition to family, students mean a lot to Mr. Henderson as well. Mr. Henderson has learned a lot from teaching, having said, “First, my students taught me how to be a better parent (I will always be grateful for that). Also, that every student is not the same because they all have different challenges, backgrounds, and support systems. However, all students require the same four things: A positive role model, to be protected from harm, to be treated with respect, and to be loved unconditionally regardless of their faults.”

    A feeling Mr. Henderson will never forget while  teaching would be, “watching a student graduate that many thought wouldn’t and knowing you played a part in that change.”

    From the military to teaching, Mr. Henderson shared his thoughts on the difficulty of switching from one to the other. “Initially it was hard, yes, but not as hard of a transition for many of my peers who become teachers. I was fortunate enough to start my teaching career at the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Childrens Home in Knightstown where I was an Army JROTC instructor. I left the Army on Friday and started teaching on Monday and I still wore a uniform. The structure at the home was much like the military. It was a lot like training soldiers except for they had not been to basic training.”

    On another military note, Mr. Henderson, when asked if he could do anything else, what would you do, he stated, “I believe I am exactly where I am meant to be.  However, if I had to do something else, I would have become a Transitional Assistance Program Counselor for Veterans. I know how difficult it is to transition from the military. I have always had a desire to serve others, and this would allow me to assist our heroes’ transition into the next phase of life.”