Goossen finds a new path

Greg Goossen is a well-known teacher at Taft High who will not be returning next year. He started working at Taft High in 2004. Goossen has contributed to the school in many ways. Amazingly, he has helped in making roughly 5,000+ videos regarding TUHS for his T.V. productions and KTHN classes. Before Goossen was this kind of teacher at Taft High, he taught English classes, Geography, and even Drama classes, so this class was going to be something new and different for him. Toward the beginning of his teaching career at TUHS, Goossen was the Renaissance advisor (teacher) for the class when it was around. Like mentioned above, Goossen has been the visual and performing arts department chair for ten years. Many refer to him as the “karaoke god,” for he has helped put together rallies and other activities and even carnivals that involved students participating in karaoke on the school’s main quad area or football stadium.

Goossen says he will miss the students, but overall he will miss his friends at Taft High that he has made over his years teaching. He says that his most memorable moment at Taft High was right after his interview because he felt so confident about the job after he finished the interview, and getting the job started the beginning of his path full of memories at Taft High. He says it was even like a “dream come true.” As Goossen is sad but ready to leave Taft High, he says it is his time. He has hopes of opening a restaurant business in Lake Tahoe selling food he calls American Comfort Cuisine.

Goossen says that, “ever since the school shooting in 2013, the school just has not quite been the same. We have our ups and downs, and right now is one of the downs for our school with a lot of our staff leaving…change is inevitable and TUHS will be okay eventually.” As Goossen leaves our school, he recognized that Taft High has been good to him financially, and has helped him creatively by giving him more memories and old friends with lots of love around town. To wrap up, Greg Goossen has enjoyed helping and being part of Taft High, but it is finally his time to leave his mark on Taft High and move on with his life. Goossen wanted to mention that, “this may be a tough time and is not fun at all right now, but it is still a good place that will rebound and recreate itself and find a way to get ‘curious’ again…because learning needs to be fun and curious for both the teachers and the students. Taft High will be itself again one day.” Goossen will be missed by students and staff.