SYLACAUGA — Matthew Hubbard has been called into the principal’s office at Sylacauga High School, after 13 years working in various capacities at the school. He is taking on his new leadership role with a passion for public education just as strong as the day he began, he said.

“This is literally like living a career dream come true,” Hubbard said of his new job.

He attributes his earnestness to Dr. Terry Roberson of Alpine, who rekindled that passion for him after 12 years in the public school profession.

“If you’re not careful, this profession can suck the energy out of you,” Hubbard explained, expressing his gratitude for Roberson’s role in rejuvenating him. “Through him, God has kept that fire burning in me.”

He said he hopes to pass that enthusiasm on to the faculty, staff and students in his school.

“My number one objective is to make this the single best school year for every kid that walks in these doors,” Hubbard said.

That task is an ambitious one, but he brings a blend of experiences and education that he hopes will prove him an asset to the school.

“I got both perspectives on public education, and I pull from that on a daily basis,” Hubbard said.

His father was a school superintendent in Attalla, Ala., while he grew up, and his mother worked on the UniServ staff of the Alabama Education Association.

His own education and experience comes from, among other things, Snead State Community College, Athens State University, the Madison County School System and the Jefferson County School System.

But the greatest asset he brings to the school table, Hubbard said, is his Ed. S. degree in teacher leadership from the University of Montevallo.

“This summer has been so exciting,” he said. “Seeing the amount of transition in this school system – with an interim superintendent, a new principal and a new assistant principal – is just overwhelming, even if you’re prepared for it. And I would not recommend the transition from teaching to administration for just anybody.”

As part of a cohort group the University of Montevallo, Hubbard said he gained the most valuable experience of his entire career, and knows that will serve his new leadership role well as he steps into it in the school he now calls home.

His first exposure to SHS was through high school athletic rivalries. Years later, after taking his first job at SHS, he met his own wife in the halls of the former rival school. He later moved his parents to Sylacauga, and this week he prepares to throw open the high school’s doors and welcome his students and staff to the place where he is most comfortable and at home.

One of his goals is to keep students and faculty inspired, and to celebrate the uniquely close small-town high school atmosphere.

“They’ll all be sick of it by the time the year is over, but this year our motto is ‘We Are Family,’” Hubbard said.

Even though SHS is a relatively small school, the former Shades Valley High School teacher said the services provided through the administration and faculty at SHS are comparable to those offered at larger schools like Mountain Brook High School and other large institutions. He said his experience transitioning from the old SVHS building to its newer one several years ago may prove helpful when SHS eventually gets funds to construct a new facility.

In the meanwhile, the school has new lunchroom furniture selected with student input, a new schedule (8:00 a.m. to 3:20 p.m.), and Hubbard plans to establish a leadership team that will help guide the school through its year. He will also meet regularly with the student body president, Cass Curtis.

He has every intention of staying a while to improve the school, he said, because he understands the importance of consistency, longevity and institutional knowledge for the principal’s position. It fosters true academic integrity, he said, to have a principal who is at home in and committed to the school he or she serves.

“I plan on being a fixture,” he said. “I consider myself one already – and it would take the National Guard to get me out of here.”