177. HGSE Global Citizen: Logan Stamey: Recognizing the limitless power of young people

(upbeat music) - Hi there, and welcome to be a Global Citizen, the podcast that explores the concept of Global Citizenship through the lens of value-creating education. My name is Scott Bauer, and I'm a SOCO researcher and educator. I hope you find the discussion, stories, and insights on this podcast to being valuable and inspiring as we strive to become global citizens who are committed to living a contributed life. Enjoy the conversation. (upbeat music) - Hello, I'm Logan Stamey. I am based out of a little small suburban town in Connecticut. And I serve as the grade level, a new position, a grade level dean, for my school, a teacher and all boys, independent school, looking forward to speaking with you today. - Hi Logan, thank you so much for being on the podcast. Very, very happy to have you, and this has been a long time coming. I've been wanting you on the podcast for a while, but we had this master's program that we had to finish up, and that's now taken care of. And here we are, summer mode, and yet you're still making time to be here, to share your experiences as an educator. And I'm just very curious to learn more about what brought you to the work, to being a dean at an all-boy school. I know that a dean ship requires a lot of patience because you are having to really guide them through a lot of different things beyond just even academics. So I think mentorship is probably something that you probably think a lot about, which means you've probably had many great mentors in your life. So this is something that I think will be very fascinating to hear about in the context of what does it mean to be a global citizen as well, the times that we're living. How are you preparing these young people for that future, that uncertain future that we're all in already? So I'm looking forward to this as a very hope-filled conversation, and I'm just really appreciative that you're here. So without further ado, I'd like to pass it over and ask, what brought you to the work of being a dean, and take us as far back as you'd like, in terms of like what were some crucial milestones that were like formative experiences, mentor figures, what have you. But just, yeah, we'd love to hear what your story is. - Yeah, absolutely. Well, I'm glad we could finally make this work with all the different hats and things that I wear and that I know you do. So I'm glad we could make this work. How I got here is a really complex question. I think I was one of those people who I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I can remember. I remember vividly being on the playground at school and elementary school and having my friends play school while we were at school, over the summer, having my siblings sit and pretend like they're in school. So teaching was something I was always intrigued by. At first I was intrigued because I thought teachers lived at the school and slept under their desk or something because they were there when I got there in the morning, they were at left, so I'm just assuming they lived there. So teaching was always interesting to me. And as I grew up, I grew up in a very small rural town in North Carolina. So a lot of people there had this, are still do have this notion of this is where I'm from, this is where I'm born. I'm going to stay here. Some go off to college and come back, some don't, but the majority, most of my best closest friends still live there, so I thought that was my path. So, flash forward to middle school. Middle school is where I really decided what kind of teacher I wanted to be. And it was based off me needing a certain kind of teacher. As I got to middle school, sixth grade was kind of fine. Then seventh grade I noticed that things weren't connecting for me as well, especially in the subjects that I wasn't super excited about, mainly math still to this day. But I noticed that it was getting harder and the material was getting harder for me. I knew that, you know, I had been diagnosed with ADD when I was in first grade or something like that, but nothing really was obvious until I think seventh grade. And I found myself trying not to let other people realize that I didn't understand what was going on by becoming the funny kid, by being the distracting kid. And that's what I did. You know, I found my seventh grade mainly was most of that. And that was most of seventh grade. And then as I moved to eighth grade, my principal really started to take notice of me. His name was Buzz Sims, James Sims. He had a voice that he just spoke in the entire cafeteria, field, whatever we were, got silent. But he kind of noticed me for whatever reason. And he and I worked out long, long stories short. We worked out this deal that if I could go X amount of time without causing disruptions, you know, not doing work blah, blah, blah, then he would let me do, you know, some extra task, you know, like the teacher task of doing announcements or helping check people in, like doing, you know, little things like that. And for me, that was thrilling. That was the what got me like to focus, 'cause I knew that if I misbehaved or, you know, I didn't do what I was supposed to in math or I didn't do my math homework, then I couldn't do the announcements that day or I couldn't, you know, bring this and the cart from the teacher's lounge or whatever little task it was. And then he told me that if I went the rest of the year without any, you know, issues, this was probably maybe right around the