“The two most important days of your life are the day you were born, and the day you find out WHY.” This quote from Mark Twain perfectly captures Dr. William Noel’s personal calling and dedication to working with children. That higher calling and dedication is why Dr. Noel remains committed to being an influential role model for all students, but especially for the (sometimes) Hard-to-Reach students. Dr. Noel emphasizes the importance of connecting with those students through establishing genuine relationships, and teaching them to make better decisions. He would be the first person to debate that knowing WHO you teach may be more important than WHAT you teach. Dr. Noel began his journey in education as a substitute teacher, then as an alternative education teacher, social studies teacher, coach, assistant principal, and now district director of student support and disciplinary review. When asked by a colleague if he was going to miss teaching, Dr. Noel replied, “I will always be a teacher; just no longer from a classroom.”