FEATURE: New Nazareth Area High School Assistant Principal: Wehr Did He Come From?

 by Kaylie Kirkham, junior

They sat around the table - administrators, students, and staff alike - with a knowing look in their eyes. The committee had reached a decision. 

It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but the position needed to be filled. Rosario Amato had left Nazareth Area High School to become the assistant principal at Nazareth Area Intermediate School, leaving grades 10 and 12 without an assistant principal. 

The committee voiced their decision aloud, “Matthew Wehr.” They needed someone with experience, imagination, and passion to fill the position. Matthew Wehr was just the man they needed. 

Wehr chose to apply for the position here at NAHS because of friendships he had already established with some of the staff. While attending graduate school to obtain his principal’s certificate, Wehr had classes with several Nazareth Administrators such as Alan Davis, Mark Madson, Dr. Dennis Riker, and Dr. Isabel Resende. When Wehr met them, he really liked their approach to school and education. Wehr jumped at the chance to work with several people that he respected. 

In addition to existing friendships, Wehr fell in love with the Nazareth community when he moved here in 2012. He felt that NASD would be a great place for his kids to attend school one day, so he decided to take this job to start paving the way for them. “I felt like it was the best change for me and my family and my career,” he said. 

Wehr was not alone in his desire to work at NAHS. Several other candidates applied for the position, but Wehr stood out to all 3 selection committees. Alan Davis, principal of NAHS, said, “Mr. Wehr was the best candidate based on his previous experience, his personality and demeanor, and his ideas for how we can continue to make our school better in several key areas.” 

Wehr left a similar impression on his previous principal at Bangor HS, Andrew Krohn, whom he considers a close friend and mentor. Krohn said of Wehr, “He is a forward thinker who works hard to provide the best possible opportunities for students. [He] is relatable and will work hard to support the NAHS community. Our loss is truly Nazareth’s gain.”

Although Wehr worked in administration for 6 years at Bangor HS previous to working here at NAHS, it wasn’t easy getting to that point in his career. When he was in high school, Wehr focused mostly on sports, rather than education. 

Wehr played soccer for his high school, which happens to be Bangor HS. He even held two records, Single Season Assist and Career Assist, for a time. Unfortunately, soccer wasn’t going to be a part of his future. Wehr ended up picking English Education as his college major. 

Although it hadn’t been his dream job as a teenager, Wehr loved his job as a teacher and took it very seriously. All throughout his many years of teaching, he was constantly looking for ways to improve his classroom. 

“Mr. Wehr was always eager to grow as a professional and never hesitated to try new methods in his classroom,” said Lisa Kienzle, an old friend and co-worker of Wehr. 

“When I was in the classroom, I really cared how kids felt in my class… I was constantly thinking of how to make it better [and] I changed things all the time. That’s what made teaching in the classroom really fun,” Wehr said. 

However, as Kienzle pointed out, Wehr was always looking for ways to grow professionally. In education, there are only so many opportunities to do that. So Wehr decided to take the next step: Administration. 

After Wehr went back to school to obtain his principal's certificate, he got his first job in administration at an elementary school. He was the Dean of Students, which is similar to an assistant principal. He held this position for one year before accepting a job as the assistant principal at Bangor HS, where he stayed for 6 years. 

Just as he did as a teacher, Wehr put everything he had into his job as an assistant principal. Being an assistant principal offered him a unique opportunity to build up not just students, but staff as well, including some of his previous teachers from when Wehr attended Bangor HS as a student. 

“[Mr. Wehr] is someone I trust wholeheartedly and through our interactions I have become a better leader, educator, and person. There is not a better friend and colleague I could have had the opportunity to work with,” Krohn said. 

Wehr built many strong connections during his 6 years at Bangor HS and influenced many lives for good. His friends were sad to see him go, but also excited to see where this new opportunity would take him and how he would grow. 

“Mr. Wehr is a rising star who will benefit the NAHS students, staff, and community. I know Mr. Wehr will quickly show the leadership ability and traits that made him so invaluable [to] us,” said Krohn. 

He was quite right. In the short amount of time since he started working here at NAHS, Wehr has already made a positive impression on the staff members. “[Mr. Wehr] has been very eager to learn our policies and procedures and to get to know as many staff members and students as possible. It’s not an easy task, but he approaches each day with a positive attitude and a desire to learn,” said Davis. 

Wehr works hard each day to create new opportunities, as well as improve existing ones, for the NAHS students. Although he does occasionally have to deal with discipline, there is so much more to being an assistant principal. Wehr noticed that NAHS has many different clubs and activities that students can participate in. A big part of his job is to help those clubs, activities, and school functions get started and running smoothly. 

