If you have gone through seventh grade at Saint Stephen’s, you most likely had Mr. Huff as your history teacher. The class involves an extensive study of international and domestic history but I, along with many others, remember the class for not only its fun nature, but Mr. Huff.

Mr. Huff’s story is as colorful as his personality. In his childhood, Mr. Huff’s family was very mobile. In his own words, “My father was in the military so we traveled constantly, I was always the new kid in the class every 18 months or so.”

While Mr. Huff’s experience in schools was difficult as he had to move frequently, there was one main positive to moving around frequently, “We went all over the United States, and all over Europe. It was good training to be a history teacher because you experience lots of different cultures and lots of different ways of thinking”.

His family spent weekends traveling to countries like the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and his favorite, Italy. This initially sparked a true passion for exploring and learning about new cultures.

Mr. Huff described his life as one without a lot of adversity, however, he faced some issues during his time in high school, “there were a couple of moments there when I wasn’t sure that I would make it through 10th grade.”

Talking about the best ways to overcome adversity, Mr. Huff stated the importance of knowing one’s goals, and most importantly seeking help. “Nobody does it by themselves and everybody needs help at some point. So make sure to ask for help.”

Mr. Huff wanted to become a teacher when he found his passion for history in college. He said this stemmed from findinga professor that he truly enjoyed. “You will experience this as well. But in college I had a professor that I really liked, and no matter what I would take all his classes.”

Interestingly enough, Mr. Huff did not start his educational career right away. Prior to teaching at Saint Stephen’s, Mr. Huff pursued a career as a professional stage director, as well as teaching acting classes for 20 years.

When asked about the best part of Saint Stephen’s, Mr. Huff lauded the intimate community atmosphere of the school, citing the recent senior walk as a terrific tradition. “I can look at all of you walking by and say ‘I knew them back in seventh grade!’”

Along with the community atmosphere, Mr. Huff claims that the school’s traditions and customs have enriched his life; being a teacher has been, he said, “the most fortunate thing that ever happened to me.”

In his free time, Mr. Huff reads anything he can get his hands on. “I just read constantly, whatever comes at me, whatever is interesting.”

As an avid reader of both news, fiction, and non-fiction, Mr. Huff also values the importance of being informed, and reading the right things. “I don’t watch a lot of television. Television news is very valuable if you want to look at pictures. As far as talking about the details, television for some reason just doesn’t seem able to do that.”

Mr. Huff’s life’s story and experiences make him a man of many talents and cultures. With a love of Italy, Mr. Huff will continue his travels this summer, visiting all the sites for several weeks in Italy.