Josh Ferenc
Bellows Falls Middle School
Josh Ferenc, Bellows Falls Middle School science instructor is on fire. “Josh is a healthy role model for adults and youth alike,” said Jen Cravinho, a colleague of his who works at the high school. “He volunteers to help the youth in our community lead healthy lives. He serves as the coach for the cross country, basketball and track teams and coaches the Vermont Gems, a thriving AAU basketball team. He supports the students athletically, academically and with social challenges they may face. He is inspiring and makes science so much fun.” “GEMS is the sporting highlight of my career,” Ferenc added. “And yet for the longest time I avoided coaching girls.”
Before becoming the science teacher, Ferenc spent his first year at Bellows Falls serving as the health educator. A graduate of Keene State College, he is focused on making teaching as memorable as possible for the students. “I want to be the teacher I always wished I had,” he said. As an example of this he demonstrated how he creates fire in the classroom. “Guaranteed I have no student behavior issues.”
Outside of the classroom, Ferenc is a world-renowned athlete who has traveled the world. He runs 10-20 miles a day, participates in ultra-marathons and has served as a representative of Team USA and the USA Long Distance Mountain Team in Switzerland and Poland. He is sponsored by Darn Tough in Vermont. He was the fastest Vermonter in the 2012, 2013 and 2014 VT City Marathon. His motto continues to be “I would rather die than lose.”
Ferenc is invested in encouraging all youth to be the best they can be. Some of the track team members who joined him for his interview added, “He is enthusiastic and goes crazy cheering for us all. “ And then, Ferenc and the team members demonstrated their running skills as they sprinted down the sidewalk.