Wehr has also noticed the positive atmosphere in the NAHS community. “Everybody treats each other like family. [The] teachers seem to be very close with one another and work together. I think that trickles into you guys as students. You seem to get along well,” he said. 

An even bigger part of his role as assistant principal is to help students learn and grow into the best versions of themselves. Wehr gives this advice: “High school is only four years of your life…[so] have as much fun as you can. Work hard… to meet your potential, if not exceed it… That will only set you up for better success moving forward.”

There are no limits to who or what an individual can become, only those they place upon themselves. Wehr has lived by this principle his entire life. He has constantly sought to improve himself and his career. That determination is what brought him to his current position today, assistant principal of NAHS. Even now, Wehr is still reaching higher and hopes to one day become a building principal.

Photo Credit: Sandy Jameson

FEATURE: Dr. Resende Inspires Students

By Allie Talarico

In the top corner above the Assistant Superintendent’s desk is a small sign which reads “Live your life with purpose and intention.” When it comes to her own life, Dr. Isabelle Resende has always been driven by goals of inspiring young women to pursue careers in STEM. These intentions come from a lifetime of experiences working in genetic research and science.

Similar to her own drive as an educational professional, Dr. Resende was first inspired by a teacher of her own. Though she claims she did not meet society’s ‘qualifications’ for being the perfect student-being a first generation immigrant who barely knew a word of English when she entered elementary school- her high school biology teacher instilled a passion for solving problems which were aimed to better society.

Photo Credit: Nazarethasd.org

After graduating from Moravian College, Resende did just that. Dr. Resende went to Maryland post grad to work under Dr. Craig Venter on the Human Genome Project. The Human Genome Project was a decade long venture, discovering the complex and beautiful workup of genetics in the human body. Taking ode to previous DNA studies, The Human Genome Project separated the nucleotides of extracted DNA tagging each sequence, and sorting them into the “book of life.” After the DNA segments were tagged, researchers had the ability to analyze the sequences and detect any abnormalities for various ailments ranging from heart disease to diabetes. In her sector of the lab, Dr. Resende was one of the only females of the dominantly male group, working day and night to bend the stereotype set in place for women in science.

Following the Human Genome Project, Resende moved to further humanitarian work and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, researching Neuroblastoma, an often fatal form of pediatric cancer. Her work at CHOP was long and tedious, as she spent hours upon hours working with other world renowned scientists trying to find a genetic explanation for the cancer. While the work was nonprofit, Resende knew that monetary value was not the point of science. “How are you helping human society?” She asks. “How are you helping your community? Nonprofit work provided help for families to come,” she explained, expressing her gratitude for the work. Dr. Resende and her team were published in Nature Genetics, a prestigious scientific magazine following their outstanding work in helping the families of tomorrow battle through the toughest time of their lives.

By then, Dr. Resende had already accomplished so much in her career, but she felt that she was at a crossroads. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a graduate degree in Biochemistry, she had planned to run her own research laboratory. However, she noticed that while fulfilling, a lab hindered her ultimate passion-human interaction. Now she had a choice: would she go into nursing, a fairly scientific approach, or would she share her experiences and better society through inspiring youth in the classroom? She chose the latter, attending Lehigh University to obtain her master’s in education. From there, Dr. Resende never stopped teaching-or learning. While teaching AP Biology for many years, she earned her certification to become principal and from there her administrative certification.

Looking around her office, at all the things she had accomplished through her career, I asked her what her greatest accomplishment was. She says that it was her ability to inspire several female students to go on into scientific research to reshape the gender game like she had. “It’s all about connections.” She recounts. “And relationships. And how we work together to make that goal.” In fact she said it best: “It’s not about a position or a title. It’s about encouraging others to find your own dreams.”  She made it clear that dreams are not always a clear path. In fact, dreams often change while you’re in them. “I often look around and ask myself how did I get here?” she says, smiling. While her long term goal in high school was not to be the Assistant Superintendent of one of the best school districts in the state, Dr. Resende feels that she is where she belongs and fulfilling her purpose.

Every day Dr. Resende inspires young girls in our district to reach their goals in STEM careers. Through her story, dedication to the community, and willingness to keep learning, she is continuing to spread her message.

I closed our conversation by asking advice for young girls who are interested in careers in science. Her face lit up as if she had been waiting for the question her whole life. “If you have a passion for life, and you’re curious about the world around you, go for it. Challenge yourself.”