I grew up in Holland, Michigan with my parents and younger brother. I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a bachelor's degree in Elementary and Middle School Education (Comprehensive Science and Arts for Teachers) and Special Education with certifications in Emotional Impairment (ED) and Cognitive Impairments (ID). I worked for 6 years at a charter school in West Michigan teaching High School Special Education. After my mother (Barbara J. Newman) passed away in 2020, I decided I needed a bit of a change of pace. I knew about Rehoboth since I was in elementary school and have visited a handful of times over the years, so I jumped at the chance to help them grow their SALT program and moved down here in 2021 with my wife and son Roland.
In the short amount of time I’ve spent at Rehoboth, I’ve found it to be a welcoming and exciting place to learn and grow as a teacher. As my mom taught me, everyone can be represented by a puzzle piece. The green half is all the stuff you are great at, while the pink side represents all the areas where you struggle. Without all of the pieces in the puzzle, it is incomplete and unimpressive. I am thankful God led me to Rehoboth to use my strengths (and struggles) to help Rehoboth include everyone in their big, beautiful puzzle.