holidays, that at the end of the year, I could be principle for a day. And so that, I was like, okay, done, great, this is me. So, you know, I got really excited about doing those types of things. I started having teachers in eighth grade who understood me and it was clear that they took time to understand me. I definitely think I had lots of teachers who did that before. I can vividly see them right now, but I don't think I was ready to really listen and absorb and realize that they were trying to help me until eighth grade. And, you know, Angie Woods is one of those people who I think of to this day. She was my eighth grade English and Social Studies teacher or home-arm teacher. And she saw me really clearly for who I was. She, you know, knew when to push me. She also knew when to like redirect me and how to redirect me and then also how to like, guide me through those classes that I struggled with, especially again, math, sometimes science, but mainly math. Yeah, so, you know, that was my big like, straighten up, realize that middle school was my thing. And after that, that's when I knew I wanted to be a middle school teacher. I knew that based on my middle school experience, that's where I was going to meant to do. I knew I wanted to be a teacher since I was a kid, but again, the type of teacher changed until I hit middle school, you know, fast forward through high school. Still really excited about the idea of being a teacher was then, you know, the future teachers of America club and all that kind of thing. But then in high school, I was also introduced to theater. And my theater director, Josh Scott, was unlike any person I have ever met and probably ever will meet in the most phenomenal way. I find tendencies of him in my own teaching, in my own mannerisms sometimes. I hear his voice, I see the things he would do when, you know, something cool in rehearsal would happen. You know, even how he would like slam on the stage when he was laughing or when something ridiculous happened. But, you know, and then so I found, oh, I love teaching and I also love theater. Interesting. So the unit comes time to get ready for college and you know, I start telling my parents, oh, I want to be a theater teacher, a middle school theater teacher. This goes back to one of the first things I said about being from a rural town in North Carolina. That wasn't really a thing. You know, we, I wasn't introduced to theater really until high school, like our high school had theater teachers, but that was it. So for my parents' perspective, you know, I was the first one to go to college in my family and or at least a four year college and to them, to my parents is supportive and loving as they were. And we're like, you know, most schools don't have theater teachers, you know, and if they do, there's only one. It's gonna be much harder if you get a job when there's only one position versus, you know, a different kind of teacher where there's more options, right? So, I, you know, begrudgingly accepted that and decided that I was gonna focus on English and history 'cause those are the two things that I really like to those two things really excited me and that's where I said I was gonna do. So I went to college, you know, bopped around from one college to the next. I just went to two, but I then realized that that's what I was gonna do. I was gonna do history and English, so that's when I ended up getting my master's degree in or my bachelor's degree, sorry, my bachelor's degree in and then I started teaching. I was hired right out of the school that I'd domestic teaching in. I was very, very lucky. I ended up at, in a bigger city, I had moved to Charlotte at that point. Charlotte, you know, in Carolina, so I was on one of the people who moved out and did not come back, but I really enjoyed where I was. I enjoyed the college that I went to, University of North Carolina, Charlotte. I really enjoyed that and most importantly, I enjoyed where my student teaching place it was. It was a very academically rigorous school. The school district, Charlotte Mecklenburg schools, are, it is very diverse and some, and not always in the best way, but where I was placed, it was a place where high academics, high achievement was the goal and was the push. And so that's what I learned to know. So I spent seven years there teaching English and different forms and different levels, but I loved it. And long, long story short, which this is probably the long way around it, but my girlfriend at the time, then beyond saying now wife, she wanted to move to New York City 'cause that was her goal, her path was to move to New York City, to pursue a career and acting and things like that. And so I decided, okay, we'll make this sleep. And we decided to make this sleep in the winter of 2020, not realizing what would happen just a few months later. So in January, we had signed our lease to move up to New York City in July of that year. But of course, then COVID happened and all those things. So we didn't know what to do. Like, should we still do this? I had gotten a job at a charter school in Brooklyn, but it was obviously summer, so that wasn't that a good deal. We decided in July to move anyway. Couldn't get our deposit back. So we moved up to the city anyway. My wife loved me in the city, I did not. Then it came August, August came around. Time for school was start. And I had then went from teaching a job, supposed to be teaching in Brooklyn to a school in the Bronx, a different opera to as presented to me. And I was like, okay, this