Just Getting Started

Mr. Gary Isaacs, the longest running member of our staff, is also one of the most endeared and beloved by both students and staff alike. “Mr. I,” as everyone calls him, has become a bit of a living legend. From his wearing a completely different tie each and every day to his famous “A-Train,” there’s not a student who graduates from Maranatha that hasn’t had a brush with Mr. I.

Mr. I’s time at Maranatha began nearly 50 years ago when he says that “God sovereignly called me here.” Although things weren’t always easy for Mr. I back in the early days of Maranatha as he was trying to raise a family, he stayed true to God. “Well, it was just, you know, there’s just a peace... You’ve got to follow the peace.”

When reflecting on his role in education, Mr. I believes wholeheartedly that forming genuine relationships with students is the only path to success.

“So I think the big thing is relatability. What kind of relationship can you foster? So when they get out, they feel, they think about school, and it’s not ‘ugh, school.’” It’s less about what is being taught and more about how it’s being taught and by whom. “I can still remember my 7th grade teacher taking us out on a boat ride.” If we take a moment to reflect, we all have had those teachers in our lives that influenced us for the better. Although we may not remember every lesson they taught us, we remember their warm smiles, their dedication to us by going to all of our soccer games, and the weekly calls home to mom and dad just to check in on things. That’s the type of teacher that Gary aims to be: the one that when they think about him, a smile lights up their face.

Mr. I's tenacity to show up each and every day for his students is unmatched. “They [the students] come in every day and don’t have to worry about me being in a bad mood, or if I’m going to be here... I was sick, I think, in 1998. So that was the last time I missed class... I just don’t believe that I will get sick.” Mr. I even made sure to show up for the very last day of the school year after he recovered from COVID in 2021. That kind of tenacity to show up no matter what, to be there for his kids no matter what, is what sets Mr. I apart from most anybody.

Reflecting on what students go through today compared to what life was like when he was a student, Mr. I said, “You know, they’ve got to be solid in Christ. They’re not perfect, neither am I, you know. And I think there’s only one person I know that was perfect and He was crucified for it.” Mr. I hopes he can be that example for his students of what it means to live like Christ, to show up every day with not just a good attitude, but a loving one. To be that person that can help others when they’re down. To be that person who’s there for them when it seems like no one else is. “I’m here five days a week. I’m here before school. I’m here after school.” For nearly 50 years, Mr. I has been doing this very thing, and he’s just getting started.

Mr. I in 1997 (left), 2010 (center), and 2023 (right)

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