Pacileo: Hello Rocky Mountain, I’m Zoe Pacileo, and I’m here with…

Connors: Scott Connors.

Pacileo: Today we’ll be discussing his first year at Rocky as a principal and how it went. First question for you is: you’ve been here for a year, right?

Connors: Yes.

Pacileo: Okay, as principal?

Connors: Yep.

Pacileo: Okay. How’s that been?

Connors: It’s been really awesome, actually. I came from a VP role over at Owyhee, so it’s a little different as far as my responsibilities go. But I was a teacher here, so I’ve really enjoyed the transition back to being at Rocky. I kind of bled a little bit of purple and black for a while. Okay, coached here historically as well, so winning side of a lot of things. So I love it.

Pacileo: So total, how long have you been here for?

Connors: Like, my last years from teaching to admin? This will be my eighth year.

Pacileo: Okay, that’s cool. Um, so you kind of just like, like, this school kind of atmosphere?

Connors: Yep.

Pacileo: Okay.

Connors: In general, it was the first job that I guess I fully got immersed into as far as my career goes. And so I’ve always had a spot for Rocky and didn’t think I was going to have the opportunity to come back, and so when that opportunity came, and now I’m here, and kind of get to see all of it, it’s a real full circle moment. So I really enjoy it a lot.

Pacileo: That’s really cool. Honestly, I did not know that you had been here for so long, and then, like, finally became principal. So what kind of like made you come here to Rocky in the first place?

Connors: As a principal or as a teacher?

Pacileo: As a teacher.

Connors: As a teacher, it was actually kind of luck of the draw. My first teaching job, I was a late hiring. We call it a cap one hire. So at the end of the year, they terminate your contract. And so I was looking for a job, and Mr. Hirano gave me a call, said he had an opening, and asked me to come in for an interview. And so I was excited, because it was a new school at the time, so I was just excited to be back and kind of be here.

Connors: Uh, Really enjoyed it. Then, as far as coming back, it was I was looking for a principal job, and this job came open, and it’s the one that I guess I landed.

Pacileo: That’s really cool. So you said you were teacher?

Connors: Yes.

Zoe: What did you teach?

Connors: So I taught English here, intro to college comp, juniors primarily. I taught a year of sophomores, but primarily I taught junior English.

Pacileo: Okay, cool. Um, what’s been your favorite memory at school this year? Like as a principal?

Connors: Oh my gosh, favorite memory this year? You know, honestly, I think it probably was the first football game.

Connors: Just kind of seeing the student section at the football game and just the spirit, obviously, winning games always helps too, but I’ve coached football here in the past, so just being back around all that it was like the whole cultural moment for me, as far as being able to feel like I was back in it.

Pacileo: Hey, that’s amazing. Honestly, I feel like, like just being back in it is such a good feeling. Who do you like mainly work with at the school?

Connors: Like at the school? So obviously, the administrative team and the counselors, we all work really closely together, and all the secretaries, I would say, as well, but I oversee the English department. So the English teachers are the ones that I work the closest with.

Connors: All that to say is, I mean, I oversee all the teachers in the building, technically speaking. So I do work with them as well, but on a daily basis, I’m probably, I interact the most with the administrative team. And then I would say, secondary to that would probably be the English teachers.

Pacileo: Okay, well, that’s really cool. Where did you go to college?

Connors: I went to Boise State for my undergrad, got a degree in English, which was called English teaching, which really sounds lame, but that’s what it was called. And then my master’s was through U of I.

Connors: I actually did the West Ada cohort. So it was taught here locally at the district office, but it was through the University of Idaho.

Pacileo: Okay, um, so you’ve kind of just always been in Idaho?

Connors: Yeah.

Pacileo: Okay.

Connors: I’ve actually been here my whole life. I went through West ADA. I went to Ustick, elementary, Meridian middle, and graduated from Centennial High School, and literally just haven’t gone far off at all.

Pacileo: Oh, wow. So was your family ever like, big and traveling? Have you ever been like, anywhere else other than Idaho?

Connors: I mean, I traveled to Mexico, and then, just like surrounding states, Florida, all that been to the Bahamas. growing up. But no, not like, not very well cultured.

Pacileo: That’s okay. Are you gonna be back here next year?

Connors: Absolutely!

Pacileo: Really? Okay.

Connors: Hoping to live out my career…

Pacileo: Yeah, I hope so! Well, thank you so much for joining me!

Connors: Absolutely, thanks for having me.

Pacileo: Of course.