#ThrowbackThursday: Jim Fry
Jim Fry – Elementary Education, Educational Administration
Tell us a little about your background.
I am proud being a native of Pullman and a Pullman High School graduate (Class of ’91). Go Greyhounds! My dad (Jim Fry) was formerly the District Manager of the Spokesman-Review newspaper and my mom (Raylene Fletcher Fry) was the “Head of Home Operations” and took excellent care of me, my two brothers, and two sisters. I spent the first 24 years of my life on the Palouse and cherish my time growing up there. I had no shortage of examples of the rewards of faith, hard work, and enjoying life.
My family had deep roots at WSU before I attended as my dad was an alum and my grandad was the Sports Information Director (WSU Sports Hall of Fame 2009). As a young person in Pullman, my initial goal was to leave and go elsewhere, but when the time to make my decision of college, there was no choice to make, but to be a Coug.
What did you study at WSU? Did you always know you wanted to study that?
I initially set out to be a Business major. I had always worked for my dad in newspaper sales both door to door and over the phone and really felt that it was my calling. I began my courses in that department and I just felt like it wasn’t a fit. It wasn’t anything about the classes, professors, or the College of Business, it was about me. About that time, I was working in a Sunday School class with a young boy who really struggled to be in the class while his parents were in the church service. I connected with him and he began to like to come to Sunday School and I thought, “hey, maybe I should be a teacher?”
I remember going to my Business Advisor German Rose and telling him about how I felt. I remember him telling me, “you can always go into business with a teaching degree, but you can’t go into teaching with a business degree, so follow your heart.” It felt like that moment in the classic movie of “Miracle on 34th Street” when the Macy’s Santa sends the customer to Gimbels. I’m not sure if that was what the College of Business wanted him to do in sending a student to another department, but it made all the difference to me!
I entered the College of Education and that began a new chapter in my life. I studied Elementary Education with an endorsement in English Grades 4-12. The funny thing was I had always planned to teach elementary school and my advisor Tom Ruff said that my grades were so good in my English classes, I might as well get that endorsement while I was at Wazzu. So, I did and it ended up a great “backup plan” that became my main plan.
What has been your favorite thing about WSU, as well as the College of Education?
I have so many “favorite” things about WSU that I could write an entire novel on the subject (which I am willing to do in exchange for WSU putting one of my four boys through college). The most special thing about WSU is that it was big enough that there was a lot to do, but still small enough that you felt like you knew most everyone. I used to tell people that as I walked each day to the same classes along the same routes I would see other students making their way to class as well. At first it was a head nod, then it was a “hello” and before long it might have been a beverage at The Coug. It was that way because everyone lived on campus you got to know and see people from all the different departments and across the campus and you knew that you were deeply bonded as Cougs. That is real and true and by far my most favorite thing about WSU.
Is there a memory you have from WSU that stands out in your mind as unforgettable, transformative, etc.?
The most transformative moment professionally was the meeting with Mr. Rose. If he had tried to convince me of a different career path or told me I had to “ride it out” or a myriad of other forms of advice that they would probably give to you at the University of Washington :), I can’t say that I would be where I am now, doing what I am doing. I am grateful for that unforgettable and transformative moment.
As far as something a bit more fun, it would have to be the 1992 football season that ended in Apple Cup victory in the Snow Bowl and the Drew Bledsoe led victory in the Copper Bowl. At the time, I was dating my future wife Angie Price, who happened to be the daughter of WSU Football Coach Mike Price and brother of WSU kicker Aaron Price. As a student, to get to experience the fun and success of that entire season from start to end and finish with going to watch the Cougs in Tucson was something I will never forget. The Apple Cup alone delivered a lifetime’s worth of memories (think CJ Davis and Phillip Bobo sliding into the snow bank in the back of the endzone), but the whole season was magical for so many reasons. As a student, it was an incredible experience.
As a young alumnus, the year after I graduated I got to experience the ride all Coug fans did with the first trip to the Rose Bowl in 67 years. I was able to go to every home game and most of the away games that year including the huge victory in Husky stadium and all the pageantry that comes with the Tournament of Roses. Another memory I will carry with me always.
What has your career path been since you left WSU? What do you currently do? Tell us about your NOW life!
After I left WSU, I took a job as a teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, WA (Go Abes!). I was fortunate to get to work a group of amazing staff and students there where I taught English and some courses for students struggling to stay on course to graduation. Moving from Pullman to Tacoma was a bit overwhelming at first, but my experience there was one of the greatest professional experiences of my life. Luckily, I had the support of a huge Coug in Assistant Principal Bob Hunt and my wife Angie (we married between my first and second year there) since the Principal, Grant Hosford, was a Duck (but still one of the greatest men to work with).
I returned to WSU after two years at Lincoln to earn my Masters in Education Administration and once again, I was blessed by an unbelievable WSU Advisor and mentor in Sam Adams who gave me the great guidance only WSU does. I had the opportunity to serve in the WSU Athletic Compliance Department while attending school that year learning a great deal from Assistant AD John Oliver about finding ways to “say yes” in a job that sure had a lot of “nos.” A life lesson for what was ahead for me.
After my Masters Program, I ventured to Rogers High School in Spokane where I taught English for two years under Principal and WSU Alumnus Wallace Williams. After my second year, Wallace lured me into school administration as I became the Assistant Principal there and served for four years first for Athletics and Activities and then Student Administration. Rogers was an incredible breeding ground for school administrators as every administrator there during my time went on to further school and district administration roles. While in Spokane, Angie and I had sons Devin and Davis before we headed to the desert.
In 2006, we moved to El Paso, Texas where I continued my role as an Assistant Principal for two years at Canutillo High School before becoming the principal there for four years. The entire El Paso and Canutillo community welcomed me with welcome arms and I was proud to serve there for those six years. During that time, Angie I welcomed sons James and Brandon I learned so many new things transitioning from Washington and Texas and being a high school principal there taught me life and leadership lessons I will never forget.
In July of 2012, we moved back to the Evergreen state as I took the role of Executive Director of Teaching & Learning in the Clarkston School District in Clarkston, Washington for three years before becoming the Assistant Superintendent there from 2015 through 2019. It was great to be back home and around so many Cougs again. I had missed the Northwest and I was proud to bring my boys back so they could experience all the events and games at WSU, just a short drive away.
Currently, I have the privilege to serve as the Superintendent in College Place, Washington in College Place Public Schools. It is a wonderful PK-12 school district of roughly 1500 students and growing. I am blessed to get to work with a talented and caring group of staff and administrators who serve the children in our community. I definitely give my best effort to employ many of the lessons I learned from WSU; whether they were learned inside or outside the classroom.
What makes you an agent of change?
I sincerely believe I get to spend each day in the field that has always and always will be the agent for change in the world; education. That brings with it an awesome responsibility for me and my colleagues when I know that everything we do each day impacts and changes a life, ripples out into the community, and eventually changes the world. I strive to make sure that I challenge children to follow their heart and I find a way to say yes to the things in our school system that make sure that they achieve everything they deserve.
Favorites
Food: Pizza
Restaurant in Pullman: Sella’s
Musician: Garth Brooks
Song: The Dance, by Garth Brooks
Movie: Remember the Titans
TV show: Cheers
Favorite Coug sport: Football
Favorite spot on campus (when you were a student): The library, of course 😉
Hobby: Watching my four boys play sports
Place to visit (you’ve been to): Jamaica
Dream vacation spot (you haven’t been to): Ireland