Community Corner
Iowa Principal and Cancer Survivor Shares His Journal
David Welter, principal of Holmes Junior High School and 2012 Middle Level Principal of the Year, opened his journal to the public while fighting cancer, in hopes of encouraging others.
Written by Holly Hines, posted by Deb Belt
When it comes to encouraging others, David Welter is an open book.
After learning he had cancer in 2009, Welter, principal of Holmes Jr. High in Cedar Falls, started a journal — one he shared publically in the form of a blog. Welter hoped the journal he called “Reflections from the Home Team,” would inspire optimism and comfort in others struggling with cancer.
Welter, a former coach, values working as a team when it comes to facing challenges.
“Whether it be fighting cancer, or doing what is best for kids on a daily basis, it is all about teamwork,” Welter said in an email.
With support from those around him, Welter has received recognition for his contributions to Holmes Jr. High School. The School Administrators of Iowa named him 2012 Middle Level Principal of the Year. In February, The Iowa After School Alliance also honored Welter at an event in Washington D.C. for work on Echoes After School, a dropout prevention program at Holmes.
Here, David Welter responds to a series of questions by sharing excerpts from his journal.
Q: When were you diagnosed with cancer, and how did coming through it affect your attitude and perspective on your goals?
On March 2, 2009, Welter wrote: “It is with a heavy heart I share this message. I returned late last Tuesday from Iowa City with my wife Tricia. Following several weeks of testing, I have been diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a form of small cell cancer. The doctors feel I am currently in Stage 3, and have shared that this form of cancer has a 60 % survival rate. We will determine the extent of that with further testing this week. I am now working with a Medical Team in Iowa City to prepare a course of treatment which will last 7-8 weeks and will report there to begin testing for my regimen of treatment on Tuesday, March 3. I will have to remain in Iowa City throughout the treatment period with the possibility of coming home on weekends if I am up to it. The recovery period may take an additional 8 weeks if things go well. My prayers are that they will. I am a survivor, and I have a loving family, friends, student body and staff for support. I also have faith that God has a plan for me, and I am placing myself in His hands. Being a baseball guy, that 60 % survival rate would translate into a .600 batting average...so I'll take those odds and begin the fight! As I leave to begin the battle, I'd ask a favor from each of you…I will promise you that I will fight to achieve a victory over this disease so that I can continue to fulfill my life's goal of seeing each and every one of you become successful in life. Always remember, I love each of you and will always do what I can to help you become the best person you can be. My hope is that we can make today a good, productive day. My wish is that we all take one day at a time, making the most of our individual talents and gifts knowing that when we lay our heads on our pillows at night, we will rest well because we have used up all our potential for that day making a positive difference.”
Q: Does this insight affect your approach to helping students? If so, how?
On March 4, 2009, Welter wrote: “I need to share that my ‘emotional bank’ was running a deficit Monday morning when I came to school. It has been a rough couple of weeks for me and my family. I also need to say that by the end of the day, my ‘emotional bank’ was overflowing because of the support and prayers you all have been offering for us! I can't tell you how much that means as I ‘train’ for this fight. I am preparing physically, emotionally and spiritually for the battle. I know that on some days, one or more of those ‘ingredients’ may drop off a bit. If so, I'll work on the others to pick me up! My love for all of you runs deep, and I know that all of you are willing to help as needed. That is appreciated. I do want you to know that the ‘coach’ in me has surfaced again... Imagine that! I have polished off my ‘game plan’ that I developed when I first became a Principal a ‘few’ years back. I want to share it with you so you can continue to hold me accountable as I move forward.
My ‘game plan’ is to seek each day as an opportunity to begin with a clean slate. I will avoid neither risk nor responsibility or fear failure and I will use each day as an opportunity to use up all my potential.
I will seek to build complementary relationships with family, friends and associates. I will make daily deposits in the emotional bank accounts of others and in some way, find a way to say thanks to God every day.
I prefer to let my work speak for me and believe in achieving visibility through my productivity.
I will always deal with others with honesty and integrity, tolerance and compassion, evenness and consideration.
I will dedicate my remaining years to helping others find purpose in their lives, ensuring that my influence on others is consistent with my values and principles.
I will accomplish this ‘game plan’ keeping a daily balance with my spiritual, family, physical, social-emotional and job responsibilities.
If I drop off on some of my game plan, be ready to remind me of it! This community is one I am so proud to call home!”
Q: What advice would you offer a young person facing a difficult challenge?
On August 21, 2010, Welter wrote: “Tests indicate I’m still cancer free and I’m excited about that news as you can well imagine. I will need to heal for the next three months at which point I can have my molar implants attached! No more oatmeal and cottage cheese!! As Randy Pausch shared in his ‘Last Lecture’… ‘We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand,’ so I’m looking for a ‘hand’ that includes some solid food and a chance to once again taste things!!! Ahh… the little things that we often take for granted can become so special…
…School starts on August 25th and I have been busy getting ready to kick off yet another year with students and staff and feel blessed to be able to be back working with a group of students and staff that I truly love. I continue to read and have incorporated some thoughts into my opening presentation to students and staff from Steve Siemens who owns and operates the “Building Positive People” Corporation based in West Des Moines. It goes like this:
‘You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can’t control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind. Why worry about the things you can’t control, when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?’
I plan to keep myself busy this year with the ‘things in my life that depend on me,’ my family, my students and my staff here at Holmes Junior High. I want to once again thank all of you for your continued love and support of both me and my family as we have taken this journey together.”
