On Oct. 11, the school board approved Mr. Steven Mott as the FHS assistant principal.

This hiring has come after recent administration staff changes. When Mr. Frank Hernandez resigned as middle school principal on Aug. 4, Mr. Ryan Smith, former high school assistant principal, was hired as the middle school principal on Sept. 1. While interviews for the assistant principal were being conducted, Mr. Anthony Mendicino, who was formerly the principal of Central Valley High School and had retired this past school year, was the interim high school assistant principal.

After hearing about the open assistant principal position, Mott was told by other colleagues that Freedom is a “great district.”

“In visiting the Freedom campus for the interview process and interacting with the students, staff, administration and school board, I saw first hand that this is a great district. Everyone I have met in the district has been welcoming and very receptive,” Mott said.

There were two stages of interviews for the position. In the first stage, nine candidates out of 40 applicants were interviewed by several administrative and staff members, as well as students, on the Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC).

“I have been in different types of interviews before, but it was the first time I’ve ever seen students involved in the process. I think it’s a great idea because this position works closely with students, and student opinions are very important,” Mott said.

In the second stage, the remaining two candidates were interviewed by the school board during an executive session on Oct. 4. The following week, the school board approved Mott for the position.

“What I felt really stood out about [Mott] is he had a very personable nature, and we felt like he would do a great job of connecting with students and being able to form relationships with both staff and students,” principal William Deal said.

Mott grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania and attended Neshannock Township School District, where he competed in track and field in high school and graduated in 2005. He went to Penn State Behrend and was involved in track during his sophomore year. After two-and-a-half years, he transferred to Slippery Rock University, where he graduated with a dual major in Special Education and Elementary Education with a minor in American History.

Currently, Mott is a high school special education teacher at George Junior Republic, which is part of the Grove City School District. At Grove City, where he taught for seven years, he teaches core subjects to seventh through 12th grades students. He officially starts his new administrative position at FHS on Nov. 7.

Outside of school, Mott enjoys spending time with his friends, family and dog, Maggie. He also attends Pittsburgh Steelers, Penguins and Pirates events, spends time fishing, hunting, traveling and going to his family’s cabin in Clarion County during the summer and fall.

Mott said he was looking forward to meeting and getting to know the staff and students at FHS as he joins the district as an administrator next month.

“I would like all of the students to know that if there is anything I can do to make their high school experience more rewarding, please ask. Also, please feel free to stop by the office or stop me in the hallway to introduce yourself. My door will always be open,” Mott said.