Ava Adams
IVN intern
Erik Lathen has made his return to the Illinois Valley High School after nine years of teaching in other schools within Southern Oregon. He was previously employed at IVHS as the vice principal and athletic director and served the school for three years. After former IVHS Principal Wright suddenly resigned in the late summer, Lathen was more than happy to accept the position.
In an interview with Lathen, he said, “It’s a place I’ve been before; it’s a place I’ve loved before and I’m excited to be back!” He’s reported that the community, and the students and staff at the high school especially, have been nothing but welcoming to him so far. The new principal said, “It’s like a homecoming.”
Principal Lathen brings more to the table than just his enthusiastic and positive attitude, but also, a new school motto, “Live R.E.D.” Though Red, White, and Black are the school’s colors, this slogan is about more than school pride, it stands for respect, excellence and determination. Principal Lathen said it’s his goal to “instill this message into the students and staff at IVHS to help them achieve academic, social and emotional success.”
For the month of September, Lathen and the other staff at IVHS have been going classroom to classroom, holding meetings and assemblies in attempts to reiterate the message to the students and teachers and explain how it may positively impact their lives. The staff has also been giving examples of nonviolent communication and “above/below the line behaviors.”
When asked about his inspiration to teach, Lathen told tales of his father who loyally served IVHS for many years as a basketball coach and as a history teacher. Lathen himself studied English at Brigham Young University in Hawaii, an accredited school ranking in the top 25 colleges in America in 2000. Afterwards, he started his career as a teacher, first in Texas, then in Washington, before he returned to Oregon. Mr. Lathen grew up in the Illinois Valley and he even attended Evergreen Elementary from first to third grade before his family moved to Dallas, Oregon.
He’s overjoyed to be back and has big plans for the future of the school and its people. In conclusion, Lathen said “I truly appreciate the opportunity to be back in the Valley. I appreciate how welcoming the school and the community have been. I look forward to making positive changes to the school and to continue its rich traditions.”