Aces of Trades: Buckeye Community School leader helping students to earn their diploma
Steve Vanderhoff grew up with a love for baseball, became a manager in the business world, then transitioned to education.
“I grew up near McKinley Park, dreaming of playing baseball,” said Vanderhoff. “I played at Lincoln Park, spending every day during the summer there.”
He went on to coach.
“I sincerely enjoyed working with kids, coaching baseball and wrestling, specifically in the 9-14 age group," Vanderhoff said. "I coached travel baseball and I started the Marion Merchants travel organization in 1999.”
“I was in the field of managing distribution and warehousing,” he continued, “but coaching and working with kids, especially those who needed the help most, led me to switching careers from business to education. As an intervention specialist, I started teaching emotionally disturbed MS students at Grant. I accepted the challenges my students faced and helped them overcome the barriers in their lives.”
That in turn led Vanderhoff to become principal at Buckeye Community School in both Mansfield and Marion.
“Buckeye Community School came into being when a group of passionate educators decided to create a school where kids who were not being served well by traditional high schools," he explained. "They could find a way to earn a high school diploma, thereby setting them up for future success.”
BCS serves students ages 14–22 in mid-and central Ohio, with locations in Mansfield, Marion and London.
“Steve makes reaching each student and family we serve his priority,” said Mary Snell, CEO of New Leaf Organization, the management company that has oversight over Buckeye Community School. “As a lifelong resident of Marion, his passion for the community is infectious. He not only talks the talk, he walks the walk. When I met Steve at the National Charter School Conference several years ago, it was evident to me his dedication to ensuring a quality education for all youth, regardless of circumstance. It’s my honor to work alongside him in our school’s mission.”
“We work diligently to assist students in overcoming any obstacles to education,” Snell added. “We believe that by assisting students in obtaining their high school diploma and in realizing their fullest potential beyond secondary education, we will create stronger communities one student/family at a time.”
“I’ve had nearly 15 years of experience of building relationships with key community partners,” Vanderhoff responded, “and I took the role to help establish a unique model for students that’s very non-traditional and career path oriented.”
“There’s nothing better than seeing a student being successful after graduation,” he concluded. “I do it 100 percent from my heart. I believe wholeheartedly in making a positive difference with our students.”
Buckeye Community School is located at 366 W. Center St. in Marion. For more information, visit buckeyecs.org.
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs — whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at news@marionstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Aces of Trades: Buckeye Community School Principal Steve Vanderhoff
