Engineering Academy Director Cliff Greer is departing NHS on March 8 after accomplishing various achievements in his 14-year tenure as an instructor of the engineering program. Greer has been previously recognized nationally for his contribution to the program and impactful teaching through Project Lead the Way, a STEM nonprofit organization that named him an ‘Outstanding Teacher’ in 2018.
“We send anywhere between 10-20 kids to college for engineering every year,” Greer said. “I can’t say that was all because of me or the other teachers in the academy, but I think we had a part in it.”
Greer will transition from being the head of the engineering department to a construction project manager at Curran Young Construction. Despite his departure from teaching at NHS, Greer will continue to participate in coaching for the Golden Eagles football team and would consider being an engineering instructor again in the future.
“I think teaching has a certain stigma behind it. I’m glad I was able to do it for as long as I could,” Greer said. “It’s just been really fun dealing with the kids and building relationships with the students, kind of seeing them grow over four years.”
During his time at NHS, Greer has left a lasting impression on his students, school faculty, and school community. His passion for the curriculum and innovative teaching style have allowed engineering students to grasp content in a manner that will hopefully foster long-term inquisitiveness.
“Teaching students things that they’re interested in and giving them a connection to the real world has certainly worked pretty well in my classes,” Greer said.
With his future job, his love for construction and development will continue. Greer is looking forward to having the opportunity to transition to a prior career.
“Getting back to building buildings, it’s been a while, so I’m excited to get back to doing this,” Greer said. “That’s what I came down here for.”
