EDUCATION: William Henry Harrison High School; Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, Ball State University; Master of Science, Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services, Indiana State University; Doctor of Education, Superintendency and Educational System Administration, Indiana University
RESUME: Culver Elementary School site coordinator (2003-2008); Cedar Hall Elementary School counselor (2008-2009); North High School assistant principal and dean (2009-2011); North Junior High School assistant principal (2011-2012) and principal (2012- 2018); Benjamin Bosse High School principal (July 2018-present)
HOMETOWN: Evansville, Indiana
Benjamin Bosse High School Principal Aaron Huff’s career has come full circle. He did not expect to follow in the footsteps of his mother, Sheila Huff, the school’s principal from January 2009 till June 2018. However, sometimes life shows people exactly where they need to be, and such was the case for Huff.
“I grew up being around Bosse High School and educators. Quite honestly, I thought I would be an architect or in a nonprofit space,” Huff says. “I knew I wanted to ultimately work with children, but I did not know that it would lead me to where I am today.”
EVANSVILLE BUSINESS: WHAT PUT YOU ON THE PATH TO A CAREER IN EDUCATION?
AARON HUFF: I worked for the Evansville YMCA in the outreach department teaching urban youth golf. I studied psychology and continued to work for the YMCA in Muncie, Indiana, while at Ball State. As soon as I graduated, I was hired by Lana Burton as Culver Elementary’s afterschool site coordinator: hire people to provide programming, do payroll for the programming, and take attendance. A principal after school, if you will.
EB: YOU’VE SPOKEN OF THE NEED TO REIMAGINE EDUCATION. HOW?
AH: We can rethink how we connect public and private partnerships, industries, and professions to schools so kids can see glimpses into those professions. If we can give them those experiences earlier, they have a more focused direction. I’ve been fortunate to make a partnership with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana. Toyota combines teaching advanced manufacturing practices and company practices. We have about 30 juniors and seniors in that class. When they finish, they’ll have an opportunity to go straight to work at Toyota. Teachers and educators have not received the recognition, appreciation, and support that they should. At some point in a student’s trajectory, there’s a teacher who influenced where they are today. It’s time we honor the work teachers, principals, counselors, support staff, and all the folks who make schools run do by giving them a livable salary and the resources they need to educate our children.
EB: WHAT WAS YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING THE PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
AH: I started as just a board member for the first couple of years, then I was selected to be the advocacy committee chair, then the governance committee chair the year after that. I got picked to be a part of the executive director search committee. I had a few board members who came to me and said, “We think you should do it.” I said, “I don’t know that’s what I want to do. I’m torn.” I approached the role humbly. Ultimately, I ended up applying, going through the interview process, and was selected to be president-elect. I’ve been serving in that role for just a few short months.
EB: WHAT ARE YOUR PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS AT BOSSE? WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?
AH: I think we’re in a space where we’ve rethought what our strengths at Bosse are and where we want to go. We’ve rewritten our mission statement. We know the direction we’re going. We have a purpose. Now, it’s about fulfilling what we say we do daily. And our mission statement clearly articulates that, and we want to be successful. I’m proud of this unified direction, vision, and voice. I feel like Bosse was already a family when I got here, but we’ve honed our focus on the direction we want to go and what we want to do.
