Steve Gough (pronounced Goff) is the new Lowell High School principal. SNN gets to know him in this edition of Meet Your Principal.
Other positions you have held in education: I’ve spent the past 18 years with Comstock Park Public Schools as a middle school teacher, high school coach, athletic director, assistant principal and high school principal for the past seven years.
How about jobs outside education? I’ve spent the majority of my adult life in education. However, I joined the U.S. Army right of high school and spent five years as a combat medic, three of the five attached to an airborne unit in Vicenza, Italy.
Spouse/children: I have been married to my amazing wife, Tuesday, for the past 21 years, and we have three children. My daughter, Megan, is a freshman at Aquinas College and my two boys, Ethan and Hayden, currently attend Comstock Park Public Schools. Ethan is a freshman and Hayden is in seventh grade.
Hobbies/Interests/Little-known talent: I spend the majority of my time on my profession and my family. I enjoy supporting my children at their various events (sports, theater, band, etc… ). When I do have some spare time, I like to read and go camping with my kids.
What kind of kid were you at the age of students at this new school? I was a focused, goal-oriented kid who liked sports and journalism (I always thought that I was going to be a reporter), but I was a little bit lost when it came to understanding my life path. The military was great for me. It allowed me some time to mature before heading off to college.
The biggest lesson you have learned from students is… Be kind…you never know the impact that a simple act of kindness might have on another, especially someone who is struggling with difficult challenges.
Finish this sentence: If I could go back to school I would go to … grade 10 because I had really awesome teachers who encouraged me to explore my strengths and use them to contribute to the school community.
If you walked into your new school building to theme music every day, what would the song be? “On My Way” by Phil Collins (from the “Brother Bear” soundtrack), because I’m brand new for the first time in 18 years, and it has been an exciting adventure.
