Albert Einstein. Thomas Edison. Vincent van Gogh. J.K. Rowling. Bill Gates. Michael Jordan. What do all these people have in common? Failure. They all ran into obstacles in their lives but did not let it hinder their success. Just as they believed in perseverance, so does Etowah’s principal, Robert Horn. 

“Failure is never final or fatal unless you let it be,” Horn said. 

Horn has been an educator for twenty-four years and has witnessed many different styles of learning. From this, he has created a philosophy when it comes to comprehending mistakes. Horn believes in perseverance and learning from these problems. Experience is the biggest factor in how Horn educates. Thanks to this, Horn has been able to apply his wisdom to Etowah. 

“Experience is one of the best teachers out there,” Horn said. 

Horn brought new ideas to the school to better students’ education. For example, Horn implemented the cross-campus release bell (CCR). He also wants to bring more career-specific electives for students to choose from.  Horn wants more allotments for CTAE classes (career-technical-agricultural-education) to offer Etowah students. On a school level, he wants to see change within the student body. 

“I would say to keep increasing kids treating each other with kindness and respect,” Horn said. 

A lot of Horn’s ideas have come from people who had a positive impact on his growth. He credits his own teachers, principals, coaches, and parents for helping him become the leader he is today. They all had an effect on his life. Horn believes that one of the key takeaways that he learned from his influencers is the importance of accountability. 

“Be accountable. They [Horn’s influencers] taught me how to learn from mistakes, how to hold people accountable, and how to hold yourself accountable,” Horn said. 

Horn has faced both failure and success in his lifetime, but he did not let his setbacks stop him from learning. He ended up developing an important philosophy on life.   

“Life is full of successes and failures,” Horn said. 

It is clear that Horn has made an impact on Etowah through the resources and ideas he has brought to the school. Through Horn’s experience, he has been able to impact Etowah.