New Iola High School special education teacher Richard Hurst has been around the world.
The Neodesha native spent 18 years in the U.S. Marine Corps where he was stationed in California, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., South Korea and Japan. He also served two stints in Iraq.
Hurst said serving in the military and being a law enforcement officer has been his life, but it was time for a new change after an injury lingered.
“I always wanted to be a cop and be a Marine,” Hurst said. “A couple of blown out knees later, here I am today. It was time to retire and I couldn’t figure out what else to do with my life and for my country, so I figured I could come back to school. Coming back as a teacher was the best thing I could do.”
Hurst injured his knee in 2005, but continued to serve until 2014. He was a drill sergeant and led boot camp for young Marines.
While he was working stateside, Hurst was a deputy sheriff in Wilson county for four years and also coached sports on the side. He also was part of the military police while in Iraq and was a substitute teacher in Labette County.
Hurst graduated from Pittsburg State University last May with a degree in history and government. He continues to work on his master’s degree at PSU.
The teaching position at IHS came through the ANW Special Education Cooperative, Hurst said. After contemplating three offers, he and his family agreed that Iola was a perfect fit for relocation.
“We drove to Iola and it didn’t take us too long to figure out what it was about,” Hurst said. “It’s very religious oriented and it fell in line with our standards.”
Hurst is a father of three children and his wife, Natasha, also works at IHS as a bookkeeper. He enjoys spending time with his family, whether it’s fishing or through outdoor activity.
By working in special needs, Hurst said he has seen several kids struggle through life and felt the need to help them with success.
“I’ve worked with a lot of kids as a coach and in law enforcement,” Hurst said. “I’ve seen too many kids get the raw end of the deal.”
His class is currently focused on priorities on needs versus wants and essentials.
“I’m teaching them life,” Hurst said. “Not only to be successful in high school, but to be successful in life in general.”
A MIXED chocolate labrador dog who is part blue doberman named Duk also is featured in his classroom. Duk is a PTSD service dog who, like Hurst, is certified through PSU. He works well with kids and assists Hurst around the school.
Hurst teaches 25 students at the high school, with only a fraction at a time.
Students are the first priority for Hurst in this new position. He wants to see growth and progress as he helps guide his students.
“I want to make an impact,” Hurst said. “I’m waiting for the day where I can have a student in my classroom and they can go to graduation and I see them walk across the stage. I already have one retirement check, so I’m working on the second one.”