When it comes to encouraging others, David Welter is an open book.
After learning he had cancer in 2009, Welter, principal of Holmes Jr. High in Cedar Falls, started a journal — one he shared publically in the form of a blog. Welter hoped the journal he called “Reflections from the Home Team,” would inspire optimism and comfort in others struggling with cancer.
Welter, a former coach, values working as a team when it comes to facing challenges.
“Whether it be fighting cancer, or doing what is best for kids on a daily basis, it is all about teamwork,” Welter said in an email.
With support from those around him, Welter has received recognition for his contributions to Holmes Jr. High School. The School Administrators of Iowa named him 2012 Middle Level Principal of the Year. In February, The Iowa After School Alliance also honored Welter at an event in Washington D.C. for work on Echoes After School, a dropout prevention program at Holmes.
Here, David Welter responds to a series of questions by sharing excerpts from his journal.
Q: When were you diagnosed with cancer, and how did coming through it affect your attitude and perspective on your goals?
On March 2, 2009, Welter wrote: “It is with a heavy heart I share this message. I returned late last Tuesday from Iowa City with my wife Tricia. Following several weeks of testing, I have been diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma, a form of small cell cancer. The doctors feel I am currently in Stage 3, and have shared that this form of cancer has a 60 % survival rate. We will determine the extent of that with further testing this week. I am now working with a Medical Team in Iowa City to prepare a course of treatment which will last 7-8 weeks and will report there to begin testing for my regimen of treatment on Tuesday, March 3. I will have to remain in Iowa City throughout the treatment period with the possibility of coming home on weekends if I am up to it. The recovery period may take an additional 8 weeks if things go well. My prayers are that they will. I am a survivor, and I have a loving family, friends, student body and staff for support. I also have faith that God has a plan for me, and I am placing myself in His hands. Being a baseball guy, that 60 % survival rate would translate into a .600 batting average...so I'll take those odds and begin the fight! As I leave to begin the battle, I'd ask a favor from each of you…I will promise you that I will fight to achieve a victory over this disease so that I can continue to fulfill my life's goal of seeing each and every one of you become successful in life. Always remember, I love each of you and will always do what I can to help you become the best person you can be. My hope is that we can make today a good, productive day. My wish is that we all take one day at a time, making the most of our individual talents and gifts knowing that when we lay our heads on our pillows at night, we will rest well because we have used up all our potential for that day making a positive difference.”
Q: Does this insight affect your approach to helping students? If so, how?
On March 4, 2009, Welter wrote: “I need to share that my ‘emotional bank’ was running a deficit Monday morning when I came to school. It has been a rough couple of weeks for me and my family. I also need to say that by the end of the day, my ‘emotional bank’ was overflowing because of the support and prayers you all have been offering for us! I can't tell you how much that means as I ‘train’ for this fight. I am preparing physically, emotionally and spiritually for the battle. I know that on some days, one or more of those ‘ingredients’ may drop off a bit. If so, I'll work on the others to pick me up! My love for all of you runs deep, and I know that all of you are willing to help as needed. That is appreciated. I do want you to know that the ‘coach’ in me has surfaced again... Imagine that! I have polished off my ‘game plan’ that I developed when I first became a Principal a ‘few’ years back. I want to share it with you so you can continue to hold me accountable as I move forward.
My ‘game plan’ is to seek each day as an opportunity to begin with a clean slate. I will avoid neither risk nor responsibility or fear failure and I will use each day as an opportunity to use up all my potential.
I will seek to build complementary relationships with family, friends and associates. I will make daily deposits in the emotional bank accounts of others and in some way, find a way to say thanks to God every day.
I prefer to let my work speak for me and believe in achieving visibility through my productivity.
I will always deal with others with honesty and integrity, tolerance and compassion, evenness and consideration.
I will dedicate my remaining years to helping others find purpose in their lives, ensuring that my influence on others is consistent with my values and principles.
I will accomplish this ‘game plan’ keeping a daily balance with my spiritual, family, physical, social-emotional and job responsibilities.
If I drop off on some of my game plan, be ready to remind me of it! This community is one I am so proud to call home!”
Q: What advice would you offer a young person facing a difficult challenge?
On August 21, 2010, Welter wrote: “Tests indicate I’m still cancer free and I’m excited about that news as you can well imagine. I will need to heal for the next three months at which point I can have my molar implants attached! No more oatmeal and cottage cheese!! As Randy Pausch shared in his ‘Last Lecture’… ‘We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand,’ so I’m looking for a ‘hand’ that includes some solid food and a chance to once again taste things!!! Ahh… the little things that we often take for granted can become so special…
…School starts on August 25th and I have been busy getting ready to kick off yet another year with students and staff and feel blessed to be able to be back working with a group of students and staff that I truly love. I continue to read and have incorporated some thoughts into my opening presentation to students and staff from Steve Siemens who owns and operates the “Building Positive People” Corporation based in West Des Moines. It goes like this:
‘You can’t control the length of your life, but you can control its width and depth. You can’t control the contour of your face, but you can control its expression. You can’t control the weather, but you can control the atmosphere of your mind. Why worry about the things you can’t control, when you can keep yourself busy controlling the things that depend on you?’
I plan to keep myself busy this year with the ‘things in my life that depend on me,’ my family, my students and my staff here at Holmes Junior High. I want to once again thank all of you for your continued love and support of both me and my family as we have taken this journey together.”
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