Next year, the halls of MSHS will missing a Manitou staple: Jesse Hull.  Hull resigned from his position as MSHS Principal on April 8, 2022 after 16 years of service.

Hull taught social studies, was the Dean of Students for a year, then moved to Assistant Principal for nine years. He used to coach wrestling and was the head cross country coach.

“I think wrestling teaches you a lot of life lessons about perseverance and resilience and to rely on yourself,” Hull said. Wrestling has always been a passion for him, he participated in the sport throughout grade school, high school and as a college student at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania.

Hull grew up in New Jersey and taught in Georgia before moving to Colorado, where he began teaching at Manitou 16 years ago. In addition to wrestling, he enjoyed mountain biking, reading and anything outdoors as a kid. Colorado has been a good environment for Hull to continue these hobbies. 

Brian Brown, the Social Studies department chair at MSHS, was Hull’s mentor when he began teaching U.S. History at Manitou. “I think the classroom was a comfortable classroom to be in. He was very mellow with how he presented things, tried to find a variety of ways in which the students could stay engaged and with the material itself because social studies can be really boring,” Brown said. 

Elizabeth Tindall has been in the Special Education department at MSHS for 13 years and was here when Hull transitioned to assistant principal. “One thing I remember the most from his time as assistant principal was that he always wanted to do right by kids,” Tindall said. “He never purposely wanted to see kids fail. If there was a way to help a kid he wanted to do it.” Tindall worked closely with Hull when he was in that position.

Hull has enjoyed the sense of connection at MSHS with both the students and staff. “The relationships that I’ve had over the years with students, staff and community is probably the thing that I value the most about Manitou,” he said. He has not had one favorite position, but favorite parts of each one. “I really love teaching and coaching and both were a part of every single one of those positions,” Hull said. “I used to coach students, and now I feel like as an administrator I coach teachers.”

Hull has been a part of the community for a long time and has left an impact. He will be missed by his colleagues as he moves to new endeavors. “He has devoted an immense amount of time and energy here as a social studies teacher and an assistant principal and as head principal; and I am just so grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him this year,” said Anna Conrad, the assistant principal at MSHS. She will be stepping in as interim principal for the 2022-2023 school year.

Hull has left a big position to fill after leaving such a positive impact on his students, athletes and colleagues. “I am truly wowed by the legacy that he will leave at Manitou and very saddened by him moving on, but also incredibly appreciative of everything that he will leave behind,” Conrad said.