PAST:

Antioch Community High School has been here 100 years and has had numerous principals running the school, including current Lakes Interim Principal John Whitehurst.

Whitehurst before retiring in the 2013-2014 school year served as principal of ACHS for two years. Whitehurst was not always a principal at ACHS; he first came to the school as a teacher than later became a department chair and assistant principal.

When Whitehurst first came to ACHS in 1976, he was a budding new English teacher. He found enjoyment in reading and writing, and loved teaching it. He never thought he would become a principal, but when he was offered the opportunity to lead the school, he took it.

Every principal has a different way of attacking and striving to better and achieve their goals at a school. Whitehurst desired to go for a more welcoming and respectful kind of atmosphere. He wanted what was best for his students and wanted to put them in the best possible learning environment. Whitehurst wanted to see growth in the students at ACHS. 

Whitehurst said, “As principal, I hoped to continue to make ACHS a good place for kids to learn and grow. I wanted everyone, staff and students, to enjoy coming to the school and to find it a place of comfort and value for them.” 

What inspired Whitehurst to become a principal?

Jim Corrigan, a former English Department Chair, was who interviewed Whitehurst for his job in teaching. After the interview, Whitehurst thought this school would be a good fit for him, seeing the dedication and commitment the staff showed. He was really inspired by Corrigan and wanted to become the English Department Chair.

Whitehurst said, “I was inspired to become an English teacher and eventually an English Department Chair. I was immediately struck by [Corrigan’s] presence—his commitment to teaching and intelligence, and I thought that this could be the right place for me.”

Whitehurst then started to put his mind into the direction of becoming a leader, which eventually led to his role as principal at ACHS. 

PRESENT:

Bradford Hubbard is now in his second year as the principal of Antioch Community High School. He took over Whitehurst’s post as principal and looks to improve the lives of the students around him. Hubbard was inspired right from the start to become a principal. He started off as a teacher and had the opportunity to work with terrific people.

Hubbard said, “I was very fortunate to work with a couple of administrators who were very supportive of me as a brand new teacher, but more importantly I was able to see the impact on a school wide basis.”

Hubbard realized after his first year of teaching he wanted to become one of the said “administrative role models” to not only the school, but to the community. He saw how much of an impact an administrator can have on the school culture, the students and everyone that is striving to succeed. Ever since then, he began the path to become an administrator and a role model for others to look up to.

ACHS is not the only school Hubbard worked for, but he was pleasantly surprised when he came here.

At a first glance, the outstanding staff and organization of the school really grasped Hubbard’s attention. However, it was the students that amazed him the most.

Hubbard said, “I was immediately struck by how respectful and proud the students were and how they welcomed me and my family into their community.”

He is all about welcoming and helping people feel a sense of belonging. Making students, staff, and others feel as welcomed as possible at ACHS is Hubbard’s number one goal. That goal is very important in a school environment because a school never wants somebody to feel left out or feel like they do not belong.

“I believe it’s very important to reach out to students and be able to get to know them on a personal level, and that’s why I try to be so open with my communications and sharing about my thoughts and feelings because I really believe education is predicated on those relationships,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard is a principal who really wants the student body to participate more, get involved with clubs and help each other out. He wants to get students to communicate more and have better relationships with one another so they can get more involved and obtain that true sense of belonging. Feeling a sense of belonging in a school can lead to a successful life for students as they strive for excellence.

It looks like Hubbard will be sticking around for a while as he said he truly enjoys this school and the community and is very excited to see what the next few years brings.

“I love this place and I really think I have found a home here, and my hope is that I will stay here for a while,” Hubbard said.