“When we first came in and walked the building, the floors were just mud,” said Lightridge assistant Principal and founding faculty member Jeremy Cortash, regarding the state of the school the first time he walked on campus.
Currently serving as the Assistant Principal over last names A-Dh and Exceptional Ed and Health and PE, Cortash was one of the original administrators who helped decide everything from the shade of blue and yellow for the school colors to the type of chairs and desks in each class.
Cortash’s work history had a surprising beginning; working on one of his friend’s grandparent’s dairy farm milking cows at thirteen years old. Cows, however, were not to play a major role in his future.
“My whole life I had wanted to become an attorney,” Cortash said about his childhood dream job. After majoring in history, he took the LSAT and was accepted to law school. During that time he was tutoring struggling high school and middle school students in history and fell in love with teaching kids. He decided to forget about law school and returned to university to get a masters degree in teaching. When choosing what subject to teach, history was the obvious choice.
“I’ve always been a big history nerd,” he said. “When I read at home it’s always straight history”.
Originally from Upstate New York, Cortash said the main reason he moved was to escape the frigid north eastern winters. At the time it was difficult to get a teaching position, but after only three interviews Cortash was able to get a job in Prince William County. Though he enjoyed PWCS, he said that since Loudoun County schools were smaller it helped him feel more connected to the student body.
I’ve always been a big history nerd.
— Jeremy Cortash
Working at a highschool can be quite time consuming with coming in early to help teachers and also planning and attending events and sports after. Nevertheless, Cortash always makes sure to balance his busy schedule to be able to spend time with his family.
He has always been an active person, spending his time climbing, ski-ing, and snowboarding. He worked for Red Bull in college and taught wakeboarding back in New York. His sport oriented lifestyle has also come with many injuries including a torn ACL, broken elbow, and most of his bones in his hand.
Cortash wants the students of Lightridge to know this is his favorite job he’s ever had.
“I wouldn’t come to school everyday if he didn’t love it,” said Cortash. “ It’s one of those places that you come to and you feel like you’re not working.”
