Great Life Farm welcomes thousands of visitors, from weekend patrons or students on a field trip. Pathway’s John Trussel, a seventh grade teacher, and his wife Melyssa, a substitute teacher, look at running the nonprofit farm as their way to give back to the community.
“It’s always a blessing and a joy to support in a different way,” he said. “Not everybody has things built up the way we have. We’re all over the place. Wherever there’s an opportunity to be with kids and to serve, we are able to do that.”
Trussel has had stints with National Heritage Academies schools at Pathway and North Dayton School of Discovery, but has always left on good terms, swayed only by other aspirations such as Great Life Farm. What’s brought him back to school each time is the students.
“I teach because of the kids,” he said. “I believe in education and the lessons we teach, but I challenge my kids to think for themselves and problem solve the things that I think they need to do in the real world. And as a science and social studies teacher I’m in a good spot to do that. Being there and helping them along is the main reason I come back.”
At Pathway, the No. 1-ranked school in Dayton, Trussel is known as one of the goofiest yet strictest teachers. He builds an environment built on expectations while engaging in playful teasing, with a good amount directed at his short, stocky frame or attempts at using slang.
At Great Life Farm, Trussel supports kids differently. The farm has donated pumpkins to students at North Dayton and Pathway, hosted last year’s middle school field day. And to support the greater community, the farm welcomed children and families through Head Start Ohio at a reduced cost and worked with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to provide a mobile pumpkin patch.
The presence of Pathway’s staff during their free time at Great Lakes Farm is proof of its impact. Principal Cathy Miller has volunteered at the snack stand when Trussel was sick, and Director of School Quality Nate Preston offered to help for hours during the busy opening period by moving bales of straw and pallets, just because he wanted to support what the farm is doing.
“The kids get experiences they don’t get or have never had, and they come out here and they have those opportunities,” Trussel said. “They just love it.”
Whether he’s behind the wheel of the tractor at Great Life Farm or taking time to say “good morning” to a student who might need of pick-me-up, Trussel is always there for students.
“They all have their issues that they don’t always share, or you don’t always know, but that doesn’t stop you from trying to be a light to them and provide some sort of happiness,” he said.
Keep up the excellent work, Mr. Trussel!
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About Pathway School of Discovery
Pathway School of Discovery is a tuition-free, public charter school in Dayton, Ohio, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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