This year, Hamburg Area High School welcomes back Mr. Saunders as a paraprofessional who assists Mrs. Salomonsen, the emotional support teacher, in room 9, although many students and staff mistakenly believe he is a teacher or co-teacher. To Mr. Saunders, the most important aspects of being a paraprofessional are being a good listener to both students and staff, assisting with instructions in class, fostering solid relationships with students, and contributing to a safer school environment for both staff and students. In his current position, he values making a meaningful impact on students’ lives by building trust and stability most.
His experiences with students at Hamburg vary from person to person, but he enjoys meeting them at their level and helping them throughout their high school careers.
He can relate to many students at Hamburg Area High School, especially since his high school experience is relatable to many high school students. As a high school student, Mr. Saunders was rebellious; he had the worst grades and attention span and only wanted to do what he wanted rather than what he needed to do, causing him to barely graduate. As he went in and came out of the workforce, the one goal in his life that he never managed to complete was graduating from college. He left the workforce and managed to graduate from college this May with high honors, an achievement worth congratulating.
He has many hobbies as well, including boxing, which he used to do as a sport but now casually “hits the heavy bags” whenever he has time; he also likes going outdoors and playing with his dogs. His favorite movie is Rocky, and he has seen both the movie and all of its sequels many times. His favorite quote is by Rocky Balboa: “Nobody owes nobody nothin’. You owe yourself.”
Delaney Muller, a senior at Hamburg Area High School who met Mr. Saunders during her freshman year, believes that Mr. Saunders is “just an awesome person” who is open to talking to any student who needs help. She also notes that he includes everyone and cares about every student he meets.
