To many people in this school, the assistant principals are mysterious figures we don’t know a lot about, only existing to give out hall sweep passes and do teacher observations. However, they’re still people just like you and I, with lives and passions cloaked in mystery. Of course, this also applies to Mr. Pascarella, the 12th Grade AP and the guardian of the domain that is Waldorf Way. What secrets could he have within himself? What hidden depths does he have? Unfortunately, he didn’t tell me about the former, but he did tell me about why he does what he does, and who he wishes to be for the North Point community.
Before he worked for North Point, Mr. Pascarella worked as an English teacher, then as a teacher at an alternative school, where he was able to make an impact on that institution in quite the positive way. “Being able to affect change led me to want to have more of an admin role,” he explained, taking that position at several schools before coming to North Point. Despite being a quieter person, he desires to be someone students feel comfortable talking with, being almost like a counselor more than an AP. Despite how his position as an enforcer of rules can make his goal difficult, he still wishes to make positive changes for the student body.
Mr. Pascarella says that his favorite thing about North Point is the students, both his class and the other grades. “It is a different feel when you come into work and you know that you have a good base of students that are fun and talk to you. They always hi to you and are welcoming.” He wishes to pay attention to things about his students that other faculty may miss, and address the struggles high schoolers experience that he may related to from when he was our age. Looking back on his own time as a student, he reflects and wants to be someone that can assist us by offering advice or simply acting as a listening ear.
Outside of school, Mr. Pascarella is a drummer, performing at churches throughout the area. This shocking double life has been noticed by several students before, how can he go from cranking out referrals to cranking out beats? He has said that his parents are his heroes. Modeling them and taking after them allowed him to get to where he is today. “I would also say that I’m grateful for my parents,” he continued. “Leading me towards education and allowing me to do the things that I wanted to do.”
Despite being locked behind the more authoritarian assistant principal role, Mr. Pascarella’s goal both in and out of North Point is to make a difference and to support others in his community. Giving our school a welcoming mood is very important to him, as is to be someone students feel like that can talk to when they need it. Through both thick and thin, he wants to make this school a better place, which is clear in all he does. While he and other assistant principals may seem intimidating and hard to get to know, Mr. Pascarella is clearly anything but those things.
