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WEIRTON – Principal Dan Enich presided over the 100th Weir High School graduation May 26, and it was his last as principal.
“Just recently, I presided over the 100th graduation, and it was an honor to do that, to be here at this time in history,” he said.
Beginning July 1, Enich will become the Hancock County Schools director of secondary curriculum and career and adult education. He has spent 25 years as a teacher, coach and school administrator in Hancock County, with positions at Weir Middle School and Oak Glen and Weir high schools.
“Forty-two of my 54 years, I’ve spent in the district, either as a student, a teacher or an administrator,” Enich said. “Being an educator is something I felt compelled to do.”
Enich has been the principal of Weir High School for five years. Prior to that, he taught special education, physical education and driver’s education and coached baseball, football and volleyball. He was Weir’s head baseball coach from 1996 to 1999, and the head football coach from 1999 to 2001. Enich also is a member of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference executive board and a West Virginia Secondary Activities Commission regional deputy director. He also was recognized by the All-Black Schools Sports and Academic Hall of Fame Caroline Smoot Contributors Award.
As a coach, he met both successes and disappointments and those, he said, made him a better educator. Enich’s baseball team repeatedly came close to a state title and earned regional honors. When the opportunity to become the head football coach presented itself, he stepped into the role with the encouragement of his students.
“We got better as we went along,” he said. “Of course, there were challenges and disappointments along the way. I practically lived with these kids – weight training is basically year-round now – and I can honestly say I liked every student-athlete I coached.”
Coaching gave Enich an opportunity to mentor students and he retained that coach mentality as an administrator.
“Over 24 years, even in tough situations, I’ve never had a student I didn’t want to help,” he said. “Even now, I see former students at the gas station or the grocery store, and they say, ‘thank you for little push’ or ‘thank you for that one-on-one conversation.’ It’s always positive.”
In 2002, he retired from coaching to become the Weir Middle assistant principal, before a stint as an assistant principal at Oak Glen High School.
“To be honest, it doesn’t feel like I’m working at all,” he said. “I’m very passionate about our students’ success.”
Enich then became the principal at Weir Middle in 2008, followed by taking on principal duties at Weir High in 2011.
“It’s a big transition,” he said of the move from teacher to administrator. “You’re making decisions – daily, hourly, sometimes every minute – that affect a lot of people. I do all I can to do it right, but like anyone, I have some holes in my game and I try to correct them and limit them as much as possible.”
Enich is a graduate of Weir High and the former West Liberty State College, where he received an athletic scholarship for baseball. Enich was a catcher at West Liberty from 1980 to 1983. He was twice named the team captain and was named to the All-Conference team three times, becoming a Pittsburgh Pirates scout after graduation.
“The goal was always to be here, always to be at Weir High,” he said. “It was what I was always working toward.”
It was at West Liberty where he was encouraged to pursue a degree in education by a baseball coach, after initially enrolling in the art program. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education with a minor in safety education.
“That’s how much influences coaches have,” Enich said.
He almost didn’t go to West Liberty – Enich and a high school teammate, Bob Rosnick, were set to split a baseball scholarship at a Nashville-based college when Rosnick had a serious automobile accident shortly before the fall semester began and was unable to attend. The appeal of attending school in Nashville dimmed, and Enich chose to attend West Liberty.
Although he ultimately chose to become an educator, he never lost his love of art. Enich continues to create unique pieces, usually painted on the surface of footballs, volleyballs and baseballs. His talent is in demand, and he has created several pieces for the school, students and local charities, including Make-a-Wish.
“It’s very relaxing to me,” he said.
Enich became a substitute in Hancock County, but following a reduction in forces, he decided to pursue a master’s degree in special education at West Virginia University. He also received a master’s degree in education administration from the Salem Institute.
“I feel that (a degree in special education) has made me a better teacher, coach and principal,” Enich said. “It has taught me strategies that can be used across the board.”
Enich credited his success as an administrator to mentors such as John T. Gross, George Kohelis, Marty Hudek and Wayne Neeley. Those successes included Weir High being recognized as one of 47 schools in the state with superior graduation and attendance rates, and being recognized as a distinguished school by the West Virginia Office of Education Performance Audits.
“You rate yourselves, and then they come into the school and rate you,” Enich said of the OEPA. “They rated us higher than we had rated ourselves. Those ratings were due to the work of the staff and administration.”
Enich also worked to center the students needs, including moving several offices, such as the guidance officers and assistant principals’ office, to the upper level of the high school’s B Building, near the cafeteria and classrooms, so they would be accessible to students. Enich also had influence on the design of a new, all-inclusive science lab and the rehabilitation of sciences labs throughout the school following the passage of the recent school levy.
“I’m also very proud of all the business partnerships I’ve worked to bring on board so we could have things for the students that we might not otherwise have had,” Enich said. “One of the great relationships we have is with Weirton Medical Center. The digital sign (at the entrance to Red Rider Road) was donated by the medical center through the efforts of Kelli Olexia McCoy, Eric Frankovitch, Tony Filberto and myself. Weirton Medical Center is one of our VIP business partners.”
Through partnership with local businesses, the school also was able to make improvements to the school’s Hall of Fame in the Carl Hamill Fieldhouse.
“Our business partners kicked it up a notch,” he said. “We will be honoring (alum) Fritz Williams at the beginning of the next basketball season.”
Enich also noted students had been awarded millions of dollars worth of scholarships during his tenure.
“Students have been awarded millions over the five-year period,” he said.
The school also currently is working with the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center to create another sort of hall of fame – one that will look back on significant moments from the school’s 100 year history.
However, he is not looking at the past, but focusing on his upcoming transfer to the district offices.
“I’m definitely going to miss the students and the staff,” he said. “After five years at a place, you develop a lot of deep connections. It will be hard leaving, but I’ve never had a problem being out of my comfort zone and choosing what is best for the district and for me. I’ve always been able to step up and do what needed done, and I’ve always had a desire to work on this level.”
In his new position, Enich will oversee curriculum at both county high schools and middle schools and the career and adult education programs at the John D. Rockefeller IV Career Center. Enich said he looks forward to the job, including highlighting the programs available at the career center – such as those programs that allow a student to graduate with certification in their field. He expressed his appreciation for Superintendent Kathy Kidder-Wilkerson and Assistant Superintendent Dawn Petrovich for giving him the opportunity.
As he departs, Enich thanked his assistant principals, including Anthony Perri, Andrea Dulaney, Kristen Bissett and Mike McKenzie.
“They have gone above and beyond as assistant principals here,” he said. “I can trust them with anything.”
He also thanked the service personal, including the custodians and secretaries, including Fran Games, Jolynn Mark, Candice Dotson, Sunny McCoy, Diane Campinelli and Josette Hudek.
“They make the place run,” he said.
Enich pointed out the contributions of Athletic and Students Services Director Mike Del Re, who “works nonstop, delivering the best for our athletic department and student body.”
“Our teachers are who have really made academic excellence possible (at Weir High),” he said. “I’m going to spend the next few weeks trying to make the transition for the next person (as principal) as easy as possible.”