TAMPA, Fla. — Mick Boddie, a 22-year Air Force Veteran, went from teacher to principal at North Tampa Epic3 where he runs a tight ship.
- North Tampa Epic3 Principal making changes to school
- New name, new sign giving students new hope
Every morning, Boddie and his staff chart the progress or pitfalls each of his 120-plus students face. There are plenty of ups and downs to talk about with the single goal — help each child succeed.
“This is where my heart is. I want my kids to know how much we all care for them,” Boddie said.
North Tampa Epic3 used to be what was called an alternative school for troubled students. These are teenagers who have been removed from their zoned schools for disciplinary reasons. Boddie hates that “alternative school” label.
"I've had parents cry and look at the sign and say my child is in an alternative school — you have to change the branding," he said.
So he did. The school got a new name and a new sign, paid for by someone who drove by and donated the money, giving them a new attitude and more hope.
“The brand on that new sign at the bottom says: culture, order, and academics. That’s what this school is now all about.”
Those are powerful words from a man raised in a single family home in Miami where hard times then translated into a valuable resource now.
“They don’t teach you these things in a book. You can’t read on how to deal with the inner city kid. To strive and be successful here you have to have experienced it. Now I can be empathetic to the child because you’ve been there. Our kids pick that up immediately.”
And he’s right. Some students shared with Bay News 9's Al Ruechel just how Boddie advocates for them every day.
“He gives everyone a second chance whether you think you deserve it or not,” Selenia Medina said. “You don’t even have to ask him for help. He will come up to you and say do you need help and he will automatically help you.”
No detail is too small or insignificant at Boddie’s school.
“One of the things that I was so happy about had to do with the school dress code," said school LPN Carol Bolton. “The kids used to have to wear a white shirt and they would be upset and teased because they’d get dirty. So he switched them to blue. You could see the students’ confidence rise.”
It's a little change with a big impact, just like all of the other changes Boddie has made to let the students know they can overcome any challenge they face.