For those who don’t know, Mr. Joe Fox ’04 is the Director of Upper School. Some of you may want to know more about the man behind the scenes. Mr. Fox ’04 has left a lasting impression on the Barstow Community. So, what does Joe Fox say?
“I want people to know I care about this place. There’s the institution. I care very much about its longevity and its reputation. As a result, I care deeply about the students that graduate and come through this place and the lessons that they learn,” says Mr. Fox ‘04.
While many know about the presence of their administrators, most students don’t know about their day-to-day activities. Learning about your school’s faculty can seem daunting, but understanding their personas can help students feel closer to their community.
Mr. Fox ’04, unlike many other teachers here at Barstow, got his education from this very school. Mr. Fox ‘04 describes his Barstow experience as “overall really positive. I was immediately impressed with the rigor.” His graduating class consisted of 32 students, which gave him the unique opportunity to build lasting friendships.
Growing up, Mr. Fox ‘04 had a relatively normal childhood filled with several activities. Like many students, he had a love for sports. These include cross country, basketball, and golf. Mr. Fox ‘04 played the cello at both the Kansas City Youth Symphony and Sunday church. He was also on the honor council here at Barstow.
Even at a young age, Mr. Fox ‘04 showed interest in being an ambassador for this school by carrying the role of Karissente. He enjoyed “meeting new families and talking about [his] experience” at Barstow.
After graduating from Barstow, Mr. Fox ‘04 pursued a career in the financial industry, more specifically, Goldman Sachs. “It was an eye-opening experience but the main job entailed looking at an excel spreadsheet for 16 to 18 hours a day. I realized very quickly that it may not have been the best use of my skill set,” says Mr. Fox ‘04.
With those factors circulating, he pursued a job in teaching. This can be largely credited to his experiences at Barstow and knowing how much his own teachers enjoyed what they did at Barstow.
So, he enrolled in Teach for America. This program put people with very little teaching experience into the lowest-performing school districts in the United States. “I told this program that if I was lucky enough to be accepted, I would go to New York City or Kansas City,” remarks Mr. Fox ‘04. His wish was granted and eventually, he was sent to Troost Elementary School. There, he taught fourth grade for two years.
Mr. Fox ‘04 expresses, “I had a very challenging and difficult experience. I did the two-year commitment and I didn’t enjoy working. I struggled and didn’t consider myself a teacher. I considered myself more of a disciplinarian. It was a difficult place for me to be in because I don’t like being a disciplinarian. I wanted meaningful connections with students.”
Despite this setback, he decided that if he found a school similar to Barstow, he would continue teaching. If he still didn’t like the profession, he’d understand that teaching just wasn’t in the cards for him. Luckily for him, a position at Barstow opened up, and he taught fifth-grade math for two years. Although his re-entrance wasn’t in the least planned, he has come to connect his time at Barstow to a rewarding experience.
Nowadays, Mr. Fox ‘04 can be seen as an avid traveler. He has traveled all over the United States. Mr. Fox ‘04 says, “I’ve been to most major European cities. I’ve been to Rome, Paris, London, Madrid, Barcelona, Budapest, and even Vienna.” Fun fact: he’s an Irish citizen! Mr. Fox ‘04 says, “I tend to go to Ireland in the summer. My family is from a place called Belturbet, which is in County Cavan.”
His passions include Barstow and helping students reach their full potential. This includes understanding what hard work looks like and overcoming struggles. He’s also passionate about coaching basketball and golf. To add on, Mr. Fox ‘04 is very passionate about his family. He says that his greatest accomplishments are his “three beautiful children.”
Mr. Fox ‘04 names his father as his hero. The Director of Upper School says, “He set a great example of what hard work looks like. He set a great example of what making no excuses looked like.” His constant motion helped Mr. Fox ‘04 acquire a strong work ethic.
His favorite memory at Barstow – albeit hard to pinpoint – would likely be when he was coaching basketball and his team made the Final Four. Mr. Fox goes as far as to say that this game was the best sporting event he’s ever been to.
At the end of the day, Mr. Fox ‘04 wants his students to notice the good example of hard work he aims to set and what having a positive look means. He wants students to understand what a professional in a work environment looks like. He wants students to leave the school thinking “Mr. Fox, he was an alright guy. I appreciate his positive attitude. He seemed to work hard. He seemed to care.”
Although you may not see Mr. Fox ’04 in your day-to-day life, now you know more about his personality. If you ever see him in the hallways, make sure to say hi!
