Heritage Academy’s new headmaster, Dr. Greg Carlyle, knows a thing or two about private education: The native Canadian attended Ridley College, an independent, co-educational boarding school in St. Catharine’s, Ontario.
The school’s Latin motto, “Terar Dum Prosim,” is loosely translated as “May I be consumed in service,” and Carlyle has spent his life adhering to that principle. Now, as he takes the place of former Heritage Headmaster Tommy Gunn, he enters the next phase of his 21-year career in education.
Sitting in his new office Friday afternoon, he reflected on his first week at Heritage and the circuitous route which led him from Canada to Central America to Mississippi.
It began with a mission trip to Costa Rica, where he taught science and met Ann Marie Buckner, a Starkville native who was teaching there as well. Within five weeks, the two were engaged and were married in 1992 at the Chapel of Memories on the Mississippi State University campus.
His love for children brought him back to the classroom, and though the couple had considered returning to Central America, he accepted a teaching position with the Choctaw Tribal School District.
Working with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians “just clicked,” he said, so much so that he spent 17 years there — five as a biology and Spanish teacher, then six years as principal of Pearl River Elementary and six years as principal of Choctaw Central High School.
Though he likes working with children of all ages, his passion is educating high schoolers and helping them achieve their full potential.
At a time when the students are on the brink of so many important life choices, Carlyle likes being involved in those decisions, providing positive leadership and guidance.
At Ridley, where students are expected to excel in both academics and athletics, he learned life lessons that helped him believe in himself and understand that his life had value. He strives to give that same sense of confidence and self-worth to the pupils under his care.
“I believe there’s a leader in every student, and as an educator, my goal is to find that leader,” Carlyle said. “It’s up to us to guide and direct and lead them.”
Reading, particularly non-fiction, serves as his stress reliever. Favorite authors include David McNally, Walter Isaacson, Chuck Colson and C.S. Lewis.
But he reads broadly, currently engrossed in “The President’s Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity,” and having recently finished “Lord of the Flies” and the Hunger Games trilogy.
He draws inspiration from people like Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was imprisoned and executed by Nazis in 1945. A favorite book is Bonhoeffer’s “Letter and Papers from Prison.”
“He wanted to continue to grow and is a great example of a lifelong learner,” Carlyle said. “No matter what conditions he was put in, he made the most of them. He was truly an eternal optimist.”
As a member of Gideons International, Carlyle has spent his share of time in jails and prisons, ministering to those in need and bringing his own infectious blend of optimism and faith.
“Everyone makes mistakes, some greater than others,” Carlyle said. “Everyone has value, and you need to cultivate that value and bring out the best in them.”
It’s too soon to tell what, if any, changes he might make at Heritage. For now, he’s content to sit back and “get the pulse” of daily life at the school.
Carlyle holds a doctorate in education leadership from MSU. He and his wife, Ann Marie, have three children: Alex, 16, Andrew, 15, and Emma, 13.
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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