is what I wanna do. So about two weeks before school started, the Bronx school was going and it was gonna be remote. And then out of the blue, I get a call from a recruiter that had worked with months and months and months ago. And she said, I don't know if you remember me, but there's this school, this independent school that I think you would be a really good fit for. They reached out to me. They had a last minute vacancy. You know, just one of the teachers here was, she was going on maternity leave. And she didn't wanna come back the next year because COVID and this school was gonna be in person because they had the resources to do that. So after lots of discussion and lots of debate, I ended up leaving the school in the Bronx and I was supposed to be working out a week before school started for them. Still feel really guilty about that. But, add those over one of those selfish moments where I had to think about what's gonna be best for my future and my family. And the school, the school that I'm currently at seemed to check all the boxes in ways that I couldn't imagine. And I've been here for this will be going into my sixth year here. I came in teaching English within the first year I was honored enough to be promoted to the head of the middle school English department. I did that for a few years. Also started teaching theater, directing theater shows, which I had done back in Charlotte. But in Charlotte, on a public school teacher's salary, it was more doing that to support, have food on the table. But here, I was able to do it just solely from the love of doing theater. So I went back and got my master's degree in theater education in graduated in 2023. And then after the site realizing administration here saw something in me, I always wanted to be administration. But when I was a public school, it just had different vibes. I guess I hate using that word, but I guess that's just kind of what it is. The administration was looked at a little differently and I was like, I don't want people to think about me like that or do that. So I decided not to do that. But then here, it was definitely different. And it was a more supportive environment. It was just different all around. So I did that. And then last year, after it had already enrolled in our program, obviously so I went from my educational theater masters to our program straight to our program at Harvard. A wife blessed her for dealing with me for four straight years of master's classes, while also starting a new family. But obviously I think it was worth it in the end. And this year, as of a few months ago, officially a few days ago, I was promoted to being a class dean. So that is my very, very way too long way of explaining how I got to where I am. Lots of twists and turns along the way. And lots of important people along the way. But that's my journey. Amazing. No, I was captivated the whole time. And what a journey that it has been. Also, I didn't know that your promotion to Deenship was so recent. So big congratulations to you, Logan. Well-deserved. Thank you. Thank you, my friend. And then also big shout out to your wife as well for supporting you through so much of that journey. I did not know that you also were just finishing a master's program before then doing another one. And I can only imagine how taxing that would be. Physically, mentally, emotionally, starting a family is already all of those things and more. And yet you somehow did it all. So you were victorious. Just wanted to say that. You're champion. Lots of support got me through it. That's for sure. Well, I mean, that's a theme that I've been picking up on with all of these wonderful conversations that I've been having with our classmates. And just anyone on the podcast, it's like we never get to where we are from our own individual efforts. We don't live in isolation to others or in a vacuum. It's always with that support that can be traced all the way back to our very beginnings. Like in your case, rural town in North Carolina, I think that so much of those experiences there have really been pivotal for you to get to where you are now, in these different transitions. But I think you have equal parts ambition to be achieving more impact as an educator. And that can be within the roles that you've played from teacher to administrator. But also in terms of just the different educational environments that you found yourself in, from rural to urban, from public to charter. And yeah, and it stems from those early experiences. I love that you shared about how like from-- you don't even remember when, right? It was so early in your adolescence or childhood that you just knew you wanted to be a teacher. I find that to be the case with a lot of educators. It's either they've known, they've always known, or they were reluctant, and they fell into it. And truly for those who have always known-- yeah, I'm always-- I want to learn more about that because there's just something about maybe the teachers that you interacted with. Or maybe it's the personality that you had or what you were grappling with. I know you said that you had been like in middle school diagnosed with ADD. And so there was almost like this coping mechanism that you were trying to employ to just get through the day, maybe? Or yeah, and then to have someone like that principle and other teachers as well. But to really see what was happening for what it was. And then be able to see the potential behind all of that. So I guess my question to you is-- you mentioned that one of the big