Mr. Versteeg’s Mason City story started because he wanted a change. At the time, he was the Superintendent of Montezuma Schools, yet he wanted something different. Montezuma is a very small district, but Mr. Versteeg wanted to pursue a position in a larger community. When the MCCSD Superintendent position became available, it was a very good match. Mason City was a place where, “things were going really well”, and he wanted to “build on the great things that have been done”. With this experience of his for applying to the MCCSD, he had learned that, “You just have to take a chance in life”.
Usually, Mr. Versteeg’s days are typically busy, and consists of many meetings. “I have to have a calendar,” he stated. “I am never at one place at one time”. The biggest challenge is public relations because if something happens at a school, they are unable to share information to the public because of the rights of the individual. “Communicating to the public is the biggest challenge,” he said. He also mentioned how his job can be difficult at times when there are high emotions involved.
When asking about his goals, Mr. Versteeg responded with, “It’s not about me,” but instead “what are the district’s goals?” He then went into detail about working and gathering ideas this fall. One of the goals that the district have created is to have one hundred percent of seniors to graduate.
A message that Mr. Versteeg would like to broadcast to the student body is to,“not be afraid of failing.He also adds,”What you put in high school will determine what you get out of it”. He stated the futures ahead of students is tied to their effort in high school by saying, “it’s more than just doing work, It’s all about the process and growing of that individual”.
When asked about his family, he said that he moved here with his wife Brenda, who works as a paraeducator at John Adams Middle School. His daughters Tremaine and Tressa both live out of the state. Mr. Versteeg commented,”it was nice to have children in different parts of the country”, since they could travel with them to go see some neat places without having the stress of getting lost.
For all of those who often deal with the thought of “what’s the point in all this” when relating to the tough times in school, here’s some help: Mr. Versteeg has put the puzzle pieces together by simply saying that, “your future is tied to your effort in high school”. We must then ask ourselves of what we would do differently in order to be successful in the present and the future. Mr. Versteeg will definitely make our school district a better place for all students, staff, and parents because of his passion to serve the community with determination and leadership.
Great Writing/Story