The Man They Call “Mr. Saint Edward’s”

Bruce Wachter’s face is probably the most recognizable one on the St. Edward’s School campus – and not only to the current crop of students. Alumni of the independent school from the 1970s, ’80s, ’90s and the millennium know Bruce as the most constant presence at the school, and many know him as teacher, coach and college guidance counselor as well.

Now in his 37th year there, Bruce knows the ins and outs of the school and each program like no one else. He has interacted with the children in all grades and on the athletic fields, and has watched them matriculate to some of the top colleges and universities in the country. He has seen the school grow not only in its student population but also in its state-of-the-art facilities.

He sees plenty of work ahead as the school works its way through student recruitment issues in a stressed economy, and the ever-present need to build its endowment – while at the same time constantly striving for excellence in educating and nurturing the intellectual curiosity of its students. Because of these challenges, he is exactly where he wants to be, and that is in his positions as Associate Head of School and Head of the Upper School. In these roles he is second-in-command in running the school under its new Head of School Michael Mersky.

Bruce talked about the changes in the years since he arrived in Vero Beach as a young science teacher and coach in 1973. He also talked about what has stayed the same – that is, the school’s core values and its priority in supporting each student to reach his or her potential.

Read the entire article in the November 2009 issue