There are so many amazing educators and workers at every school in Northwest Indiana. One position some may not have known about is the Dean of Students position at Willowcreek Middle School, a position Joshua ‘Josh’ Wissing is proud to call his own.
“I have been Dean of Students at Willowcreek for about 12 years now. On a day-to-day basis, I deal with students and whatever issues arise, whether they are in or out of the classroom. That is the type of thing I work with on a daily basis. Every day is different, but that is the beauty of it. I have come to work every day for the last 12 years and try to help kids be better,” said Wissing.
As Dean of Students, Wissing is able to learn more and more about the students every single day, which can go a long way. The passion and high energy Wissing shows come from his early days on the football field, which evolved into something he continued for years.
“Football has always been my avenue outside of school. I played football when I was in high school and in college, and then I started coaching. I coached football at Valparaiso University. I started there, left in 2010, and have been at Willow Creek Middle School ever since. It was a lot of fun coaching, and I still do coach—that is what got me to Portage in the first place. I was coaching high school football at Portage and then started working at the middle school and the rest is history,” said Wissing.
One thing Wissing has taken from coaching and being involved with young students is the ability to connect with his daughter.
“Any extra time that I have is taken care of by my 9-year-old who is in the Swim Club. Doing that means the world to me,” said Wissing.
Even outside of school, Wissing still puts time and effort on the football field. His years of coaching experience have carried a long way, and his family extends far beyond the Willowcreek halls.
“Right now, I coach at Merrillville High School and have been doing that for the last six years. I still have been working in Portage and then coaching football in Merrillville. After school is over, I drive over there,” said Wissing.
Wissing is from Fort Wayne and graduated from Depauw University. However, no matter the opportunities that have come about over the years, Wissing has decided that Northwest Indiana is his forever home for him and his family.
“I ended up in Valparaiso, received my master's degree, and coached football. I was engaged to my now wife, who is the cheerleading coach at Valparaiso High School and has been at the high school since 2003. We are still here, and we love Northwest Indiana,” said Wissing.
Every experience that has led Wissing up to the present day has been important. From his career to his life outside of work to his coaching, everything has built up to now and allowed Wissing to excel at what he does.