Students can often see assistant principal Nick Corsi wearing Statesmen Athletics clothing as he familiarizes himself with the school, from introducing himself in the classrooms to giving passes during the tardy sweeps.
But, after years of coaching both football and basketball, the new addition to the administrative team said he has no intention of training any of Marshal’s sports teams. Instead, he is interested in a different kind of guidance, involving student mental health.
“I’m a statesman now, so I have to support my statesmen,” Corsi said. “But unfortunately, I’ve hung my whistle up. I miss it, but the coaching that I want to move into is coaching teachers [and] students in the classroom.”
Corsi’s previous role as the Systems of Support Advisor (SOSA) at McLean High School revolved around identifying students-in-need, but he said it was very crisis-driven. Now, as assistant principal, Corsi said he has the ability to work with the teachers and counselors in putting preventions concerning mental health issues sooner.
“A lot of times, in many schools, we tend to focus on developing the academic needs of the student,” Corsi said. “This is an opportunity for me to work with teachers and administrators to focus on developing the whole student [by] taking care of their mental wellness. If students are not mentally well, I don’t think they would be able to access their full potential.”
In the few weeks that he has been at Marshall, Corsi said he noticed a very positive and friendly school culture, which is something that he focuses on implementing in schools. Additionally, he said he was impressed to see that every student he asked has stated that they have at least one trusted adult in the building .
“Every student should have an adult that they can go to,” Corsi said. “It’s extremely important for us to have a mentor in our lives. My door is open for every student in this building, and that’s what I’m striving to do: to build a relationship with as many students as I can.”