carrots, incentives that the principal did was, hey, if you behave, you can do various different tasks that a teacher would do. But one that really caught my attention was the whole principle for a day. Can I ask, did that happen? And what did you do in that day as a principal? It did. It consists, I think, maybe it was like our-- it was obviously the last week of school. I got to carry the walkie-talkie around. I wore a tie. And I just followed him around all day. I got-- when we were in his office, he would sit in the chair. And I got to sit at the desk. He asked my opinions on some decisions that I'm sure he had already decided anyway. But it just made me feel like I was part of these decisions. Everything from overseeing the lunch, duty, table, and the cleanup, and all of these little things. And then also doing rounds and checking in on teachers and just seeing how their day is going and stuff like that. And it was one of those things that was so at the time-- oh, this is just cool. But truly made me structured me-- was within me, I don't know, kind of the way I am today. Because I felt-- I don't know if I wanted to feel important as a kid. I don't know if I just wanted to carry a walkie-talkie because I thought that was cool. I don't really remember why. Other than, I knew I always wanted to be the adults. And so I think that was my way of, oh, now I'm like the ultimate adult because I get to do this thing. So yeah. No, thank you for sharing. I think when we're able to turn back the clocks and really think, what was going on in little logins world at that time, I think there's so much to be said about how you operated then is probably still a reflection of certain aspects of who you are now. Because I think the desire to want to be of use, be of service, I guess, to others might have been connecting thread, right? Maybe this feeling of wanting to connect with other people that inspired you. And in this case, maybe the principal. Maybe that was a powerful driver. And actually, a tremendous learning opportunity for yourself back then. But then also now, people in these different schools that you went to, or even the recruiter that was trying to hire you for all these different jobs, they saw that potential as well. And so without hesitation jumping into new tasks and new environments, just because, again, you wanted to learn, I think those are different signs from an early age that definitely you are already doing that. So no coincidence in terms of how that played out, I just think that's so wonderful for the principal to be able to give that kind of opportunity and provide that kind of visibility. Because words are one thing to say, hey, I think you're a great student. I think you're a great kid, Logan. But then it's different when you show action to say, this isn't what you can do to help me. And carry this walkie-talkie, which is actually really cool. I wish I carried a walkie-talkie when I was a kid. I'm very jealous about that. So now I kind of want to ask about these kind of dual passions that you were holding while you were very in your formative years building your early career as a teacher. So you made this decision like, OK, I want to be a teacher. But you also had this incredible exposure from this wonderful theater teacher that you also want to have theater be part of it. And the way in which those two things kind of fit together, given your immediate environment, it seemed maybe not impossible, but highly unlikely, implausible. And I'm sure that your parents wanted to do their best to support you and saying, yes, go for it, reach your dreams. But they were also very pragmatic probably and realistic about what that would be like. So I mean, there's no right or wrong way to give advice to someone who is seeking out, has that clarity of what path they want to take. But it's always kind of balanced with the realistic kind of judgment from like lived experience. Now that you're in a dean role, I'm sure you have to have difficult conversations. And also people come to you with big concerns that sometimes feel like this will be changing my life. It's like this way or this way or that way. So I'm curious, if you were in the position where little version Logan, like from that period, were to come up to you and say, hey, I love teaching and I love theater and I don't know how this is going to work. I'm from a rural town. How would you advise that version of yourself? Interesting. I think, obviously, now knowing what I know, I think the biggest thing I would have said to myself at that point is kind of what I do now. I've been in two different levels of administration here at the school for two different departments. And now for a whole team is getting information, getting data, not to sound very Harvard, but to give as much research and data points as well. I think I would say, all right, so here's what it looks like. This is something you really want to do. We have to kind of zoom out. We can't think about what would it be like to teach theater here in this rural county? Because that may not be the possibility for you. What are some other places? Let's look at some bigger cities. What do other schools have, right? Theater is not a big thing in our town, but what about in this city or this state even? So I think I would have encouraged myself to zoom out and look at what those options would be. And then use that to make the decision. Because I think if I was just focused on doing what I thought I was going to do, go to college, get my teaching degree, come back and teach my same