An Address to Barberton City School District Educators
Editors note: This article was originally written as an address to the full staff of Barberton City School District during school’s Kickoff Day on Thursday, August 14, 2025.
It’s a privilege to be here with you today, and I’ll explain why in just a few moments.
I’m not sure how it was for you, but I can remember the night before school being one of the worst nights of sleep I had all year. I was anticipating so much—too excited to sleep. Part of that sleepless night came from excitement about what I knew was going to be my best outfit of the year: that first day outfit.
It didn’t matter what it actually was—it only mattered if I felt confident enough to rock those threads, right? My parents had the money, so they’d select the outfit for me. For years, its featured garment was the turtleneck. You may be thinking, “How old is he that turtlenecks were cool when he was in school?” Well, it doesn’t matter how old I am because turtlenecks were never cool! All that mattered was my level of confidence.
This confidence was built, in part, at home. Home is the first teacher. But once you enter kindergarten—or hopefully even preschool—your universe of adults expands. And every adult you encounter becomes an educator to you. That’s because when you are young and impressionable, your confidence is largely derived from external influences, like the adults in your life.
I’ll share a quick story to illustrate this.
Thirteen years ago, a young five-year-old lady got on a bus here, and that bus driver’s greeting was that young lady’s first impression of the Barberton City School District—that day and every day after that she rode the bus. As she got off the bus that first day, there was another adult waiting at the bottom of the bus steps to deliver another first impression. On the way to the classroom, there was a custodian who gave a warm smile and a good morning, and she walked a little taller and felt a little more confident in this new world outside of her home life.
She met new people who made sure she was fed and taken care of every day so she wasn’t hungry. She met her kindergarten teacher—her professionally trained brain builder—whose whole job was to help her learn, feed her curiosity, and ignite her confidence.
This process repeated every year, in every building, through every scary transition, all the way through graduation. This young lady did in fact graduate this past year, where I had the opportunity to hand her a scholarship—a new one focused on helping graduates build careers in the allied health field.
All of the confidence built at home and in this district over thirteen years culminated in new anticipation and excitement for what comes next. But something unexpected happened—she was diagnosed with cancer at eighteen and was confronted with a tremendous challenge.
But she was determined to fight. And fight she did. She had surgery to remove the cancer, then chemotherapy to blast any remnants. Her last treatment was just last week, and the prognosis is good. That means next fall, she’ll get to have another sleepless night as she anticipates her transition to college to pursue the helping profession she’s passionate about.
Now, some of you may know the person I’m speaking about and her story. Without revealing her name, I’d just like to remind you all of the hand you had in helping her develop the grit, determination, and resilience to face her battle. And I want to remind you that her story is just one of well over 200 graduating seniors from this past May—young people who spent thirteen years being filled with the knowledge and confidence to take on life’s battles and unlock its many opportunities.
Everyone in this room who encounters a kid and chooses to fill them with confidence and opportunity—this is the magic of the Magic City. You are the magic of the Magic City.
So yes, for me it’s a privilege to be in this room with you—with people who all do jobs I admire. I know your jobs aren’t always easy, and I know there are down days, but the honor and responsibility of filling every kid with confidence is critical work that shapes lives in ways you may never fully know.
On behalf of the hardworking team and board of the foundation, please accept our gratitude and admiration for your work. Know that we are sharing in the excitement for a new year, with new focus, new tools, and new opportunities to equip our young people with the knowledge and confidence they need to flourish in the Magic City and beyond.
Thank you, and let’s have the best school year ever!
In community,
Josh Gordon
