Johnny Phillips
College Composition & Research
Interview Essay: Mike Lair
November 7, 2016
State Representative Mike Lair: The Bridge Of Leadership
The two ends of a bridge have a connection from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’; just like this bridge, State Representative Mike Lair enjoys making connections that lead lives from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’. Lair began his career as a small-town history teacher, eventually moving on to help change history. He turned his whole career around to become a state representative, continuing his career as a leader and shaping society. State Representative Mike Lair dedicates his life to making connections that help shape our society; first he shaped education in the young minds of teens, and now he is shaping education in the Missouri government, but not without continuously being shaped by his family.
Shaping the minds of teens was an important aspect of teaching that Lair cared about deeply. His passion is helping students connect with their future and helping them to grow as individuals. Being a school teacher and football coach, Lair had an excess of time with students. These young adults were always Lair’s top priority in teaching: “I think that the kids were the most important thing.” He made connections with each one of his students and helped them strive for success. Even though Lair says that he would not go back to coaching football, he feels that it is where happiness was discovered. Lair shares his feelings on coaching, “That [coaching football] was the one place in the world where I felt really alive.” He helped the students successfully pass through high school through his teaching initiative and sent them on their journey of life with a hope for success.
Lair’s family has had a significant role in shaping him and his beliefs. He built his family in the small town of Chillicothe, Missouri. To pursue his career, Lair had to pick up his life and move to a larger town. The move to Jefferson City, Missouri, was quite a change for Lair because he believed that family always came first: “It is a family affair; family was a big part of that [deciding to move], and it should have been.” He valued family in every decision that he maked and they had a huge impact on his thought process. He waited to run for state representative until his wife told him that running was a change that she would be okay with having. Lair made a tough decision when moving away from his wife: “She [Mrs. Lair] is not only my wife but my best friend.” However, he knew that relocating would be the best decision for his growth as a leader that is trying to make a positive impact on education system.
Moving from being a teacher for more than 30 years, Lair decided that he could use his talent of shaping lives for the Missouri government. He focused on making connections with bills that helped to better education in schools spread across Missouri: “Education was my forte, that is what I knew the most about. That is what I am good at.” Lair’s new focus is to watch over close to 17 rural school districts and make sure that his fellow politicians do not only focus on the large schools. By creating a connection with the rural schools, Lair is shaping how the students in these schools will receive their education and helping to better this education with hope for their success.. Lair states, “Treating people the same is the best thing to do.” Lair says that he devotes his life to children that need help with their education: “We are there for kids.” His passion for the education of these small-town students shapes these teens into their lives and possibly their future careers.
Education is the main focus of Lair’s career; considering that he started his adult life as a history teacher and continued his life as a politician focused on education, his passion for the growth of students under his care is great. Lair strongly believes in connecting the individuals with their flourishing futures. He dedicates his life to shaping the education system to benefit each one of the small schooling districts under his authority. State Representative Mike Lair has been consistently shaped by his family while effectively changing the way that individuals use the education system in Missouri, connecting bright students with their even brighter futures.
College Composition & Research
Interview Essay: Mike Lair
November 7, 2016
State Representative Mike Lair: The Bridge Of Leadership
The two ends of a bridge have a connection from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’; just like this bridge, State Representative Mike Lair enjoys making connections that lead lives from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’. Lair began his career as a small-town history teacher, eventually moving on to help change history. He turned his whole career around to become a state representative, continuing his career as a leader and shaping society. State Representative Mike Lair dedicates his life to making connections that help shape our society; first he shaped education in the young minds of teens, and now he is shaping education in the Missouri government, but not without continuously being shaped by his family.
Shaping the minds of teens was an important aspect of teaching that Lair cared about deeply. His passion is helping students connect with their future and helping them to grow as individuals. Being a school teacher and football coach, Lair had an excess of time with students. These young adults were always Lair’s top priority in teaching: “I think that the kids were the most important thing.” He made connections with each one of his students and helped them strive for success. Even though Lair says that he would not go back to coaching football, he feels that it is where happiness was discovered. Lair shares his feelings on coaching, “That [coaching football] was the one place in the world where I felt really alive.” He helped the students successfully pass through high school through his teaching initiative and sent them on their journey of life with a hope for success.
Lair’s family has had a significant role in shaping him and his beliefs. He built his family in the small town of Chillicothe, Missouri. To pursue his career, Lair had to pick up his life and move to a larger town. The move to Jefferson City, Missouri, was quite a change for Lair because he believed that family always came first: “It is a family affair; family was a big part of that [deciding to move], and it should have been.” He valued family in every decision that he maked and they had a huge impact on his thought process. He waited to run for state representative until his wife told him that running was a change that she would be okay with having. Lair made a tough decision when moving away from his wife: “She [Mrs. Lair] is not only my wife but my best friend.” However, he knew that relocating would be the best decision for his growth as a leader that is trying to make a positive impact on education system.
Moving from being a teacher for more than 30 years, Lair decided that he could use his talent of shaping lives for the Missouri government. He focused on making connections with bills that helped to better education in schools spread across Missouri: “Education was my forte, that is what I knew the most about. That is what I am good at.” Lair’s new focus is to watch over close to 17 rural school districts and make sure that his fellow politicians do not only focus on the large schools. By creating a connection with the rural schools, Lair is shaping how the students in these schools will receive their education and helping to better this education with hope for their success.. Lair states, “Treating people the same is the best thing to do.” Lair says that he devotes his life to children that need help with their education: “We are there for kids.” His passion for the education of these small-town students shapes these teens into their lives and possibly their future careers.
Education is the main focus of Lair’s career; considering that he started his adult life as a history teacher and continued his life as a politician focused on education, his passion for the growth of students under his care is great. Lair strongly believes in connecting the individuals with their flourishing futures. He dedicates his life to shaping the education system to benefit each one of the small schooling districts under his authority. State Representative Mike Lair has been consistently shaped by his family while effectively changing the way that individuals use the education system in Missouri, connecting bright students with their even brighter futures.
Works Cited
"Interview: Mike Lair." Personal interview. 28 Oct. 2016.
"Interview: Mike Lair." Personal interview. 28 Oct. 2016.