hometown, teach at my same schools that I went to, I would have said absolutely not. You can't, there's only one, and it's this guy already. So that's where I would have thought. But now I would say, open up your possibilities. And if there's data to support that, then use that to drive you. Because if you have that data backing you up plus your passion, I think that's where success lies. When you've got the information you need plus the passion to push the two things together, I think that's what I've been trying to do for a very long time, even before really realizing it, is the more information I have to match my passion. And sometimes the information drives on passion, sometimes passion drives information. But I think they work together so well for me that that's what I would tell myself at that age. Wise words. And I love how the, I just really appreciate how you framed all of that. Because if you were to just say to a kid, like, hey, do more research, right? It's maybe lacking the purpose of the why. But you were very clear in saying that, no, if you do this, then you're basically zooming out and you're able to have this higher vantage point to then make a more informed judgment moving forward. Because this means so much to you, clearly. That's why you've even approached me in the first place. And you want to set yourself up for success. I want to be here to support you in the best way I can. And having been through many experiences where you've had to gather the data, look up the information. And also that includes talking with other people. And then you're able to expand that perspective and then kind of really have that much more confidence when you make your decision. Because you know, oh, well, this program is there at a certain place where this city has this number of teaching opportunities for theater or there's, I don't know. I think that that really rings true as a good advice. But you know, even like thinking how it all played out, maybe it might not have been like the smoothest for you in that case. It still inevitably led you to an incredible opportunity where at your current school, you were able to lead various different theater productions and also explore many other roles within administration. And it just kind of seems like you hit the lottery. There was like, from 2020 up until now, I can't-- I mean, I think I probably could have logged like 30 different pivotal moments and changes. So like, yeah, did it just kind of feel like you were just-- how do you navigate such incredible change when it's not only in your personal life with you and your wife trying to figure out where you're going to be, but also like external factors like a pandemic were kind of like coming up and then job opportunities that were unexpectedly coming up. When it comes to those larger forces and the inner forces that are prompting you don't need to make a decision, was there anything that really helped anchor you that through that time? And this could be an individual or it could be a certain belief or certain activity. Anything that really kind of comes up that helps you get through those five years. Yeah, I mean, I say all the time, I do feel like I hit the lottery with this school, with this job, with the people I work with. Is it perfect to know that it would be more on, if I said that? But this is the last place I would have expected myself to be, but the exact place where I know that I'm supposed to be. And it does not check any of the boxes from my 18 to 25, 6, 7, even year-old self, teaching all boys. My first thought was, I don't do sports. I'm a theater guy. I'm not a guy, a guy's guy. And so I wouldn't think that this would be a place for me. But I remember in my first Zoom interview, the head of the middle school at the time, said, well, that's what's important. It's important for our boys to know that there's not a cookie cutter copy of what a man is. There's no, you know, this is what a man has to be. And that's important for our boys to understand, because our boys are vast and different and diverse. And as they should be, and they should learn that there's different ways, you know, there's not a, you know, a playbook for manhood, right? The biggest thing is that you have, you have honor, you have integrity and courage, right? And that you speak your truth, that's really important. And so I think that was like one of my, like, okay, nope, this is where I'm supposed to be type thing. I remember coming home, I think maybe month two, and I had told my, my wife, I was like, yep, this is where we're going to be. And at that point, we had moved up out of the city into this more suburban area. And it things worked out. Things continue to work out and you're right. So many different five years life things have happened. And I don't understand how they all happen sometimes. I don't understand what people see or saw in me for different positions. Sometimes I make the joke that either they genuinely saw something or I was just the least dangerous person to give a task to or something like that. But that, I truly don't know. I know that I've always, when I want something, I work hard for it. That definitely comes from my parents for sure that part comes from my parents. My parents both come from very low income families. And my dad didn't read, didn't, I think six, seven, six or seven grade was the highest grade he completed. My mom had me write about a year after high school and she was working. She's since went back and got her degrees, things like that. But I always just saw