When students, faculty and staff return to Greencastle High School in August, a very familiar face will greet them as the school's new principal.
Current assistant principal Yolanda Goodpaster was recently named the new principal at the high school. She will replace Chad Rodgers, who will leave for the principal position at West Lafayette High School.
For Goodpaster, it is the next step in an educational career that began when she accepted a softball scholarship from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College five days before her high school graduation.
"My school counselor, Becky Brothers, told me to take advantage of this opportunity and go into education because I would be good at it. Anyone who knew Ms. Brothers knows you take the advice she gives and don't look back, which is exactly what I did," Goodpaster told The Putnam County Post.
In education, Goodpaster said she has loved knowing how her decisions impact people.
"For me, I love how each day, every decision I make impacts someone, whether a student, teacher, or parent. Seeing in their eyes that they know I empathize with them is key, especially when I have to deliver news the person may not want to hear," Goodpaster acknowledged.
Goodpaster admits she and Rodgers have developed a culture the last six years where students matter and what's easy may not be right for kids.
"We are in the business for kids. Moving over one door allows me to continue that narrative as our students are going to be contributing to our community and impacting our future," she said.
Goodpaster notes she does have a few goals she would like to achieve as principal at Greencastle.
"One major goal I have for our school is opportunities for student involvement and student leadership. GHS currently has one student run business that is up and running this year. I want students and teachers empowered to create more opportunities like that so students can interview for jobs or apply for scholarships having first hand experiences to reference. First hand encounters give students more opportunities to fail, and, more importantly, to give them value in the workforce, military or college," Goodpaster said.
As for her message to the Tiger Cubs, she said that while many already know her, many don't know that when she makes a decision, she asks herself, "would I want this for my son?"
"This keeps me centered. I am privileged to have their loved ones for seven plus hours a day, 180 days of the year. I make easy decisions, and I make hard decisions, but at the end of that decision is a human. It is important to me to make sure it is a positive experience, especially when it is a difficult situation. Looking back on my own life, many details about high school are fuzzy, but one thing I remember is how people made me feel," Goodpaster said.
