Since he was a child, Wilde Lake’s new Assistant Principal, Mr. Molin, knew he wanted to grow up to be a role model for students.

He strives to ensure that students have the support growing up that he lacked. “I didn’t have a lot of support in my house, and so I didn’t know what I was doing with my life growing up,” he said. “I wanted to be there for the kids that are currently in similar situations.”

He wakes up every morning hoping to positively influence his students’ lives. “I get to help kids prepare to be adults and find good matches for post-graduation paths, which is something I didn’t necessarily have,” he said.

As a recent graduate of Louisiana State University, Mr. Molin quickly came face-to-face with the defining moment of his career in 2002. At an East Baton Rouge Parish School, one of his students pulled a gun on him.

Instead of quitting his job or giving up, he came to a realization that he had the ability to prevent future incidents similar to his own, spinning a seemingly negative situation into a constructive

learning one. “Every experience makes me better at what I’m doing, which means that I can help more kids,” he said. “I chose to focus on the positive, and I didn’t give up and I love my job even more now.”

Bringing his experience and positive attitude to Wilde Lake, Mr. Molin looks forward to building relationships with his new students. “My biggest goal has become helping the kids that might be leaning towards solving problems with violence, school safety is my number one priority.”