By Mike C.

A new semester means new beginnings, new experiences and new chances. It also means some new faces and the Family School is proud to introduce their newest staff member Glenn Singer.

Glenn has had a lot of experience working with kids throughout his career. After graduating from Kenyon College in Ohio, Glenn has worked at numerous private day schools and boarding schools throughout Iowa, Massachusetts and Maryland. He has also worked at various other recovery programs, at both inpatient and outpatient programs, but this is his first job at a therapeutic boarding school.

Glenn started working at The Family School on July 5th as the Assistant Dean of Admissions, but his work does not stop there. He is also a student advisor in Lake House and is working his way toward sponsorship. Glenn is well known for his witty sense of humor and compassion for students whom he has only just met.

When asked why he decided to pursue this career Glenn gave a personal anecdote from his past which he said convinced him to work with adolescents, “I used to work in a psychiatric hospital in Maryland for 5 years and had many different positions. The last position I had there was a neuropsychometrician and my job was to administer psychological testing and score the results and give them to the therapists. My testing room was in the adolescent wing of the building and in my free time I would talk to the kids there and get to know them. Several years later I went back home to visit my family and I was in a coffee shop and noticed the man behind the counter looked familiar. He asked me if I worked at Taylor Manor Hospital and I said yes I did. The young man told me that he went through that place yessing everyone and could not wait to get out and start using again. He said you came into my room on my last day and talked to me and what you said to me clicked in my head and I never used again. That is when I realized that this is what I need to do.”

Even though he has only been here for about a month now Glenn already feels like one of the family and is a great addition to The Family School.