As a “Navy Brat,” Mr. Paul Ketchum spent his childhood moving from one Navy base to another, including New York City, NY; San Diego, CA; and Virginia Beach, VA. Even though he didn’t enjoy the disruptions, he appreciated having gotten to see different parts of the country.

“Growing up on a Navy base is an experience like no other,” Mr. Ketchum said. “Everyone takes care of each other’s kids like family. There was always someone’s place you could eat at on the base as everyone fed everyone’s kids. There are many different cultures and backgrounds of people that are in the military, so being a Navy Brat helped me understand and enjoy different cultures. This is also why I enjoy teaching Social Studies.”

Mr. Ketchum earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Education from UAFS, an Instructional specialist degree from the University of Arkansas, and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Harding University. He first made the decision to become a teacher after coaching football and baseball.

“Seeing kids learn and grow as athletes was the reason I became interested in coaching and teaching.” Mr. Ketchum said.

Before coming here, Mr. Ketchum taught history, math, and English for fifteen years at Southside High School.

Mr. Ketchum enjoys the family atmosphere here.

“Everyone is friendly and cares about each other,” Mr. Ketchum said.

His biggest challenge as a teacher is getting students to realize the importance of the learning process to them.

“I want them to be successful in life,” Mr. Ketchum said.

Mr. Ketchum’s favorite teacher memory happened at Pine Bluff when he saw one of his quiet students running down the hallway with his hands behind his back.

“As he passed me, I realized that he had handcuffs on and was running from the resource officer,” Mr. Ketchum said. “He ran right out the building across a busy four lane road with cars driving by and almost hitting him. This was memorable because you don’t see it everyday.”

Something that people may not know about Mr. Ketchum is that he used to surf and bodyboard.

“Surfing is like hoverboarding or skating, but it is done on water. It takes lots of practice and balance to be able to shred a wave without falling,” Mr. Ketchum said. “It’s hard enough to jump up on your board in the water, but you must be able to read the waves before they get closer to the beach in order to catch it or ride it. Like anything it takes lots of practice, patience, and skill to do it correctly. Bodyboarding is like surfing, but you have a shorter board and don’t have to stand up on it to ride the wave.”

Outside of school, Mr. Ketchum enjoys being with his family at a baseball field.

“My kids enjoy playing the game,” Mr. Ketchum said.