What person comes to mind when someone asks you, “Who inspires you?” I can’t speak for you, but if you don’t have anyone in mind, keep reading this article to hear about one amazing administrator who most certainly brings inspiration to me. Can you believe I picked an administrator, and I’m not the only one who looks up to him?  As senior Ian Valk says, “Mr. Alsup is a really nice guy and he gets work done!” 

Mr. Ryan Alsup is one of Doherty’s assistant principal, and he usually can be found in what is typically referred to as the “Disciplinary Office,” but don’t let that title and where his office is scare you. As Mr. Alsup says, “You know what’s cool is the majority of the time the kids that come into this office are not even in trouble, they just simply come to say hi, and I really enjoy seeing these kids and being able to hopefully make their day a little brighter if they are having a not-so-great day.” From a chill office atmosphere, to several sports teams he has coached on the wall, you can draw a pretty detailed conclusion on the type of person Mr. Alsup is just by walking into his office. 

This is Mr. Alsup’s 2nd year at Doherty. Before administration, he was a social studies teacher for five years. Pretty cool, right? And if you think that’s not cool enough, did you know that Mr. Gardner and him go way back? They actually knew each other when Mr. Alsup was a teacher, and Mr. Gardner has been a mentor-like figure for Mr. Alsup, and Mr. Alsup gives Mr. Gardner credit for why he is such a great administrator today. “It’s actually really cool because I coached Mr. Gardner’s son, and then Mr. Gardner was the assistant principal at the time at the school I was teaching it, so we’ve known each other a long time.”  When I asked him what he loves most about his job, he responded with, “Being able to make a difference in kids’ lives and in administration.” I took some time to ask Mrs. Amy Robinette what she thought of this special person. “He definitely puts students first, and has a great personality!” I couldn’t agree with her more. 

You see, Mr. Alsup has always saved a huge place in his heart for kiddos. “Back in high school, I was a wrestler. Fellow students and I would go to elementary schools and create wrestling teams. It was awesome to work with the kids, and help them out. It was definitely rewarding getting to be a part of that, and watching their sense of accomplishment.” during this interview, I got a chance to ask him what how he feels about the class of 2020 leaving. “You know, that’s a tough one for me. I always try to meet and create a relationship with as many kids as possible, and every individual, every class has something special about them. So I would say the hardest part of the job is creating all of these relationships with students and then they graduate and are not here at Doherty anymore.” 

Now, you see this one-of-a-kind administrator at school, but only seeing him at Doherty might make you wonder what he does when he’s not here, and he has free time. “Well for me, it’s all about time with my family. I have two daughters, and I am happily married, and so I really enjoy spending time with them, and hanging out.” He definitely puts the famous saying, “Ohana means family” to use.  

I have always admired Mr. Alsup because of his heart for students. For me personally, high school has not been the easiest, and when you’re going through tough times, sometimes you just need someone to say even a little, “Hello”, and show they care by wanting to get to know you, and sophomore year, that is exactly what Mr Alsup did. By Mr. Alsup taking a few moments to talk to me, a little 5’2 shy person, I was given another reason why I should keep going, because I realized that there are people who care. 

The interview with Mr. Alsup was such an awesome interview, and I would do it again, for sure. If you have not had the chance to meet this one of a kind administrator, stop by his office sometime and say hi! I think it is only appropriate to end this article with one of Mr. Alsup’s favorite quotes that he lives by. “If you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life.” – Marc Anthony