how hard they worked. I saw how hard, how my mom had a really solid job in the furniture industry as part designer, part shipping coordinator, I can't remember all of the stuff. She did, but then seeing her do other jobs and work a part-time job at a pharmacy in addition to that while also being in charge of our youth soccer association while also going to the PTA meetings, while also running our spring fairs that we had in school. My dad doing his full-time manual labor job while also always being there for his family, not just us, but the family outside of our home and his family back in Mexico. So seeing him constantly working, I think that's what kind of pushed me and was my driving force. And I think it still is. That's what got me through everything. I think it's just what I saw. I just, it was just in me and I did. And then put that with being given this partner who I still feel like I hit the lottery with her having someone to be there to support my drive and my ambitions even when it's saying, "Hey, to do this, I've gotta put this on you." And her still being the biggest cheerleader in the world. I think the combination of that is what has allowed me to be here and to keep going is because I've got that instinct from my parents, that drive from my parents, and then also the support of someone who's always cheerleading and literally when I said, "All right, so I'm gonna graduate with this master's degree "in May, but I'm about to submit an application "for a few other grad schools and educational leadership." And her first response was, "Great, let's do it." And, yeah, I'm just always having her support. And then, you know, through my first master's program and the educational theater, my, you know, middle son was born. And so we were like, "Okay." So she was there doing all that. And then, you know, our youngest was just born, you know, a few months ago. So through both of those programs, growing families, definitely the support of her is what I think drives and pushes me forward. Yeah. - Thank you so much. You know, I could just tell when you were talking about your parents and also talking about your wife, you know, like the tone even changed, right? From like this, coming from this even deeper place of like appreciation, this recognition for all of their behind the scenes, efforts, how all of that kind of provided that kind of nutrients and structure and stability that allowed you to also grow. And, yeah. And when you were talking about your own career in like getting these various different like opportunities, I think that really what came to my mind when you were talking about it was that, regardless of how these opportunities fell onto your lap, because of the influence of your parents, you made sure never to take them for granted or to waste them. And you did that by working very hard in proving that, oh, actually that was not a mistake at all, you know, that actually was the best possible choice that they could have taken, but also for yourself. And ultimately, you know, then the framing of like, oh, I feel like I hit the lottery because now I have these opportunities in front of me. In some ways, actually you can demystify that and being like, it wasn't really luck, you know. It wasn't like, oh, you know, as improbable as you might think because the compounding effects of so many different actions that you've taken and hard work that you put in that traces back all the way to your parents and what they did as well. So I feel like, you know, again, not a coincidence. And I'm just, you know, very happy for you that you've been able to create the kind of life that you envision with your partner. And then also, you know, a life that your parents, I'm sure, are incredibly proud of. And they got like the grandchildren and everything. Like they're probably like on cloud nine. They're like, yeah, it was so great. Yeah, it's a lot of time with them. - Loving it all. - So I wanted to ask a question though about this concept of global citizenship because, you know, I think as an educator, right, we're constantly trying to connect with our students. We're trying to prepare them for what is, you know, to come right after they graduate, setting themselves up. You mentioned different like qualities that of like honor and like integrity and like speaking truth. I think that was the last one. But, you know, it's a, yeah, like what is, is that something that is like actively spoken about in your school or is this concept of global citizenship? Like how does it kind of like, I don't know, like resonate with you. I'm just, I'm just curious. - Yeah, I think it's, for me, it's this idea of what are you going to put out in the world? No matter what it puts onto you or into you, you know, good, bad and the ugly, life still goes on. And what are you going to do to improve that life for others? I've always had a big servant leadership approach. And I think, I mean, I think it stems from obviously my parents, but then also I earn my great-grandmother, my favorite book growing up that I had to read over and over and over again, was a fuzzy bear book all about responsibility. And that was my favorite book growing up as a book about responsibility. So I think I've always had this inner feeling that it's our responsibility to better blank. So I have always tried to lead my life in a way that is doing what I feel is my responsibility, and my responsibility to make life better for others, whether it's, you know, in the context of the schools and students I'm working with, how can I make their