Mia: Hi, my name is Mia Escaleira. I’m with Principal Hara to do a little interview for the Garnet and Black newspaper. My first question is: has education always been a central part of your life? Have you envisioned yourself in a career involving teaching or did you discover a passion for this as you went through school? 

Mr. Hara: It’s a great first question. Education has always been something I have loved. As far back as I can remember, my mother was an educator. I was her guinea pig when she was getting her teaching license and I was five years old. She taught me how to read by putting the lyrics to Beatles songs on chart paper and having me sing them. She rented a camcorder for that so the only footage of me as a young child was me singing Beatles songs in my living room with my mother when I was five. My mother asked the best questions growing up, and I even remember her talking about using the Socratic method when teaching. I still hear teachers use that term today. 

I would say that my mother as an educator fostered a level of curiosity that led me into education when I got into college as a junior. There was an opportunity to teach the experimental college and it allowed students to come up with their own courses, so a friend of mine and I developed a course that we taught to freshmen. I really loved the experience and by the time I graduated, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. For people who love learning and working with young people, teaching is a natural progression. I am excited to continue and still be an educator over twenty years later.

Mia: So now we’re gonna talk about your presence in Rye. Students across Rye, myself included, have really acknowledged and appreciated your presence on social media. Is running such a spirited Instagram something you’ve done in the past, or has being part of Rye High School’s leadership inspired you to post more frequently?

Mr. Hara: You know, I did have an account in my last district. I used it, but I noticed that there were no student followers and I just never figured out the direction I wanted to go with an Instagram account. [Starting the RHS account] was really easy because I knew that students were on social media; it was something that someone mentioned in the interview. They said that communication was really important to them and that it was inconvenient to have to open up another Google classroom to get the information. I thought, why not add one more level of communication with Instagram? 

I’m still learning because I didn’t have a cell phone in high school. I didn’t have a smart phone until I was a young adult, so I’m trying to keep up and do it. I will be that person who would do an individual post with really long narrative stories, and that’s just not what students do. So I found that for whatever reason, stories–just click, click, click–are more in line with the modern teenager.

Mia: What’s your favorite part of being the principal? 

Mr. Hara: My favorite part of working in schools is the students. The reason I’ve never thought about going into any different profession is because when I wake up in the morning–and I hope this goes for most people–I like my purpose. I’m going to work today and what I’m doing each day is serving some larger purpose. Students have always given me the “why,” and that even goes for the students who most people see as a tough student or a pain in the you-know-what. Those are the students that give me a sense of purpose as well, because to watch students grow–which is also the reason why I like high school, seeing the amount of growth from 9th to 12th grade–is incredible. People don’t realize it because you’re still young, but I love seeing how far a student comes. 

Mia: Do you have any final words of wisdom for your students?

Mr. Hara: Whenever I come on the announcements I say the same thing, right: in a world where you can be anything, be kind. I really do believe kindness is infectious. When we are kind to others, whether as young people or as professionals, it just makes the world a better place. So that’s one thing. 

I will also say one thing I noticed more here than anywhere else I’ve been is that students get very stressed out about their work here. That’s understandable because school is hard and I know people really want to do as well as possible, and they’re looking forward, looking to the future. Keep in mind that everything is going to work out. 

At the end of the day you could go to the best school in the world, but if you don’t find that thing that gives you a sense of purpose when you wake up in the morning, what are you doing? So I always encourage people to surround themselves with friends and loved ones that give them a sense of purpose so they grow to become better people.