Custodian becomes head principal of Colorado school
Michael Atkins turned a deferred dream into a reality when he went from a custodian of a middle school to its head principal.
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Growing up in Park Hill, Colo., Atkins said he didn’t get the grooming that kids sometimes do since there were no positive influences around. But he’s looking to give back by becoming a role model, especially for Black males, as principal of Stedman Elementary School in Denver, reports The NY Daily News.
“A lot of my African-American male students remind me of me,” Atkins said. “Not to say that they’re coming from the same situation that I came from– a household of a single mother, only engaging with my father once in my life. So not really having that rock, but needing that rock often in that time.”
Atkins said he always loved working with kids but at first never thought he’d be in the field of education.
He picked up a part-time job as a custodian and his interactions with students and the staff ignited a deeper love for his job.
“There were times where I got comfortable within my custodial position, and I love the work. I love the people that I met. I was still able to be in front of youth. But I knew that was just the first chapter of my journey,” Atkins said.
He eventually become employed full-time and that’s when his journey began and a new path was carved out. While Atkins never thought he’d end up on the side of being and administrator he says he was inspired to write a new story for himself based on advice from his grandmother.
“Don’t let someone write your story, make sure you write your own story,” Atkins recalls his grandmother saying. “And if someone has something to do with your story, let them edit it, do not let them create it.”
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