life better? Obviously, me teaching them writing skills and public speaking skills and grammar, that's obviously important, right? And that's a part of my job I do with pride and excitement. But what can I teach them by modeling and then going a step further and talking and challenging them to understand is what's our responsibility? How can we make this place a better place? How can we make this school a better place? How can we make this community a better place? But most importantly, I try to really influence our boys. Our, the boys in my school, a lot of them, they're gonna be, they're gonna be the people making decisions in the future, just based on where we are and you know, that's just who they end up being. And I want them to have a grounding and, all right, I have this power to make decisions, whether I'm in charge of this or directing this or, you know, managing this, how am I doing that? Am I doing it with compassion and kindness and forethought? Am I doing it for myself or am I doing it for others? Really pushing the, how can I help others? Granted, there's definite moments where you have to remember to take care of yourself, which is something I struggle to do and I do not know the secret recipe to that yet, still to this day, but serving others, how can you make this place a better place? And I think that goes back to the whole concept of global leadership, whether it's in the classroom, the state, the country, the world, how are you going to do something to make things better? Whether it's through your actions, your voice, you know, there's so many ways you can do it, but what's gonna work for you? You know, for me, mine is working with middle school. I never want to go to any other division or any other grade level, 'cause middle school's where I feel I can be the most impactful. And I think it's because that's really those formative years, I mean, obviously that I experience, and also where they're starting to decide, how can I help others? How can I be more influential? And that's also when they decide, oh, I'm only gonna care about me. So like being able to like intercept those me, me, me years to say, okay, yeah, be, take your time, be you, be a little selfish learning how to be a middle schooler, but also what can we do or what can we at least start to unravel or start to bury seeds in our future selves? So I think that's my big, again, long-winded way of saying that the serving of others and the support of others is that part of being a global citizen that I think is, again, was ingrained in me since childhood, doesn't mean it's perfected, 'cause that's definitely not the case. I've made plenty of mistakes, but I think always having that goal, even if you fail, that's a reason to keep doing what you're doing, and that's what I try to instill in my students, the faculty I work with, my colleagues, just never in, like, I think you have a point out, never taking something for granted, especially here, understanding what this life is, some of our kids lived in silos. So it's like, hey, what's the world like outside of here? And how are you going to interact with it? And I think that's important, yeah. Wow, there's so much to unpack from all that you just said. I mean, that last part about not taking things for granted, recognizing that these students, as well as ourselves, has the adults, we are part of that environment, and it can feel like that siloing effect of like, I guess I'm just in this bubble. And when you hear about some of these events happening in far off places, it's easy to not want to take responsibility for that, or it could be so overwhelming to grapple with just the responsibility that you have currently. But actually, everything that you've shared about, especially the past five years, just taking that little slice of your life, is that you can take on a lot more than you think, right? And so you be piling up all this stuff on your plate, thinking it's impossible only to then realize, oh, I've five years of past, and I did it. And I had support, and now I'm looking ahead. So, yeah, but that piece that you talked about with servant leadership, and then the broader goal of really improving the world. What kind of impact do you want to make in the world? It sounds like all of it was really anchored in this, in one word, it's like responsibility. And I felt like that was so, I appreciate the clarity of it. It just feels like it just went straight through all of the stuff, and it was just like, yeah. In essence, your work in middle school is to help these students to be more responsible. But oftentimes, what does it mean to be responsible? It means you have to make a decision. Is this something that is valuable? Are you willing to see it through? Are you willing to speak truth when put in a difficult situation when maybe you just want to run away? And yeah, and you're questioning a lot of things, but how to sit in those uncomfortable moments and take solace that, no, this is a core value, and I'm going to do what I believe is right, and see how that plays out for you. Because in the long term, it's going to work out. Maybe not in the short term, you might feel, oh, I'm going to get in trouble. But in that developmental stage of their life, the me, me, me, I'm thinking more selfishly, it's actually the kind of challenge that if you put it in front of a child, they're going to rise and meet that. And I think, again, this is like poetry. It just speaks to your own experience as a middle schooler where some teachers, I'm sure there were some teachers