Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/706827
2020 VISION 16 L I V I N G T H E L E G A C Y But he recognizes the way in which it influenced him, noting that "these are just two incidents that I remember, and here I am, 30 years later, still encouraging students to treat each other in the same way. I really think it's just part of the DNA of the school, something that's been passed on." Bret found himself so drawn to the Linfield community that only a couple years after graduating in 1988, he returned as an assistant baseball coach, and it wasn't long before the Lord led him back as a full-time teacher in 1997. He helped launch the middle school athletic program, coached, and taught a variety of subjects before stepping into middle school leadership, becoming vice- principal in 2009 and then principal in 2011. Yes, middle school can be an awkward phase of life, but Bret truly loves working with Linfield's sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students every day and recognizes the unique opportunity it presents. "There's this moldable, malleable thing happening in an eleven, twelve, thirteen year old kid, and we have the chance to share Christ and to live into these kids and influence them, not just to help them achieve success in the next year but also to begin to direct where they're going in life." He points out the STEAM program as a perfect example: "Here we are exposing kids to these classes, and I'm sure there will be stories in the future of alumni coming back, saying, 'I'm an engineer now because back in middle school, I took that engineering class.'" In particular, Bret has observed the powerful ways in which experiences beyond the classroom have impacted the middle school community. Whether they're navigating their way out of a cave on the seventh grade Boojum trip, clearing out weeds for a wounded veteran, or sewing together material to create shoes for third world countries, students have a wide variety of opportunities to put aside their differences and come together for a common goal. Additionally, Bret and his leadership team have taken steps to create a distinct culture based on this idea of community, encouraging students to take responsibility and to respect one another, something that has transformed the heart of the campus. For as students have shifted their focus away from themselves and onto serving others, many of the typical social and behavioral problems have decreased, and students have begun to see their place in the larger community.