For someone who has absolutely no problem with speaking about our school and its community, that is second to none, I find myself struggling to write about myself. When I came to Tampa Prep in 1984 as a full-time English teacher and Varsity Basketball coach, I truly believed I would be on the fast track to a college coaching job, making a lucrative salary with a vacation home at the beach.

Now I sit writing this bio having completed over 30 years at Tampa Preparatory School. What I didn’t expect was how much I was going to enjoy working at Tampa Prep. I can honestly say that there have been very few times over the years that I grumbled on my way to work. Grumbled after a loss, maybe, but never because of work.It is the people that make Tampa Prep special. It is the students, faculty, staff, security staff, custodians and maintenance people that make Tampa Prep great. It is almost a CHEERS type atmosphere, where everyone seems to know your name. It is the interaction of adults and students in the classroom, in the halls, at social events, at Arts evenings and athletic contests. It’s conversations at a lunch table or on a school bus on the way to a game. It’s the alums that come back in droves over the holidays to see both students and faculty, and then return to speak to our sophomores for Career Day and the seniors about what they should expect next as they venture on to their next challenge. It’s the way students rally around each other when there are setbacks in their lives. It is the sense of community that makes Tampa Prep special.

I feel fortunate that my two children had the privilege to attend and graduate from Prep. I have been blessed to have an opportunity to go to a place every day where I feel I can make a difference. I feel the difference we make on a daily basis at Tampa Prep is one that will be understood and appreciated much more a few years down the line.

• Mr. Fenlon is the Varsity Boys Basketball Head Coach