WILMINGTON — Wilmington High School’s new principal has a background that includes being an ag teacher in Highland County and most recently a principal at Madison-Plains Local in London, Ohio.
Matthew “Matt” C. Unger, Ed.D., said several things drew him to Wilmington. Among those are he was already “pretty familiar” with the community having been born and reared in Greenfield in neighboring Highland County.
He also said he likes the diversity within the Wilmington school system, as well as the support the community has for the schools, and also the quality of students here.
Unger said he’s looking forward to an exciting start of the school year and has lots of things planned. He’s looking forward to being at Hurricane football games and other WHS sporting events — he has coached wrestling and football.
His resume speaks of extensive research and experience in parent / school staff relationships, extensive research and experience in rural schools, and experience with Appalachian culture. Regarding that last experience, he points to his years at Morehead State University (MSU) in Kentucky as an undergrad, two years with MSU’s upward bound program, and his long residency in Highland County.
He was an agriculture teacher at Fairfield Local Schools in Leesburg (Highland County) from 1997 to 2012. Prior to coming to WHS, Unger had been at Madison-Plains Local since 2012, and a principal there from 2014 to 2018.
Unger’s doctoral dissertation at Ohio University was titled “Principals Perceptions of Parental Aggression”.
His resume states he worked cooperatively with area businesses to ensure a smooth transition for students from school to work.
Unger’s resume lists his objective as: “Leadership position in a district where I can use my training and experience to provide the students, staff, and the community with the opportunity to achieve at their highest potential.”
His teaching career began in Pekin, Indiana at East Washington School Corporation as an agriculture instructor from 1993 to 1997.
Please note that Wilmington High School also has a new assistant principal: Samantha Woodruff, who is a WHS graduate.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
