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| Photo: NJ.COM |
From Player to Head Coach
by, Meagan Pichardo
If you're lucky enough to attend University High School, then you become a part of a close knit family. And like most families, you have family members that go away and never come back. Others that you only see during the holidays but then there are a select few that are around so often, it’s like they never left. There’s something to be said about a school where a good amount of the faculty are alumni. And I found out that many staff members in Newark Public Schools were once students in this district just like me.
Recently, I had the opprtinity to speak with University High School Alumnus Mr. Otis Anderson. Mr. Anderson is currently a Math teacher at Mckinley Elementary School here in Newark. I asked Mr. Anderson why he became a teacher and he said, “I chose to become a teacher because I like children and also I feel that these kids need a positive male role model. It feels really good honestly, that I am in a position where I get the chance to make a difference.”
Recently, I had the opprtinity to speak with University High School Alumnus Mr. Otis Anderson. Mr. Anderson is currently a Math teacher at Mckinley Elementary School here in Newark. I asked Mr. Anderson why he became a teacher and he said, “I chose to become a teacher because I like children and also I feel that these kids need a positive male role model. It feels really good honestly, that I am in a position where I get the chance to make a difference.”
Mr. Anderson has been a teacher in this district since he graduated from Kean University-- a school he attended on a full academic scholarship. When asked if he thought University High School adequately prepared him for college Mr. Anderson said, “Yes, UHS definitely prepared me for college. UHS was actually harder than college in my opinion. In college I just had to manage my time.”
As a teacher Mr. Anderson has been featured in the Star Ledger and on NJ.COM for being among the best teachers in the district. Mr. Anderson has been rated by his principals and the state of New Jersey as a highly effective teacher. This means that he does everything you're supposed to do to a great teacher and then some. When I asked him how he felt about receiving this rating he said, “The rating honestly just pushes me to be even better and not be complacent.”
This is an attitude that he carries over to his other job as our Boys Basketball coach. Mr. Anderson was recently named Head Basketball Coach to the very team he was once a played for his entire time at University High School. Mr. Anderson or Coach O, like his players call him, doesn’t like to brag. But according to some of my teachers that knew him then --he was a great ball player. One of the best on his team even having played on a varsity level all four years of his high school career. In addition to coaching her at University, Mr. Anderson is also the basketball coach at Mckinley. Since Mr. Anderson has such close ties to this team, I wanted to know how he feels about coaching a state championship team at his alma mater. Mr Anderson had this to say, “I can’t think of a better place I would want to coach at. It's like my dream job as far as coaching.”
So many alumni have such fond memories here at UHS, especially the ones that were here from 7th grade on, I wanted to ask Mr. Anderson what was his fondest memories of his days here at University. Not surprisingly he said, “My fondest memory of UHS was playing basketball for 6 years at UHS.”
I decided to close out our interview by asking Mr. Anderson to leave the current students with a word of advice. He said the following, “The advice I would give is that UHS is a family. Even when you graduate from UHS it’s still a family because you will build friendships with people there for life.”
I definitely feel the family love here at University from the alumni and the teachers. Many of whom have children that go to school here. Or they bring their children to events at the school. If you’re ever at a boys home game you’ll see Mr. Anderson’s cute little girl cheering for her dad’s team in the stands often times with his sister (also an alumni) and his parents.
As a teacher Mr. Anderson has been featured in the Star Ledger and on NJ.COM for being among the best teachers in the district. Mr. Anderson has been rated by his principals and the state of New Jersey as a highly effective teacher. This means that he does everything you're supposed to do to a great teacher and then some. When I asked him how he felt about receiving this rating he said, “The rating honestly just pushes me to be even better and not be complacent.”
This is an attitude that he carries over to his other job as our Boys Basketball coach. Mr. Anderson was recently named Head Basketball Coach to the very team he was once a played for his entire time at University High School. Mr. Anderson or Coach O, like his players call him, doesn’t like to brag. But according to some of my teachers that knew him then --he was a great ball player. One of the best on his team even having played on a varsity level all four years of his high school career. In addition to coaching her at University, Mr. Anderson is also the basketball coach at Mckinley. Since Mr. Anderson has such close ties to this team, I wanted to know how he feels about coaching a state championship team at his alma mater. Mr Anderson had this to say, “I can’t think of a better place I would want to coach at. It's like my dream job as far as coaching.”
So many alumni have such fond memories here at UHS, especially the ones that were here from 7th grade on, I wanted to ask Mr. Anderson what was his fondest memories of his days here at University. Not surprisingly he said, “My fondest memory of UHS was playing basketball for 6 years at UHS.”
I decided to close out our interview by asking Mr. Anderson to leave the current students with a word of advice. He said the following, “The advice I would give is that UHS is a family. Even when you graduate from UHS it’s still a family because you will build friendships with people there for life.”
I definitely feel the family love here at University from the alumni and the teachers. Many of whom have children that go to school here. Or they bring their children to events at the school. If you’re ever at a boys home game you’ll see Mr. Anderson’s cute little girl cheering for her dad’s team in the stands often times with his sister (also an alumni) and his parents.
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| Photo: Courtesy |
This speaks volumes and it shows me that Mr. Anderson is man a of words-- University High is truly a family.
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