By Craig Williams

When he was finishing-up his high school career at Meridian a decade and a half ago, and heading on to Shawnee Community College that next fall, Alex Washam was certain he’d be on track to be an athletic director at the collegiate level. He knew it was a competitive field and that the road would be a long one, but as he got further along in his journey, finishing his Bachelor’s at SEMO before heading to Western Kentucky University for his Masters, he discovered that his passion for athletics was really about much more than an A.D. title; it was about helping others reach their goals. Specifically, young people, and so, it has since become his laser-focused priority to be an excellent teacher. For Mr. Washam, it wasn’t a dream lost; it was a dream clarified. He sees it all now from a few paces back and a few more years along the trail.

Through his lens as a sports enthusiast, Mr. Washam is able to see the value in teamwork, in working through adversity, in setting personal goals and in celebrating their achievement. But, for him now, it’s not limited to organized athletics. It plays out for him and those he serves across the entire achievement spectrum, from young learners he teaches to the young athletes he coaches, and to so many of the kids with whom he interacts along the way. “I just love kids,” he tells me, “and I want to see them acquire the tools they need to succeed, whatever success may look like for them.” In fact, that’s how he sees his role, whether as a teacher, a coach, or a mentor of young people: the guy lending a hand in the development of knowledge, skillsets, and a better understanding of self. He just wants to be a part of setting kids up for success, whether that be an athletic career, trade school, college, or the world of work.

He may not have seen it so clearly as a kid from Meridian fifteen years ago, but today he sees it with complete clarity. He is 100% committed. He is a teacher and he is a coach, and that’s really quite a thing. I asked him what it means to be a teacher at Meridian and he told me without hesitation that sometimes it’s just about showing up, being where you need to be, and listening. He said, “Kids don’t always need something fixed but the adults in their world, they just need someone to listen to them.”

In his classes he discusses U.S. History and Geography, and how both have been crucial to the shaping of our nation and of our citizenry. He’s unafraid to grapple with either the depths of early American history or the complexities of societal circumstances of today. He sees Meridian kids as very capable learners and exceptional human beings, praising them he says, “They’re just really great kids, and I’m extremely fortunate to be able to work with them.”

More than a few of his students I’ve had an opportunity to interview have given similar praise right back to Mr. Washam because, I suspect, they know that he really sees them, and because there is a mutual respect born of something they have in common — a commitment to making a positive dent in the universe from right here in Mounds or from wherever a kid may have started.

The Meridian School Community has much to be proud of in Mr. Washam. His journey is still in its early stages, but he’s already come so far. And so have his kids.