In year 15 of the school being open, there are 15 original staff members left. Choir teacher Tracy Resseguie is one of the last 15.
Staley Original: Tracy Resseguie
15 Original Staff Members Left In School's 15th Year
Since the school opened, choir director Tracy Resseguie has been building the program. Despite the challenges that came with creating a new program, Resseguie found the recognition his choirs received on a large scale rewarding.
“It was the opportunity to build a program that was highly respected from around the world,” Resseguie said. “Different countries, not just the state of Missouri.”
Resseguie shared that his choir group of 2011 and 2013 stood out to him, as those were the years when the choir traveled abroad to perform in Norway and Ireland, respectively.
While Resseguie said that those were memories he valued, one that was most special to him was a memory he made with a former coach prior to his retirement. Resseguie said that he would often come into the choir room after football practice to listen to their rehearsals.
“One of his last days I said, ‘Hey, what are your favorite wins?’ He just started from the beginning and started talking about the big wins,” Resseguie said. “But then he looked at me at the end and he goes, ‘Every kid I’m talking about was a choir kid.’ It was something we were doing together. It was about working with friends to create the best version of a student that could happen.”
Though Resseguie said it was his last year before retirement, it didn’t feel as if he’d been here for more than a decade.
“I’m surprised at how fast it’s gone,” Resseguie said. “I guess when you love something as much as you love it, it goes by pretty quick.”