Eavan Kallis
Staff Writer
Michael Burch is in his second year as an assistant principal in Academy 3. Previously the assistant athletic director and volleyball coach at Alexandria City High School, Burch is passionate about extracurricular activities and encourages students to get involved.
Burch looks back fondly on his own high school experience at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg. “Not only was I an athlete, I was also in the school band. I did everything everybody else did – I was in the school play, football, and track,” he said.
Burch thinks high school students should explore a variety of activities to learn what they like, meet new people, and have fun. After high school, Burch attended Virginia Tech where he received two degrees and was a student athlete. “I was a student athlete, track athlete, and then ended up coaching there. I got into college athletics, and that was my first job, in the Virginia Tech athletic department.”
Living and working in different areas gave Burch the experience needed to work in such a large school. “I lived in Dallas, I lived in El Paso, and I’ve lived in other states. Working in college athletics … I’ve worked at four different colleges, so I think over that 17-year span, being exposed to different populations and different students and different environments, I think that’s what helped me be prepared for the size of ACHS,” said Burch.
Instead of setting long term goals for himself, Burch is committed to doing the best he can to get better every day. “When I became a teacher here, I never thought about becoming an assistant athletic director, never thought about being a testing coordinator. Things happened along the way… I just try to improve every day and see where it takes me,” he explained.
Burch is also an animal lover, and has been all his life. “Going back to passion, I’ve had animals all my life. I currently have two, the most I ever had at one time was four,” he said. Having lived on an emu ranch in Texas and on a horse farm in Stafford, Burch describes himself as “a little bit of a country boy.”
Photo courtesy of Michael Burch
