A Portage Life in The Spotlight: Patrick Mills

A Portage Life in The Spotlight: Patrick Mills

For the students of Portage High, nothing has a greater impact on their educational life as the teachers and staff who guide them along the way to graduation and beyond. One of those hard-working educators is Assistant Principal, Patrick Mills.

For the past ten years, students at Portage High have had Mr. Mills as a resource and guide, first as an English teacher and, for the last four years, in his role as the Assistant Principal.

Even as his duties at the school have changed over the years, his daily work with students has only grown to encompass more responsibility.

“My day varies by what is going on in school” says Mills. “We have supervision responsibilities, teacher evaluations, student interactions, discipline, meetings, and just a general responsibility to the staff and students to be accessible.”

Through all that work though, Mills has never lost what is truly important to him about his work: the impact he has on the students’ lives.

“Interacting with the students and being able to possibly help them achieve their goals and reach their potential is my favorite part of the job,” said Mills. “Most kids need that encouragement and reminders to really see what their potential is.”

Mills also knows that it’s not just him making these impacts on kids, he hopes that the time students spend at Portage High also makes a difference in their lives.

“I want any student I work with to know they can really achieve anything based on the routines and practices that they establish now,” explained Mills. “They’re setting the tone for the rest of their lives and I want them to be able to look back and say that their time at PHS [Portage High School] was meaningful.”

Making the most of your time is something Mills understands from his own experience being a Region resident for his entire life.

“I was born and raised in Crown Point, graduated from Crown Point High School, and still live there with my wife and son,” said Mills. “I think the best thing about the Region is every city/town is so different from the next. It provides plenty of opportunity to live in a small town atmosphere while also being close to bigger cities like Chicago and Indianapolis.”

Mills makes many trips in and around those cities, as he spends most of his spare time with his family going out on his days off.

“I spend most of my time with my family. I have a two-year-old son who gets most of my attention. We like travel and are avid sports fan,” said Mills. “We are Colts season ticket holders and really enjoy going to games. We are constantly on the go which makes my time off very enjoyable.”

No matter where he is though, Patrick Mills always puts others first and for his students, it’s clear how much he cares for them and their futures because his door is always open to them.