I entered the long bearing halls of Arrowhead High School on my first day of freshman year not knowing what was ahead of me. Transitioning from a class of 30 kids at North Lake Middle School to a freshman class of 575 at Arrowhead, I felt as if I was in a whole other world.
Nerves rushed through me as I walked down the halls passed the science rooms, looking for a friend to save me. That’s when I heard a familiar friendly voice scream, “Hey Austin!!” through the crowd of students. Finally, I had found the friend I was looking for: Mr. Mesenbrink, a ninth grade Science teacher, and the head coach of my club wrestling team.
Mr. Mesenbrink met me in front of his classroom with a big smile on his face, asking me questions like “How are you?” and “Are you excited for wrestling?” as if we’ve known eachother forever. He walked me around school helping me find my classes, and he continued to ask me friendly questions. The bell eventually rung and I went off to English while he taught his Science class.
Something was different about his class, though. He had something that most other teachers don’t: energy--and a lot of it. Most students don’t expect it when they see the almost 6 foot mass of muscle stand in front of the class. But with Mr. Mesenbrink, it’s impossible to get bored or zoned out. He keeps you on your toes and interested. There’s no such thing as a dull moment in his Science 9 class. It’s one of those classes that every student looks forward to.
At 2:30pm, school gets out and most teachers are done educating for the day. But for Mr. Mesenbrink, this is not the case. Through the weeknights, he coaches Wisconsin’s youth and high school wrestlers. His knowledge of the sport goes unmatched by any other coach in the state. Coach Mesenbrink goes above and beyond with his team, as if they are his family. He takes time out of his weekends just to do extra practices with any wrestler who asks. Mesenbrink is a backbone to wrestlers statewide--he’s always there to hold them up when they’re about to fall.
Mesenbrink has been my backbone in times of need. Without him, I wouldn't be the wrestler I am today. As an eighth grader, I had the chance to wrestle in the Midwest Championships, but didn’t have a way to get there. Being the caring man that he is, Mr.Mesenbrink offered to drive me 10 hours and buy a hotel room for me to wrestle in the Championships. The next day, he coached me to a second place finish and a spot on the National Team. Without John Mesenbrink, none of that would have been possible.
Thank you, Mr. Mesenbrink, for everything. You’re more than an educator to students and athletes, you are family, a friend, and a hero.