Jeremy Stacy to take a leave of absence

After seven years of teaching and nine years of coaching, civics teacher Jeremy Stacy has decided to take a leave of absence to explore a new career.

“Two of my good friends had been in the roofing business in Colorado for the last eight years,” Stacy said. “They moved back to GR and started up their own company, Summit Point Roofing, about a year ago. It has continued to grow and they were looking for people to help them and so they reached out to me.”

According to Stacy, his plan is to work at Summit Point Roofing from this summer through next April, and at that point, decide if it is a field he wants to continue working in. His job there will consist of a multitude of different things, from quoting roofing jobs to establishing relationships with customers and even building a sales team. He says that what makes the company so unique is that he’s starting out working with people he knows and trusts.

“They’ve shown confidence in me, which is incredibly affirming,” Stacy said. “[They] have given me an opportunity to be a part of their success and I can’t wait to get started.”

John VanWylen, the owner of Summit Point Roofing, is excited to have Stacy on his team. He says he was excited when his friend agreed to work with the company, and was impressed by “[Stacy’s] willingness to take on a new challenge.”

“There are a lot of advantages for us [having Mr.Stacy on our team],” VanWylen said. “One that stands out is how great he is at communicating. As a teacher, he’s been a professional communicator his entire career, and part of our process is being able to ask good questions and listen.”

VanWylen added that another advantage to having Stacy join his company is that he knows he made the right decision by “adding another person of integrity to our team.”

“Such people aren’t always easy to find, especially in our industry,” VanWylen said. “But with [Mr.Stacy], I never have to be concerned about how our company is represented in the community or treating customers.”

Principal Steve Passinault agreed with VanWylen, stating that the job seems like a good fit for Stacy.

“It sounds like a good opportunity with an up and coming business,” Passinault said. “Mr. Stacy is a great family man and this opportunity sounds like a good one for he and his family.”

Passinault added that when the beloved FHC teacher told him of his future plans, he was surprised, as he knows how much the FHC community means to Stacy. He knows the kind of impact Stacy has left on students, and the kind of impact he gains from being around high schoolers everyday. But despite the changes, Stacy isn’t leaving FHC completely. Though his new job prevents him from teaching, he still will have time in his schedule to coach soccer.

“I am very pleased that he wants to continue coaching so that he will be able to continue having a positive impact on young people,” Passinault said.

But despite Stacy’s excitement and all the good things to come, there are disadvantages that come with no longer teaching. Passinault, for one, knows that students will definitely miss Stacy’s enthusiasm in the classroom.

“They will miss his passion for teaching and his true dedication to helping students become good people,” Passinault said.

Stacy agreed with Passinault, stating that FHC means a lot to him.

“I love FHC,” Stacy said. “I went here, I coach here, I teach here. We sold our house in Northern so we could move into Central. FHC is a huge part of who I am and I will miss being here so much. I will still be coaching and around the building as much as possible, but not being here all day everyday will be a big change and something I will miss.”

Passinault added that Stacy is a great model for students and athletes, and that the “contributions he has made to FHC has made me proud.”

“He has helped me see the pride that Ranger alums have for their school,” Passinault said.

Through his nine years of teaching, Stacy has left a lasting impact on the school. Whether he decides to come back next year or stick with Summit Point Roofing, the memories of his funny, kind attitude towards all at FHC will last forever.

“I just want everyone to know that this was a very hard decision as I love my time in the classroom,” Stacy said. “Working with the students here at FHC honestly is one of the most rewarding things a person could ask for.”