that probably looked at you, and we're like, this kid's a little punk, he's just not paying attention. He's being rowdy. I don't like this kid. And yet the principal was like, hey, I'm going to find a way to make this kid more responsible. I'm going to make him principal for the day. I think, again, no coincidence that you're so passionate and you're so like, you have this clarity about why middle school is your mission to support them. And again, just hearing you right now speak about it, it's poetry, it's like, yeah, it's foreshadowed. This is great. So I really appreciate you sharing all of that and it really resonates with a lot of my own views on what being a global citizen is. I'm that much more ready to use responsibility now as part of that definition. But speaking of responsibility, and also what the next question is going to be, I imagine, as a book recommendation, is it the Fawzi Bear one, or did you want to bring up another book? You know, it oddly enough is not the one that I thought of when we first started having this conversation. But it is one, I think, even at a young age. I think that was one of the first books I got for off three of my boys. And now my middle one is starting to get it and he understands what the book's about. Even little things like picking up his toys or helping up his baby brother, stuff like that. So that's definitely one, I say for younger kids, or children's books are for adults too. So that's one that I definitely think is a good thing for younger kids, parents even. But then to this book, it's like a collection of short stories. It's our world too. And it's a different collection of stories about kids from-- usually middle school, I think, age kids. It's been a little business, I read it, and how they were change makers in their own environments, whether it was on a macro level or micro level, they were change makers. So I think that's important for us as adults to realize the power of students and kids who realize their power. See them in that power. I think that's what my principal did years ago is. He saw past my outburst and trying to be funny. I was like, how can we use this? So seeing kids for what they are. I think it's a reminder to adults of how incredibly cool and amazing our kids can be. Yeah, can they get under your skin? Yeah. Because they're still learning how to be humans just like we are. Did. But then also for kids, it's an empowering book. They're like, OK, this is what someone else did who's similar in my age. And yeah, a kid in my class may not need to create a water funding source for his community. But my kid needs to understand that that is a challenge in some part of the world. They need to understand that a 12-year-old does have a voice. They need to understand all the complexities around that. And I think that's important. So that's a book that I really enjoyed. More like a collection of stories, I guess. But yeah, that would be my teacher version. Yeah, no, thank you. It's our world, too, right? And who's the author? Who might have to check back with that? I think it's something with an ass. I can't remember. I'd have to go back and look. OK, always. I'll put it in the notes. Yeah, it's all about how kids make a difference in how you, as a person, can make a difference as well. And yeah, it's really the sounds great. I love the title already. OK, wonderful. Well, we are reaching the conclusion of this amazing conversation. It's been such a joy and very inspiring, too, to hear your story and the way that you set it with such transparency and honesty and passion and all of that. It's really incredible. And definitely, as someone who's still trying to figure a lot of this life out myself, it's nice to hear that reminder that we can put a lot on our plate and still advance. And taking on more responsibility is actually quite a privilege, because it allows us to grow that much more and increase that impact to then help others improve the world. And that's all tied back to servant leadership as well. So thank you so much, Logan. And I wanted to give the last word to you. Any final send-off, just to conclude this wonderful conversation? Yeah, and I thank you for this opportunity. It was great sometimes hearing those things back or someone else some summarized things for you. I was like, oh, I guess this does work. Or I guess that was. So that was-- so I thank you for that. I think my last word is just the world is crazy. Our worlds are crazy, no matter what time period we're in, no matter what country, what state. So what you can control is how you react to things. One of my favorite quotes is one of the great of freedoms is how we react to things. And so how can our actions or reactions make a difference in our own selves? I think that's important. Understanding that, yeah, things are going to happen. Crappy things are going to happen. Horrinda's things are going to happen. How do we react to it? It doesn't mean that everything needs to be rainbows and sunshine. That's not always the case. But our reactions-- and then what we do as a result, that's what's important. So even if you need to take a moment, take a moment. Take a moment to be angry, to scream, to cry, to jump up and down, to be happy, to be elated, you know, whatever it is. But then what are you going to do with that? You had that anger. Now what are you going to do with it? You had that excitement and that joy. What are you going to do with it? Have a plan for your reactions, even if you need to take time to plan it. That's my goal. [MUSIC PLAYING]