Few people can accurately predict where the future will take them. We may think we have it all figured out, only for our lives to take a dramatic shift and end up far different than expected. Sometimes, this change can leave us feeling unfulfilled and lost, whereas others can secretly be a blessing in disguise that we didn't know we needed. The latter was especially true for Craig Schlichting when two back-to-back knee injuries prevented him from pursuing professional football. Not letting these setbacks get in the way of life, he decided to turn his college education at the University of Wyoming into a career in teaching. What started as a desperate plan B led to a job opportunity as a Junior High teacher for Triton Public Schools in 1993. Since then, his life has catapulted into a 30+ year experience with the district, where he has climbed the ranks and improved the educational experience of thousands of students.
Craig's retirement this spring marks the end of a three-decade journey that started in his childhood home in Spring Lake Park, Minnesota. Before dedicating his life to teaching, his interests lay almost entirely in the sports realm. After graduating from his town's school in 1985, the University of Wyoming granted him the incredible opportunity to attend college with a full football scholarship. His mother's unfortunate passing two weeks before the school year began undoubtedly made this a difficult adjustment. While having to start anew, Craig played as a redshirt for the next four years, competing in the Holiday Bowl against Iowa and Oklahoma State in 1987 and 1988. These initial opportunities led him into an illustrious sports career that allowed him to play in the Blue-Grey Game and Senior Bowl, get drafted into the 8th round of the Minnesota Vikings, and eventually play for teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Jersey Knights, and Cincinnati Rockers in the following years.
So much strain and competition during this time led him to injure both of his knees through different incidents, which served as the initial domino to topple his sports career. Deciding to take advantage of his college education, Craig made the difficult but worthwhile decision to leave his football pursuits behind to teach in his home community. The first of his many positions began when Triton Public Schools hired him as a Junior High PE & Health teacher in the fall of 1993. After only three years, he received an additional hour to work in the role of "student services." With it came the responsibility to assist those struggling academically to get them back on track. Meeting with these students to discuss how they might improve and create a better future for themselves was tremendously fulfilling. A part of his philosophy was to help students understand that making mistakes is inevitable; "it's what we do after them that's most important." When a student realized the district was here to help, Craig's role helped them make better choices and ultimately live better lives.
His three-decade journey at Triton was far from over, however. After teaching health classes for two more years in the newly remodeled Dodge Center building, Craig briefly served as the Dean of Students and Assistant Principal. From this experience, he found his place as the Middle School Principal in 2002 for twelve years before leading the high school for five. Up to this point, Craig's work in various positions and capacities had amounted to a deep love for the school district. As a result, he decided to apply for the newly opened superintendent position for the 2019-2020 school year, the role he kept for five years up to his retirement. Looking back on this opportunity to serve as the district leader, Craig is incredibly grateful to have been part of such an outstanding district and group of staff. Being involved with the community while watching his four boys grow and learn at Triton has been a massive blessing.
Craig Schlichting: "Having a place for students to develop during their pre-teen years is so important, which is why my proudest achievement is likely developing a genuine middle school. These students are at an age where they are changing and developing more than at any other time besides infancy, and it is critical to provide safeguards to support them as they mature."
Reflecting on his experience with the district over the years, Craig can only point to good things. To genuinely enjoy your job is rare nowadays, but he has found significant fulfillment in serving this community and meeting its amazing people. An inevitable part of being an administrator is making decisions that, while not always popular with everyone, are done with the best intentions in mind for students. Everyone has been a child before, and they know that addressing complicated issues in a student's academic journey often requires equally thorough solutions. By looking back on all his challenges as a youth, Craig aimed to relate with the school and remind them that they were cared for. This idea that assistance was only an ask away coincided with his final goal: to remind students that discipline was not something done to them. Instead, it was for them to help students make better decisions. When asked if he had any final comments on his time, Craig emphasized the importance of finding happiness regardless of our situation.
"I can't help but think about those we have lost. Death can be hard to understand, especially when it happens to a student. It is the most challenging thing I have dealt with in my career, reminding us that we should cherish each day and be grateful for what memories we have. I have always tried to model that as an example for others, and I hope that is what people remember me for."
This feeling of contentment will continue to guide Craig as he stays in touch with Triton Schools after retirement. His incredible contributions to the district will no doubt extend beyond his decades of service. In the coming weeks, however, he plans on taking the opportunity to do something his previous role prevented: disconnect. Unavoidably, being a superintendent requires flexibility to be on-site at a moment's notice. Relaxing in a tree stand, hunting, and fishing without interruptions will help provide him this much-needed time off. Following this, he aims to find fulfillment in another role that allows him to help students on their life journey. From professional football to fulfilling teaching, Craig Schlichting's story precisely illustrates that things won't always end up how we want them to. Storms may come. Challenges will arise. But by seeing things for their benefit and being content with what we have, we can heed the advice Craig often includes by Abraham Lincoln at the end of his emails: "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."
