By Borislava Panayotova 

   When a student enters Tempe Prep in sixth grade and stays all the way through senior year, they have been a part of the Tempe Prep community for seven years – exactly the amount of time Dr. Porter has served as the school’s headmaster. 

    However, this number doesn’t just indicate how long Dr. Porter has been working at Tempe Prep – it also means he is our longest serving-headmaster. 

   During his tenure at Tempe Prep there have been major changes: new buildings and facilities have been constructed, more extracurricular activities have been added and there has been an influx of new students and teachers. 

   Dr. Porter started working at Tempe Prep in the summer of 2015, two weeks before school started.

   “I didn’t have a lot of time to settle in before students arrived on campus to start the school year,” he said. However, his late start did not prevent him from connecting with the Tempe Prep students, families and faculty. 

   “I think one of the best things that has happened is me getting to know the great families of the TPA community better, including the faculty and staff,” he said. “It is such a pleasure to work alongside them as we all work to raise great, responsible young men and women.” 

   Dr. Porter also maintains a good relationship with TPA’s board of directors, which helps foster effective discussion and decision-making that affects the school. 

   While there have been many accomplishments over the years, there are also challenges that come with running a school. “We have pretty much had to deal with normal issues that arise within a school community,” said Dr. Porter.

   Thus, there are still many changes that must happen to improve the school. Dr. Porter said. But it is change with a purpose. 

   “Any changes we make are based on trying to make the school a better place for students to learn and grow,” he said. Dr. Porter is excited about these and other changes that will happen as he continues on as Tempe Prep’s headmaster.