This year, ACPHS has 31 new teachers. One of them is the prominent Mr. Ator. He is our school’s College and Careers Specialist. In his words, Mr. Ator chose this because “it’s a great opportunity to help students navigate the next steps of their young adult lives.” Being in the College and Careers Center, he wouldn’t call himself a teacher technically, but he thinks that students would describe him as laid back and a “student first” teacher. He is the one to be a listening ear for students while also assisting them along the path to college admittance. When I asked Mr. Ator about his techniques, he replied, “I motivate students by giving them multiple avenues to pursue what they want to in life. I think that I have had a lot of life experiences students can relate to, so being someone they can talk to or bounce ideas off of is huge for them.”
This school year, Mr. Ator is looking forward to the football season because we have an amazing group of players here that are exciting to coach everyday. He is also excited to have colleges from all over the country on campus to meet students and show them different opportunities their universities have to offer.
In his free time, he is the offensive coordinator here for the ACPHS Football Team. When he’s not coaching, he is spending time with friends and family. Finally, I asked him one last entertaining question: What is your dream place to travel? He said, “My dream place to travel is Santorini because of the beautiful sunsets, beaches, and white buildings. I have family that’s visited there, and the pictures were amazing.”
Author: Auri Smith, staff writer
