By Flavianna Hawley

AT THE start of a new school year, there are always dozens of changes that take place, whether they are in the form of faculty, students, or anything in between. This year, one of these changes happens to be in administration, with the introduction of three new assistant principals to Granger. Mr. Beck, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Neilson are all excited to be part of the Granger community and were eager to share their opinions on the school.

“I really like this age group,” Mr. Beck, who worked at Cyprus High as an assistant principal for four years, said. “Some people think it sounds crazy, but I enjoy working with teenagers.” He said that the large amount of students at Granger is a sharp contrast to the amount of kids at previous schools he worked at, but he still looks forward to getting to know students and learning what he can about them.

Mr. Anderson shared a similar belief when it comes to students. He went to Granger as a teenager, and while he served as assistant principal of Cottonwood High for five and a half years, he understands what it means to be a Lancer and has many ties to the community.

“I want to make sure kids know two things about me: one, that I’ll do whatever I can to help them, and two, I expect them to fulfill their end of the bargain, meaning they get to class on time, are respectful to teachers, and take school seriously,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of graduation, and, as a BYU graduate himself, said that having high expectations of students and giving them a positive atmosphere to learn in helps them on their way to college. Attendance is also an important part of maintaining good performance in school, and the assistant principals are expected to enforce it as much as possible.

The biggest topic for the three new administrators, however, was pride in this school. “I hope to help kids feel a sense of pride about being here, because this is a really cool place,” Mr. Neilson, the intern assistant principal, said. Like Mr. Beck, he previously worked at Cyprus High School, and is eager to be part of Granger’s team this year.

Past years of teaching in Special Education, as well as coaching and scorekeeping at other schools, are two things he believes are assets when joining Granger as an administrator. He has worked closely with Mr. Beck for years now, and the two will no doubt continue this collaboration as they tackle a new beginning at Granger. As for Mr. Anderson, teaming up with teachers and getting to know students is a main goal.

All three administrators agreed that an impressive staff and diverse student body help make Granger a special place. “It’s like our creed says, our diversity makes us such a great group,” Mr. Neilson said. It is this thought in mind that pushes the new assistant principals forward into a new and promising year.